HOW TO MAKE AND USE FRESH LIVING CAUCASUS KEFIR GRAINS

The Basics

• A 500ml glass jar like a kilner jar


• About 1 tablespoon of kefir culture


• Fresh milk

Procedure:

Put the kefir culture in the glass jar, then fill it with fresh milk about 2/3 or so full.
Cover the jar with a cloth or put the lid on the jar.
(If you use a lid don't fill the jar above two thirds or use a jar with a rubber gasket that will let any pressure escape.)
Let the contents stand at room temperature for approx. 24 hours depending on your taste. 48 hours will make a thicker, sourer kefir, 12 hours a thinner, sweeter kefir.

The temperature will effect how quickly the culture works. So during the warm summer months the kefir will ferment faster.
When it's ready strain the kefir into a clean jar. While it's fermenting the kefir grains will float to the top of the milk along with any cream.

It's a good idea to stir it gently with a wooden spoon to mix up the solids and liquids to make it easier to strain. Or use a wooden spoon or clean hands to scoop out the culture from the kefir (the culture is easy to feel and separate from the liquids).

The kefir culture produces a jelly like polysaccharide substance that develops around the grains as they grow, making it look 'gloopy'.
It has unique properties and it's own name 'kefiran'. As you scoop out the grains you may find them coated with a gel like substance. This is the kefiran. Giving the kefir a good stir will distribute the kefiran in the kefir and it contributes to the thickness of the finished kefir. (This seems to be pretty variable, some strains producing a lot and others not much.)

After straining, the grains are placed straight back into a clean jar without washing them first. Fresh milk is added to the grains to make the next batch.

A Note on CleanlinessMake sure everything is very clean when handling kefir. It's a living culture, a complex system of bacteria and yeasts and you don't want risk contaminating it. Use freshly cleaned hands, clean jars and clean non metallic implements.

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NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF KEFIR GRAINS

If you’re looking for a good probiotic supplement go for the best, Kefir. Many manufacturers of probiotics claim that their pills contain 15 billion bacteria at the time of processing. And that it would take tubs of yogurt or gallons of kefir to receive the same amount of friendly bacteria.First of all, lets not forget that these companies acquire their products directly from these whole food fermented-milk products.

As I mentioned before, they pull nutrients out of whole foods and turn around and sell them right back to you.
So for a fraction of the cost, you can have a more superior product.
I paid only a few dollars for my kefir grains, and if you take care of them properly they will multiply and last forever! Numbers don’t lie:

• One capsule of man-made probiotics normally contains about 15 billion bacteria.
• One small bowl of fresh yogurt (500 ml), contains about 1.5 trillion beneficial organisms. – 100 times more than a 15 billion capsule.
• And one small bowl of fresh kefir (500 ml), contains as many as 5 trillion beneficial organisms. Almost 400 times more than a capsule.

Kefir and other fermented milk products contain buffering agents that nourish and protect the lactobacillus from bile acids in the stomach. This way they can make it into the intestines where they produce Vit. B-12 and help to breakdown and package food for excretion. Milk products are such strong buffering agents that even poison control centers recommend drinking milk when confronted with a poison situation. Bacteria in pill form are in a dormant cycle and the bacteria in kefir and yogurt are alive and well, making them much more fit to adapt to sudden changes in environment as they enter the body.These fermented milk products are considered functional foods because they function as health promoting foods. Probiotic pill supplements only offer one thing, bacteria.

Fermented Milk offers much more; minerals, vitamins, amino acids, L-carnitine, good fats, antimicrobial agents and more. Scientist tested the kefir in the Caucasus Mountains for any type of harmful bacteria. But much to their surprise, they found nothing. Deep in the mountains where sanitary conditions are much worse than ours, the scientist refused to believe there was no harmful bacteria to be found. Creating a possible scenario that a piece of animal fecal matter would fall into the milk, they injected the E. Coli bacteria into the kefir. Within 24 hours the E. Coli was destroyed by Kefir’s benificial bacteria. Kefir has also demonstrated the ability to kill H. pylori infections when bacteria alone could not. In addition, the complex microflora of kefir has also shown a keen ability to stimulate our immune system, ward off infections from salmonella, and in some cases even fight cancer. Fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, and sauerkraut are once again superior to pills in a bottle.

KEFIR VS YOGURT

While both Kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products, they contain different types of beneficial bacteria.

Yogurt:

Contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep your digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that already are present.

Kefir:

Actually helps to colonize your intestinal tract -- a feat that yogurt cannot match.
Additionally, Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Kefir and Torula Kefir, which help balance the intestinal flora, including promotion of beneficial yeast in the body by penetrating the mucosal lining. They form a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and helps strengthen the intestines.
Kefir's active yeast and bacteria may provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. The curd size of Kefir is smaller than yogurt, so it's also easier to digest, making it an ideal food for babies, the elderly, and anyone with digestive health concerns.

