You should also be aware that the kefir grains that you are working with are living organisms, and need to be kept going or will die, and you will have to buy more. This means that you will have to make batches of water kefir on a constant basic, every two to three days depending on how long you brew for. This may result in you having more water kefir than you can consume on your own, but I found that it was very easy to find others who would take a bottle from me, and having tried it, were very happy to pay a small price for it.

I will give my instructions for how I make my water kefir, and after the instructions that I received from the supplier of my kefir grains.

Equipment required:

• A water filter that will remove chlorine and fluoride etc from the water. Although I show a filter jug in the image above, many of them do not properly remove flourine etc from tap water. After a lot of research I use a Doulton SS2-SS filter purchased from Wrekin Water."
• A 1 tablespoon (15ml) measuring spoon.
• A teaspoon.
• A 500ml Pyrex measuring jug.
• A half litre Kilner jar.
• A nylon sieve.
• A jug wide enough to get the sieve over.
• A small plastic funnel.
• Some bottles with caged stoppers that can be purchased in the UK from Wilko.

Stage one:

1. Put 50 grams of raw cane sugar and 50 grams of white sugar into a half litre Pyrex measuring jug.
2. Add one eighth of a teaspoon of black molasses.
3. Add 250ml of boiling (filtered) water, and stir to dissolve the sugar.
4. Top up to 500ml with cold (filtered) water, and stir again.
5. Leave to cool until it is around body temperature.
6. Move the sugar solution to a Kilner jar.
7. Add 2 level tablespoons of Kefir grains.
8. Stir, place lid on but do not clamp down.
9. Put jar in a dark cupboard for 48-72 hours. Temperature affects how quickly it ‘brews’.

Make a sugar solution of two level teaspoons of raw cane sugar dissolved in 250ml of hot water, then add another 250ml of cold water. (Use only filtered water)

Stage two:

1. Pour contents of Kilner jar through a nylon sieve (do not use a metal sieve) into a wide necked jug.
2. Use the Kefir grains in the sieve to start another batch.
3. In a 500ml bottle place 50ml of pure apple juice and 50ml of the sugar solution.
4. Add the filtered Kefir leaving a one inch gap from the top of the bottle.
5. Place stopper in bottle, shake it well, and leave it in a cupboard for another 48 hours.
6. It is then ready to drink, but be careful opening it.

You need to keep repeating this process to keep the Kefir grains alive. If you need a break, you can place the Kefir solution produced in stage one in a sealed Kilner jar, and keep it in the fridge for up to 10 days. When you restart, sieve the solution to retrieve the Kefir grains, then throw the solution away.

Using water kefir:

the first three days do not drink more than a shot glass (50 ml) of the Kefir per day. You may get slight side-effects like bloating or excess wind but these should go away once your gut gets used to the bacteria in the Kefir. You can then increase your daily does carefully, noting your reaction to it.

Take the Kefir each day. It will build up good gut bacteria.

The Kefir will last a long time, but as it continues to ‘brew’ it will absorb more of the sugar and therefore become more bitter. Aim to finish a bottle within 10-14 days.

After becoming used to the water kefir, I find that I can now drink up to a quarter of a pint without any problem. The water kefir flavoured with apple is particularity nice as a cold drink on a summer's day. You can expereiment with flavourings for the second stage, but do not use citrus fruits.

Now here are the original instructions that I received with my water kefir grains that were supplied by Kombuchaorganic.

Organic Water kefir - how to brew.

Please keep in mind if you are new to water kefir it may take several batches before your grains become accustomed to your home and make consistent water kefir.

We use organic black molasses hence the brown grains colour. We strongly believe this is superior than refined white sugar.

The first couple of batches of water kefir that you brew might not have so much activity.

This is completely normal and due to the shock of travel; it may take them time to begin growing. Making water kefir is not an exact science and it's best to experiment to see what works best for you.

Water kefir grains function best on a combination of white sugar and dried fruits, or a combination of white sugar and less processed sugar (whole cane, brown, molasses, etc). 3 parts refined sugar to 1 part unrefined sugar is a good ratio to start with.

If you add dried fruits, such as apricots or raisins, make sure they are unsulphured. A handful per quart is all you will need.

Notes: Try not to use tap water because it contains chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride. They will harm your grains over time. Most water filters will not effectively remove fluoride or other impurities. Do not let your grains come in contact with metal, prolonged exposure will harm them. Always use glass, plastic or wood when handling your grains to keep them safe.

3 glasses of water (750ml)
4 tablespoons sugar
organic water kefir grains (as supplied)

Combine the water and sugar and stir until the sugars are completely dissolved. Pour the sugar solution into a quart size jar or container. Gently place the grains into the sugar solution. You can add any fruits now. Cover with a non-air tight lid (to avoid possible, but unlikely explosion as the carbon dioxide builds up) and allow to brew in room temperature for 24 to 72 hours. Cheese cloth works great as a breathable cover. Place the water kefir mixture on a counter away from direct sunlight. When the water kefir is done brewing, simply strain the grains out and enjoy the beverage. There is no need to rinse your grains in-between batches.

One teaspoon of molasses will help promote growth. A basic recipe using 4 tablespoons of white sugar and 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses will help if you are having difficulties getting your grains active. To get your final water kefir carbonated, you will need to bottle it in an airtight container, jar or bottle for about 2 to 5 days at room temperature. Have fun! If you are keen please research on second fermentation. This is where the fun starts. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Organic live kefir cultures, Organic cane sugar, Organic Molasses

: We recommend storage at room temperature
Best Before: Use within 28 days