The sugar and water you use to make water kefir can impact the flavor and carbonation level of your finished kefir and may even affect the health of your water kefir grains!
If your water kefir is too sweet for your taste or too flat after bottling the finished water kefir, you may want to try a different type of sugar.
If your water kefir grains do not appear to be active, you may simply need mineral supplementation or a different sugar and water combination.
Download our WATER KEFIR guide book today to learn more about which sugar and water you should use for making water kefir.
CHOOSING A SUGAR FOR MAKING WATER KEFIR
When choosing a sugar for making water kefir, always read the label. Some sugars may contain anti-caking additives or other ingredients that could affect the health of the water kefir grains.
Look for plain sugar with no added ingredients, for best results. (Our Water Kefir Starter Kit not only includes Water Kefir Grains but plain organic cane sugar. We take take the guesswork out of picking a sugar and make it easy for you to make homemade water kefir.)
Type of Sugar |
Description & Mineral Content |
Effect on Water Kefir |
Refined white sugar |
Pure white, free of minerals |
Makes a sweet water kefir |
Organic Cane Juice Crystals |
Less refined than white sugar; very low mineral content |
Makes a sweet water kefir |
Turbinado or Raw Sugar |
Sugar that is spun to have most of the molasses removed. Slightly less refined than OCJC; medium mineral content |
Makes a less sweet water kefir than white sugar or OCJC |
Rapadura or Sucanat |
Sugar cane juice that has been pressed and dried; high mineral content |
Makes a stronger-flavored water kefir |
Brown Sugar |
White sugar with molasses added back; high mineral content |
Makes a stronger-flavored water kefir |
Coconut Palm Sugar |
Sugar extracted and dried from coconut palm trees; very high mineral content |
|
Maple Sugar or Syrup |
Made from the sap of the sugar maple tree |
|
Honey |
Natural sugar from bees; high in mineral content |
|
Molasses |
Very high mineral content |
|
Agave, stevia, monk fruit, Splenda |
Sugar substitutes |
|
CHOOSING WATER FOR MAKING WATER KEFIR
What to Use
Water kefir grains may benefit from water sources with higher mineral content. Some water sources such as well water or spring water can be naturally high in mineral content and are ideal for making kefir.
What to Avoid
On the other hand, distilled water, reverse osmosis water, and water often have extremely low or non-existent mineral levels.
If using one of these types of water, and your water kefir grains seem sluggish or inactive, it may help to either use a high mineral sugar (see above) or add a mineral supplement to your water.
Structured, alkalized, or pH-adjusted water is not appropriate for culturing water kefir.
Mineral Supplementation Options
- ⅛ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon plain baking soda
- ½ teaspoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses
- A few drops of liquid mineral supplement (such as Concentrace)
How to Use Mineral Supplements
When using a mineral supplement, it's important to start by using just one supplement to avoid overloading the grains.
Try adding one of the above supplements to your next batch of water kefir and see how your kefir and grains react.
Using Tap Water for Making Water Kefir
If using tap water, we do recommend filtering the water to remove as many additives, chemicals and contaminants as possible.
If filtering is not possible, aerating or boiling the water for 20 minutes may help remove at least the chlorine. This process will not remove chloramines and fluoride though, so you must use special filters to remove these. You can also let your tap water stand for 24 hours to help the chlorine to evaporate.
You can learn more about other treatment methods for tap water in our tutorial: Choosing a Water Source for Making Cultured & Fermented Foods.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Make sure you have the supplies you'll need, (most of which can be found in the Water Kefir Starter Kit), and then check out our How-Videos and instructions for making water kefir at home.
