How to make bubbly, fermented water kefir which is a traditional cultured beverage loaded with probiotics and enzymes. A healthy alternative to soda.
Many people are surprised to learn that soda is actually a traditional food! Of course, ancestral cultures did not sweeten fermented beverages artificially or add unhealthy chemicals and GMO sugar like today.
Water kefir is a very popular example of a healthy traditional beverage that is tasty, fizzy, satisfying and thirst-quenching without any of these additives.
Many people are familiar with homemade dairy milk kefir or coconut milk kefir. Be aware that a slightly different type of culture is used to make water kefir.
Water kefir grains look different than milk kefir grains. They also grow much faster, which is great because there is more to share with your friends!
The probiotic properties of water vs milk kefir grains vary quite a bit as well.
You should be able to procure some water kefir grains within your local community by asking your health-conscious friends or at farmers’ markets.
If you still cannot find some locally, you can order them from the vetted sources in my shopping guide.
If you wish additional flavor and fizz, be sure to bottle your homemade water kefir after it is finished culturing.
Homemade Water Kefir Recipe
Bubbly, homemade water kefir recipe that the whole family will enjoy to help kick the unhealthy soda habit once and for all!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water kefir grains
- 1 quart filtered water
- 1/4 cup sucanat
Instructions
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Mix all the ingredients together in a mason jar leaving 1 inch at the top.
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Screw on the lid and leave on the counter for 48 hours. Taste after 48 hours, and if it is too sweet, leave for another 24 hours. Taste again, if too sweet, leave another 24 hours. Repeat for up to 5 days until the a fermented, apple cider type flavor with minimal sweetness has been achieved.
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Strain out the water kefir grains and refrigerate the liquid (no metal please), clean the mason jar, and repeat the process for a new batch of water kefir. You will have approximately double the kefir grains as they grow rapidly with each batch. You can give them away, eat them as a live probiotic, or make a larger batch of water kefir.
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To add variety, you may also reduce the sugar to 1/8 cup, reduce the water to 3 cups, and add 1 cup of fresh fruit juice. Juice from the store is almost always pasteurized and as such, is not recommended as it significantly increases the risk of fermentation mold. Fresh juice has minimal mold issues when fermented and is much more nutritious, and is therefore best to use. If using fresh lemon or lime juice, keep the sugar at 1/4 cup and only use 1/2 cup fresh juice.
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After fermenting, you may bottle the liquid to achieve extra fizz. This is an optional step. The picture with this step shows the types of bottles I use. Only fill the bottles to the bottom of the neck and leave on the counter for and additional 24-48 hours.
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Chill well and open the bottles slowly over the sink as the level of carbonation is quite surprising!
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To store your water kefir culture, place up to 1/2 cup water kefir grains in 1 quart of filtered water mixed with 1/4 cup sucanat, coconut sugar, or maple sugar and refrigerate until you are ready to use again.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Maple sugar or coconut sugar may be substituted for the sucanat. Raw honey does not work as well in my experience.
Hi Sarah,
Just curious, is it that vital to use filtered water over tap? I don’t have a water filter, but I can buy bottled spring water at the store, if that would be a better option.
Which minerals/substances are you avoiding by not using tap water?
Thanks so much for the video =)
Maria
Hi, Maria.
By not using tab water, you’re avoiding chlorine and fluoride and other contaminants found in city water supplies. If you have good well water, you don’t have to filter it. You also don’t want distilled water because there aren’t any minerals left in it, which, apparently, are good for the grains.
Hi sarah, I have been successful at making water kefir with my grains (I think I am successful, since the final result is not sweet), however my grains do not reproduce. Any explanation why this happens? I would like to have more of them or just know for sure that they are still alive. I have made the mistake at the beginning of putting the grains in the fridge for storage in a glass jar without any sugar water…
Thanks so much for all your wonderful work!!
Is water kefir safe for someone dealing with severe intestinal bacterial/fungal infections, or would this make it worse?