HEALTH PROPERTIES OF KEFIR GRAINS:

Kefir enjoys a rich tradition of health claims. In the former Soviet Union, it is used in hospitals and sanatoria for a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergic disease. It has even been used for the treatment of tuberculosis, cancer, and gastrointestinal disorders when no modern medical treatment was available. Its consumption has also been associated with longevity in Caucasus. Various scientists have observed digestive benefits of kefir, but controlled studies have yet to confirm their empirical findings. Various research teams around the world have reported encouraging results, but several methodological difficulties still need to be resolved. Most studies to date have been performed in vitro or using animal models, and human studies are not available. Further, the effects of kefir grains or their isolates are often studied, rather than the product kefir, and there is no evidence that the observed effects would occur using the drink itself. Also, kefir products vary significantly according to the composition of the grains used and even according to the region in which it is made, and therefore specific effects may not be demonstrated in all kefirs. Given these caveat, a variety of health benefits are being investigated. Table 3 presents recent studies using kefir products. Several studies have investigated the antitumor activity of kefir and of kefir grains . Specific cultures isolated from kefir were also shown to bind to mutagenic substances such as indole and imidazole. Immune system stimulation with kefir and with sphingomyelin isolated from the lipids of kefir have been demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Kefir possesses antimicrobial activity in vitro against a wide variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and against some fungi. In Zacconi et al.ís recent study, the antagonistic effects of kefir against Salmonella kedougou were attributed to the complexity and vitality of the kefir microflora. De Vrese et al . demonstrated that fresh, but not heat treated, disintegrated kefir grains suspended in kefir directly enhanced intestinal lactose digestion in minipigs. This effect was attributed to microbial b-galactosidase activity of kefir. The above studies provide encouraging results, but much more research is necessary in order to demonstrate similar effects using kefir in humans. Further, a standardized, well-defined product must be used in order to provide useful information.

COMPOSITION OF KEFIR

The composition and flavor of kefir vary significantly, depending on a variety of factors including the source (cow, ewe, goat, mare) and the fat content (regular fat, lowfat, nonfat) of the milk used, the composition of the grains or starters, and the technological conditions of production.

The major products formed during fermentation are lactic acid, CO2, and alcohol. Many aromatic compounds, including diacetyl and acetaldehyde are present in kefir .
Diacetyl is produced by Str. lactis subsp. diacetylactis and Leuconostoc sp.
The pH of kefir is 4.2 to 4.6.
As in yogurt, the lactose content is reduced in kefir, and the b-galactosidase level is increased as a result of fermentation.
Information on vitamin and mineral content is limited and sometimes contradictory, but overall, there do not seem to be significant variations from that of the milk used. There is also a small increase in proteolysis, leading to an increase in free amino acids .

FABRICATION OF KEFIR

1. Traditional process The traditional, or artisanal, method of making kefir is currently achieved by directly adding kefir grains (2-10%) to milk that has been pasteurized and cooled to 20-25¡C. After a period of fermentation lasting around 24 hours, the grains are removed by filtration. The beverage, itself containing live microflora from the grain, is then ready for consumption. The grains grow in the process of kefir production, and are reused for subsequent fermentations.
Grains can then be dried at room temperature and kept at cold temperature (4¡C). For a longer conservation, they can be lyophilized (freeze-dried) or frozen.
A second method, known as the"Russian method", permits production of kefir on a larger scale, and uses a series of two fermentations. The first step is to prepare the cultures by incubating milk with grains (2-3%), as just described. The grains are then removed by filtration and the resulting mother culture is added to milk (1-3%) which is fermented for 12 to 18 hours.
Several problems associated with traditional kefir have led to a more modern method of production. The traditional method produces only small volumes of kefir, and requires several steps, each additional step increasing the risk of contamination.
In addition, the grains themselves are not well understood, and are not well controlled. Strong pressure from the CO2 gas content can lead to the explosion of the recipient unless appropriate containers which resist the escaping of gas are used.
Finally, the shelf-life of traditional kefir is very short, less than three days.
2. Recent process To resolve the above difficulties, some producers in Eastern Europe have begun using concentrated lyophilized cultures made from grains. These mother cultures are then used as bulk starters for direct inoculation of the milk. More control over the process and fewer steps provide a more consistent quality.
3. Current areas of research Attention is now being turned toward producing kefir from pure, defined cultures.
This method will allow for a better control of the microorganisms involved, an ease of production, and a more consistent quality. The product will also have a longer shelf-life of 10 to 15 days at 4¡C. It will also permit various modifications of the product to achieve certain health or nutritional benefits.
Two basic procedures for manufacturing kefir have been developed using pure cultures isolated from kefir grains. Milk can be inoculated simultaneously with lactic acid bacteria and yeast, or it can undergo two fermentations, the first with lactic acid bacteria and the second with yeast. Results have been encouraging, but finding the right equilibrium of bacterial and yeast strains to create a product with the characteristic properties of traditional kefir including both the organoleptic qualities and the health benefits - is a difficult task. The major difficulty is understanding the microbiology of kefir.

