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Endless Water Kefir Grains Instructions

Cultures for Health Endless Fresh Water Kefir Starter Grains jar with a bowl of grains, lemon, and two glasses of finished water kefir

Your jar holds living water kefir grains. Give them sugar water and a warm spot, and they will turn out lightly tart, refreshing water kefir batch after batch, endlessly. First-timers get this right all the time, and so will you.

Refrigerate on arrivalFeed within 24 hoursFresh batch every 24-72 hours

Make your first batch

Read this first

The moment your grains arrive

Two quick things keep your grains happy on day one.

Refrigerate right away, then feed within 24 hours

Pop the jar in the fridge as soon as it lands, and get your grains into fresh sugar water within a day. A short delay is fine, but the sooner you feed them, the faster they wake up.

A sharp, tangy smell is normal. After a trip in the mail, your grains may greet you with a strong, astringent odor. That is expected. They just need a feeding to bounce back, no harm done.

Before you start

Grab these first

A few kitchen basics are all it takes.

1 jar of fresh water kefir grainsThat is what came in your package.

Organic cane sugarThis is what feeds your grains.

Water free of chlorine and fluorideFiltered or bottled spring water is the easy, reliable pick.

2 one-quart glass jarsOne for the grains, one for the fruit ferment.

A thermometerSo you can check the water is cool before adding grains.

Butter muslin + a rubber bandA breathable cover that lets the grains work while keeping bugs out.

A mesh strainerFor separating grains from finished water kefir.

A stainless steel, silicone, or wood spoonFor stirring and moving grains.

Keep the water cool

Always let your water cool to no higher than 90°F before adding your grains. Hot water can damage them.

Cultures for Health Endless Water Kefir grains jar with the ingredients and equipment needed: measuring cups, quart jar, cane sugar, grains, thermometer, strainer, coffee filters, and cloth

The main event

Make water kefir

Follow these steps for every batch. Once you have the rhythm, a fresh batch takes just a couple of minutes of hands-on time.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

STEP 1 Done

Make the sugar water

Add 3 cups hot water to your quart jar, then stir in 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar. Keep stirring until every bit of sugar dissolves.

Organic cane sugar being stirred into hot water in a one-quart glass jar

STEP 2 Done

Cool it, then add your grains

Let the sugar water come down to room temperature, then add the grains from your Endless Water Kefir jar.

Amber water kefir grains being added to cooled sugar water in a quart jar

What you will see: Healthy grains carry a light amber tint. That color is normal, not a sign of anything wrong. Want flavored water kefir? Hold off for now. You will add fruit later, during the second ferment, once your grains are strained out.

STEP 3 Done

Cover and ferment 2-3 days

Cover the quart jar with butter muslin secured by a rubber band. Let it sit for 2 to 3 days.

Quart jar of water kefir covered with butter muslin and a rubber band, fermenting on a counter

What you will see: At 24 hours your kefir will look cloudy but still taste on the sweet side. Wait the full 72 hours for a lower-sugar, tarter batch. Do not go past 72 hours, or the grains start to starve.

STEP 4 Done

Strain and start the next batch

Strain the grains out of your finished water kefir and place them right back into the now-empty quart jar to start another batch. Set your finished water kefir aside.

Finished water kefir being strained through a mesh strainer while the grains are saved for the next batch

What you will see: Your finished water kefir is lightly tart and refreshing. The grains stay in the strainer, ready to go straight into fresh sugar water.

FINISHED BATCH

Lightly tart and refreshing

You can chill and drink your water kefir plain right now, or take it into a second ferment for real fruit flavor and fizz. Either way, keep those grains moving into fresh sugar water. You've got this.

Make it yours

Add fruit and flavor (second ferment)

This optional round turns plain water kefir into a fruity, lightly fizzy drink.

Step 5 Step 6 Step 7

STEP 5 Done

Add fresh fruit to a second jar

Add 3/4 cup fresh fruit into your second quart jar.

Fresh fruit being added to a clean second quart jar

STEP 6 Done

Pour in the strained kefir and cover

Pour your finished, grain-free water kefir over the fruit, then cover the jar with cloth and a rubber band.

Finished water kefir poured over fresh fruit in a quart jar, covered with cloth and a rubber band

STEP 7 Done

Ferment 24 hours, then chill

Let it ferment for 24 hours. You will know it is ready when the fruit floats to the top. Chill your water kefir, and enjoy.

Second-ferment water kefir with fruit floating at the top of the jar

Using a cap or lid instead of cloth? Burp the jar at least every 12 hours to release built-up pressure.

FLAVORED & FIZZY

Fruity, refreshing, and ready to sip

Once the fruit floats, your flavored water kefir is done. Chill it and enjoy, then keep the endless cycle going with your grains.

Keep it going

Maintain your grains, endlessly

Repeat for continuous batches

Repeat Steps 1 through 4 to keep the water kefir flowing, batch after batch. Prepare fresh sugar water, add your strained grains, cover, and ferment. That simple loop is what makes it endless.

Grow more grains

To grow your grains, increase your sugar by 1 Tbsp per 1 cup of water. For example, to make 8 cups of water kefir you would use 8 cups of water and 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) of sugar from a previous batch. Make sure your grains are culturing properly before you bump up the daily feed again.

Questions about your grains?

Our fermentation team can help you compare what you see with a healthy batch.

Email us Storage guide

Troubleshooting

Is this normal?

Water kefir looks a little different from batch to batch. Run through these before you worry.

My newly rehydrated grains are not bubbly

Do not be discouraged. It can take several batches before you see noticeable bubbles with newly rehydrated grains. As long as your kefir is turning cloudy and tasting good, your grains are doing their job. To capture more of the fizz, brew in an airtight container such as a flip-top bottle, which traps the gas the grains release as they ferment.

My grains show signs of regression

If your grains show signs of regression, they need either more food (sugar) or a warmer spot to ferment in. If your batches come out too sweet in the same amount of time, move them somewhere warmer. If your batches are becoming too bitter, try adding 1 additional tablespoon of sugar to your next batch.

My grains smell yeasty

Add 1/8 of a washed organic lemon to your batch for the next 2 to 3 batches. That usually settles the yeasty smell back down.

How long can I let a batch ferment?

Do not leave your grains culturing for longer than 72 hours. Past that, the grains can start to starve. At 24 hours your kefir is cloudy but sweet; the full 72 hours gives you a lower-sugar, tarter batch.

How warm should my water be before adding grains?

Make sure your water is cool, no higher than 90°F, before adding your grains. Hotter water can damage them.

Can I use tap water?

Only if you are sure it is free of chlorine and fluoride. If you are not sure, use filtered or bottled water instead. It is the safe, reliable choice.

Do I throw away the grains after straining?

No. Save your grains and place them back into fresh sugar water. They can be reused over and over, endlessly.

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