I worry about the sugar…. I read on a couple sites that water kefir still has a significant amount of sugar left over after fermentation. Is this true? I am on a sugar-free/low carb/grain-free diet.
hi sarah,
I am seeing the amount of kefir grains one ferment produces in your finished product.
mine do not so that! at first they multiplied nicely and quickly, but now they slowed dramaitaclly and I figured that was normal..I’ve had it for a few months and do not have enough to give away.
I heat my water (about a cup), add my sugar, dissolve it, then add cold cool it, and then add it to cold water and then the grains.
the flavor is great, and it is super fizzy, I’ve had a few blow up on me, so I put them directly in the fridge now.
I don’t screw a lid on it tho, I put a coffee filter and band. I only let it ferment for 24 hours, or else the flavor is awful . wondering, does screwing a lid on allow for a longer ferment process and more grain growth?
also, I have little cloudy pieces, that at first I thought were baby grains forming, but they don’t get bigger, then I thougt they were risidual sugar pieces bc I don’t dissolve it completely, but you out yours in cold water, and you can’t possibly be all the way disssolved, so that must not be the problem..help! i want more grains!
I use egg shells every now and again, a pinch of salt, this makes a nice fizz, but no grains.
I do the same with my milk kefir also, it doesn’t grow either. ( i don’t rinse them )
As I understood it, water kefir grains need to be fed minerals. I’m only on my first batch right now but I noticed Cultures for Life sells a kit with mineral drops to feed the grains with. I’ve read on other blogs that you can use a clean, free range egg shell to feed the grains minerals. One lady even said her grains almost completely dissolve the egg shell they are so active. A dollop of good molassas is supposed to feed them the minerals they need as well, but can leave an undesirable taste. Sucanat contains minerals but if the grains aren’t multiplying, maybe try feeding them an egg shell and see if they strengthen.
My grains more than doubled in amount in the 4 days I soaked them from their dehydrated state. From one dried packet I now have a full cups worth of them! I’m guessing the dried ones do take awhile to wake up since the water after 4 days was almost as sweet as it started out.
Sarah, I have been making water kefir soda for amount 2 months. The last few weeks the soda is cloudier and smells sort of like sour milk. Can the probiotics get bad in any way? Margaret
Hi Sarah! i got my kefir from a friend.. and we drank it after 3 days.. it was a bit syrup in consistancy esp. at the bottom and very sweet and no bubbly… did she doing somethign wrong? she says she uses maple sugar.. I drank it and that night got a yeast infection (could have been a combo of other things too, bite of choc cake, recent surgery, pregnant) but i restarted it with organic sugar.. (what i had on hand).. should i expect anything different?
hi sarah,
can you please explain why metal should not touch the kefir grains? i can’t find a non-metal sieve that’s small enough to strain the grains when i pour them out. any suggestions?
thanks!
Felicia,
I have never tried any of this yet (hope to soon), but I would imagine cheese cloth would act as a wonderful non-metal strainer.
Hi Sarah. I’m confused about the difference between rapidura and sucanat. I think I have rapidura, which is the dry, somewhat caramel colored crystals, yes? I use it in all my baking and plan to use it for the water kefir too. I was told that sucanat is a moist version, sort of like brown sugar. Is this correct, or do I have them reversed? I’d like to stick with the type I have.
Also, I was concerned about the sugar content and the amounts that are considered acceptable, both for kombucha AND kefir. If you drink one, should you avoid the other? I don’t want to overdo anything. I’m really working on this.
Thanks for any clarification you can provide. Oh, and one more thing, I ferment my kombucha in mason jars on the counter after it’s done ‘brewing’ and they come out nice and fizzy. I’m a soda water drinker, so I like the bubbles! But I noticed that I get new little scoby’s even in those jars!
Hi Sarah! I wanted to know the “shelf life” of the kefir water once it is finished. If we’re not able to drink it all in a day or two, will it last a while in the refrigerator? Also, when you strain out the kefir grains, do they need to be washed or can they go right into refrigerator for storage? Thank you!!
Is Water Kefir better for you than making a “ginger bug”?