Caring for water kefir grains: daily care, breaks and holidays

The daily routine

The most important thing you do for your grains is feed them regularly. Every 24 hours, strain them and put them straight into fresh sugar water: 1 litre of water, 4 tablespoons of sugar (about 60 g), a dried fig and a slice of lemon. That is really all there is to it. The full recipe is in How to make water kefir.

• A regular time. A few hours earlier or later is no problem. Forgetting a day is not the end of the world either, just do not make a habit of it.
• A regular spot. Out of the sun, not beside the cooker, not on a cold windowsill.
• A gentle hand. Do not press or rub the grains in the sieve. Just let them drain.
• A clean jar. A rinse with hot water is enough. Once a week it can have a proper wash with washing-up liquid, as long as you rinse it well.
• No rusting metal. A stainless steel sieve for a moment is fine; aluminium and copper are best avoided.

Do the grains need washing?

Usually not. The thin film of liquid around the grains helps the next batch get going. If you hold them under the tap every time, you set them back a little each time.

There are moments when a rinse makes sense, though:

• The drink has turned stringy or syrupy.
• There are lots of bits of fruit or fig seeds among the grains.
• They have spent a while in the fridge and the sugar water smells strong.
• You want to weigh them or divide them between two jars.

In those cases, rinse them in the sieve with cool or lukewarm tap water. No hot water, no soap, no vinegar. Then straight back into fresh sugar water.

Taking a break: from a weekend to a holiday

Your grains can follow your rhythm, even when that rhythm stops for a while. The fridge is your best friend here: in the cold, the yeasts and bacteria work far more slowly, so their food lasts much longer.

For the fridge, use the same sugar water as for a normal batch, but leave out the lemon. The fig can stay. A glass jar with a loosely fitted lid is better than a tea towel here, because the fridge has smells of its own and you do not want your grains picking up the flavour of last night's onions.

Starting again after a break

Take the jar out of the fridge, strain the grains and pour away the old sugar water. It is usually rather sour and not especially pleasant. Then put the grains into fresh sugar water with a fig and lemon at room temperature, as always.

The first batch after a break is often slower and sweeter. The second is usually back to normal. After a long break it can take three batches. Resist the temptation to leave the first batch extra long: fresh food and the usual rhythm bring them back faster.

Growth: what to do with the extra

Well-kept grains grow. After a few weeks, weigh them: if you have 60 g instead of 30 g, it is time to do something. Too many grains in too little water gives a sour, flat drink.

• Make more. Allow 30 g per litre. With 60 g you make 2 litres, in two jars or one big one.
• Two flavours. Two jars of 30 g each, and two different fruits in the bottles.
• Give some away. A small jar of grains in sugar water is a lovely present for someone who wants to start. Send them the link to the basic recipe along with it.
• Keep a spare. Put some in the fridge as a back-up, with the sugar water changed every week.
• Eat them. The grains are edible. Some people add a spoonful to a smoothie.
• Compost them. Whatever is left can go on the compost heap or in the brown bin.

Lively or tired?

Your grains show you how they are doing. Learn the signs and you can step in before anything really goes wrong.

Tired grains usually perk up with a different water, a spoonful of golden caster sugar in the mix, a fresh fig in every batch and a temperature between 20 and 25°C. The details are in Water and sugar for water kefir and Water kefir problems and how to fix them.

What your grains do not like

• Hot water. Always let the sugar water cool to room temperature first.
• Sweeteners. They cannot live on them. Real sugar only.
• Going hungry for long. Three or four days on the worktop without fresh sugar water wears them out.
• Grease and soap residue. Rinse the jar and sieve well if you use washing-up liquid.
• Constant change. A different sugar, a different water or herbal tea in the jar every day throws them off balance. Experiment in the bottle, not in the jar.

Through the seasons

In summer everything speeds up. With the kitchen at 26 or 27°C, a batch can be ready in 16 to 20 hours, and the grains tire if you leave them too long. Strain earlier, or move the jar somewhere cooler, such as the hall or a utility room.

In winter it is the other way round. A cold kitchen at 17°C makes the grains sluggish, and plenty of British kitchens sit around that mark from November to March. A shelf in or beside the airing cupboard, the top of the fridge or a spot near (not on) a radiator helps a lot. More tips for the cold half of the year are in Fermenting in winter.

Frequently asked questions

Want to start over, or set up a second jar? Live water kefir grains start at £11, with standard tracked delivery free from £35 anywhere in the UK. All the steps are together in the complete water kefir guide.