KEFIR GRAINS

While yogurt can readily be made from the lactic acid bacteria present in fresh yogurt, kefir can only be made from kefir grains and mother cultures prepared from grains. The grains contain a relatively stable and specific balance of microorganisms which exist in a complex symbiotic relationship.

The grains are formed in the process of making kefir and only from pre-existing grains. They resemble small cauliflower florets, and each grain is 3 to 20 mm in diameter (7). Kefir grains are clusters of microorganisms held together by a matrix of polysaccharides. The grains include primarily lactic acid bacteria (lactobacilli, lactococci, leuconostocs) and yeasts, and include acetic acid bacteria and possibly other microorganisms (8).

The overall organization of microorganisms of grains is not completely elucidated. More than a thousand years of consumption have demonstrated that the microorganisms in kefir are not pathogenic. Even further, milk inoculated with grains can suppress the growth of some pathogens such as Salmonella or Shigella (1) . The grain matrix is composed of a complex of 13% protein (by dry weight), 24% polysaccharide, plus cellular debris and unknown components (6) . The principal polysaccharide is a water-soluble substance known as kefiran. Several homofermentative Lactobacillus species including L. kefiranofaciens and L. kefir (9-11) produce this polysaccharide. They are an integral part of the grain, and without their presence, kefir grains cannot be propagated. The mechanism, however, is not fully understood.

WHAT IS KEFIR ? (FOR KEFIR STARTERS)

Kefir is a fermented drink which has been consumed for thousands of years. It originated in the Caucasus mountains in the former Soviet Union where the drink was fermented naturally in bags made of animal hides. Its use is currently being expanded because of its unique organoleptic properties and its long tradition of health benefits.
It can be consumed as is, or can be used in cooking (in soups, sauces, and cakes). The distinctive organoleptic properties differ from yogurt in that small amounts of CO2, alcohol, and aromatic molecules are produced as a result of a dual fermentation of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts.
Although kefir is just being discovered in some areas of the world, it has been very popular in the former Soviet Union, Hungary, and Poland for many years. In the former Soviet Union, kefir accounts for 70% of the total amount of fermented milk consumed.
It is also well known in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Germany, as well as in Greece, Austria, Brazil, and Israel. It is currently available in the United States, primarily as an ethnic drink, and is growing in popularity in Japan.

Kefir distinguishes itself from the more known fermented milk yogurt in that it is traditionally made only from kefir grains which contain a complex mixture of both bacteria and yeasts. The resulting kefir possesses unique organoleptic characteristics. Research on its health benefits is just beginning, and there remain many questions unanswered.
Two types of kefir exist: sugary, a fermented sweetened water; and milky, a fermented milk beverage. This article addresses the milky variety, whose norm has been established by the International Dairy Federation, and it will provide an overview of its characteristics and a discussion of its potential health benefits.

BENEFITS OF KEFIR GRAINS

The regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish a balanced inner ecosystem for optimum health and longevity.Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced. Its excellent nutritional content offers healing and health-maintenance benefits to people in every type of condition.

