How to make water kefir at home in 5 easy steps
How to make water kefir in 5 steps
Stir 40g organic cane sugar into 1 litre of non-chlorinated water in a glass jar. Add about ¼ cup of water kefir grains (and 15g unsulphured dried figs if you like), cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 24–48 hours. Strain, keep the grains for your next batch, then chill and enjoy.
Water kefir is one of the easiest ferments to make at home. With a jar, some sugar and a spoonful of live grains, you’ll have a tangy, lightly sparkling drink in a couple of days, and the grains keep growing, so you can brew again and again.
What is water kefir?
Water kefir, also known as tibicos, is a fermented drink made with water kefir grains. Despite the name, they aren’t grains at all: they’re a living culture of bacteria and yeasts that look like small translucent crystals. They feed on sugar and turn sweetened water into a tangy, lightly sparkling drink. Unlike milk kefir, it’s completely dairy-free.
What you’ll need
- About ¼ cup of live water kefir grains
- 1 litre non-chlorinated water (filtered, or tap water left to stand overnight)
- 40g organic cane sugar
- 15g dried figs, dates or raisins (optional; they must be organic, unsulphured and oil-free)
- A clean glass jar, a breathable cloth and a rubber band
- A fine sieve. Plastic or stainless steel are both fine.
Or get everything in one box with our complete fermentation kit.
How to make water kefir: step by step
- Dissolve the sugar. Stir the sugar into the water in your jar until it dissolves.
- Add the grains. Add the grains, plus the dried fruit if you’re using it. Cover with the cloth and secure it with the rubber band.
- Leave it to ferment. Leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 24–48 hours.
- Strain. Strain the liquid into a bottle, keeping the grains back. Give them a fresh batch of sugar water straight away.
- Chill and enjoy. It should taste a little tart and lightly sweet. Keep it in the fridge, or it will carry on fermenting and turn sour.
How to flavour water kefir (second ferment)
A second ferment is where the fun starts. Add fruit, herbs or juice to your strained kefir and leave it for a day. Each of these flavours 1 litre:
- Strawberry & vanilla: ¼ cup sliced strawberries and a dash of vanilla
- Lemon & ginger: 20g sliced fresh ginger and ½ lemon
- Raspberry & mint: ¼ cup raspberries and a few mint leaves
- Put the fruit in a glass bottle with a silicone lid, or a jar, and top up with your first ferment.
- Close the lid and leave at room temperature for about 24 hours.
- Strain out the fruit, which usually floats to the top.
- Taste and adjust: if it’s too sweet, leave it a little longer; if it’s too sour, dilute with water.
- Store in the fridge.
Choose the right bottle
Pressure builds up during a second ferment. A bottle with a silicone lid is the safest choice, because it lets excess pressure escape. If you use any other sealed bottle, open it briefly every 4–8 hours, and put it in the fridge as soon as it’s bubbly.
Tips for the best water kefir
- Use non-chlorinated water. Chlorine can upset the grains.
- Choose your sugar carefully. Organic cane sugar gives the best results. Very dark sugars are strong in flavour, so use them sparingly.
- Watch the temperature. In summer a batch may be ready in 24 hours; in winter it can take 3–4 days.
- Feed your grains. If you’re taking a break, keep them in fresh sugar water in the fridge.
- Share the surplus. Happy grains can double within a week or two, so pass some on to a friend.
No time to brew? Our organic water kefir is hand-fermented in small batches in Devon and delivered chilled. Or turn your first ferment into a kefir mojito.
