Water kefir
Milk kefir
Kombucha
Ginger beer
Kefir duo
Kefir and kombucha
Starter kit
RennetThe blog about fermenting at home
Straight answers to the questions we get every week: water kefir, milk kefir, kombucha, ginger beer, flavour, cost, beginner mistakes and a few tricks from the kitchen.
Fermented drinks for beginners
The four classic homemade fermented drinks side by side, the kit you need and the simple rules for a first batch that works.
Read the articleIdeasFizzy lemonade from your own kitchen
How a live culture and a little fruit give you your own sparkling lemonade, with flavours from rhubarb to blackberry.
Read the articleIdeasPresents for people who love to cook
Live cultures as presents for Christmas, Secret Santa, Mothering Sunday, Father's Day and birthdays: by type of cook, with tips on timing and wrapping.
Read the articleKombuchaHow much alcohol is in kombucha?
Traces, usually under 1%. Where the alcohol comes from and how you keep it low without losing the fizz.
Read the articleKefirThe cost of a litre of kefir
An honest calculation in pence for a litre of homemade water kefir, milk kefir, kombucha and ginger beer: the culture, the ingredients and the small extras.
Read the articleKefirKeeping your kefir
How many days strained kefir keeps, how its taste changes in the fridge, how long the grains can wait and when to throw it out.
Read the articleKefirBeginner kefir mistakes
Ten common slips with water kefir and milk kefir, why they cause trouble and what to do instead.
Read the articleFermentingKefir and kombucha in winter
Where to put the jars when the kitchen cools down and the heating goes off at night, the airing cupboard trick, condensation and winter flavours.
Read the articleKefirWhere kefir comes from
From leather bags in the Caucasus to a jar on your worktop: the story of milk kefir, the origins of water kefir and what has not changed.
Read the articleKefirKefir with plant milk
Soya, oat, almond and coconut drinks with milk kefir grains: texture, taste, a method that spares your grains and the dairy-free option.
Read the articleKefirKefir and yoghurt compared
Two fermented milks compared: how they are made, how they taste, their textures and how to swap one for the other in recipes.
Read the articleKefirKefir and buttermilk compared
Two sour milks side by side, and how homemade kefir takes the place of buttermilk in scones, pancakes and marinades.
Read the articleIdeasUsing up a kefir surplus
Breakfast, baking, dinner, dessert and drinks: plenty of ways to use up spare milk kefir and water kefir, and how to keep the surplus in check.
Read the articleKombuchaToo many SCOBYs?
A new layer every batch soon adds up. Seven sensible things to do with spare kombucha SCOBYs.
Read the articleKombuchaHow to make kombucha vinegar
How a forgotten jar or a spare SCOBY becomes a mild, fruity vinegar for dressings and quick pickles.
Read the articleAll three cultures, at the best price
Water kefir grains (30 g), milk kefir grains (20 g) and a kombucha SCOBY in one order, each with its guide. Three living drinks for your kitchen, for less than buying them separately.