Kefir is a stirred beverage made from milk fermented with a complex mixture of bacteria (including various species of lactobacilli, lactococci, leuconostocs, and aceterobacteria) and yeasts (both lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting). The small amount of CO2, alcohol, and aromatic compounds produced by the cultures give it its characteristic fizzy, acid taste (26). Kefir fabrication differs from that of yogurt in that kefir grains (small clusters of microorganisms held together in a polysaccharide matrix) or mother cultures from grains (27) are added to milk and cause its fermentation. Kefir is actually a family of products, in that the grains and technology used can vary significantly and thus result in products with different compositions.
Many health benefits have been traditionally reported. Kefir has been used for the treatment of atherosclerosis, allergic disease, and gastrointestinal disorders, among other diseases (28). Until recently, most research has been limited to studies lacking modern statistical practices or to reports written up in Slavic languages, rendering them inaccessible to most western scientists.
Recent studies have investigated antibacterial (29), immunological(30), antitumoral (31), and hypocholesterolemic(32) effects of kefir consumption on animals. Results suggest potential benefits. Fresh, but not heat-treated grains in kefir enhanced intestinal lactose digestion in minipigs (33). While awaiting more research, it is important to remember that kefir, like yogurt, has been and continues to be a part of the regular diet in central and eastern Europe for centuries. Bifidobacterium: a natural inhabitant of the intestines Bifidobacteria were first described in 1900 by Tissier (34) . Since that time, their classification has evolved continually, and currently includes around thirty species (35, 36) . In general, they are strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive rods which often have special nutritional needs and grow slowly in milk. Very few strains are adapted well enough to milk that they both grow in sufficient numbers and survive well throughout the shelf-life of the FM.
Although bifidobacteria produce both lactic acid and acetic acid as major end-products of metabolism (heterofermentative), many microbiologists consider them to be lactic acid bacteria, albeit a special case. Tissierís hypothesis almost 100 years ago that bifidobacteria might have health benefits(37) was based on the following observations. Bifidobacteria are normal inhabitants of the human intestinal tract throughout the life cycle, beginning just days after birth. Further, they are often the predominant microorganism in the gut of breast-fed infants. It has since been shown that breast-fed babies are less at risk for diarrheal disease than formula-fed infants (38). In addition to the above inherent characteristics of bifidobacteria, some strains of the micro-organism survive intestinal transit in sufficient numbers to exert a metabolic effect in the gut (39,40).
1. Effects on the intestinal microflora Ingestion of milk fermented with bifidobacteria leads to an increase in fecal bifidobacteria levels, both in infants (43) and in adults (44) . Elevated levels return to normal after cessation of consumption (39). Ingestion of FM with bifidobacteria has also led to a decrease in §-glucuronidase activity, but not in other enzymes associated with colon (44).
2. Effect on mild constipation Slow intestinal transit can be partially corrected in women by the regular consumption of a milk fermented with yogurt cultures and bifidobacteria (41). This effect was not observed with yogurt as a control, thus demonstrating the specificity of bifidobacteria for the increased colonic motility (42).
3. Prevention of diarrhea Few studies have been performed. One double-blind study of infants demonstrated that a formula with added B. bifidum and S. thermophilus reduced the incidence of hospital-acquired diarrhea compared to a standard formula. It also lowered the rate of rotavirus shedding into the environment (45).
4. Immunomodulating effects Ingestion of milk fermented with B. bifidum led to an increase in phagocytic activity in peripheral blood compared to milk consumption (46). A mixture of B. bifidum and L. acidophilus decreased chronic inflammation of the sigmoid colon and increased humoral immunity in a group of elderly subjects (47).
Lactobacillus casei: new interest in an old bacteria
The group L. casei consists of several species of facultatively anaerobic and hetero-fermentative, mesophilic lactic acid bacteria(48). Their metabolism provides organoleptic qualities to several traditional FM and cheeses, and more recently, to new fermented milks. L. casei have been detected in the feces of both infants (49) and adults (50). Their ability to survive transit through the intestinal tract in adequate numbers to have a physiological effect (50) , coupled with their potential health benefits make L. casei an ideal candidate for a probiotic.
1. Treatment of diarrhea Several double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that oral consumption of L. casei reduces the duration of diarrhea (51), and in particular, rotavirus gastroenteritis (52) in children. In addition, L. casei may help reduce the duration of diarrhea associated with children in day care centers (53), antibiotic treatment (54) and travelerís diarrhea (55).
2. Effects on the intestinal microflora In addition to increasing lactobacilli count in feces (50), milk fermented with L. casei has been shown to lower the activity of the colonic enzymes §-glucuronidase (50, 56), glycocholic acid reductase, and nitroreductase (56) in healthy adults. A recent study demonstrated a decrease in §-glucuronidase and §-glucosidase activities in infants after ingestion of a milk fermented with yogurt cultures and L. casei. This effect was not found with yogurt alone or with gelled milk (control) (57) , thus suggesting that the modification was due to L. casei or to the association between L. casei and yogurt.
3. Immunomodulating effects Challenge tests ( e.g ., using Salmonella typhimurium ) with oral ingestion of L. casei in mice has led to increased protection in animals infected with pathogenic bacteria (58, 59). A few reports using human subjects have shown an enhancement of non-specific immune system activators, such as y interferon and interleukins (ex vivo) (60) and of specific immune responses to various challenges, including rotavirus vaccine (61). In a recent study infants with atopic dermatitis were given formula with added L. casei. Not only did the concentration of fecal tumor necrosis factor-a decrease significantly (a measure of the immune response), but clinical symptoms improved as well (62) . Viability of the bacteria is an important factor of its effectiveness (61).
Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).