Make your own easy water kefir with this simple step-by-step method and recipe. Learn how to make this refreshing probiotic carbonated drink at home for all the health benefits - and because it's delicious!
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I've been wanting to share with you for a long time something I make regularly - and drink daily - that's not only healthy, but is delicious and refreshing - water kefir!
When I started adding fermented foods like sauerkraut, fermented veggies, and fermented corn relish to our diet to improve our gut health, I also looked into fermented drinks as an easy way to get more probiotics daily.
I have tried all my life to like yogurt since it's so good for you, but I just can't, so regular dairy kefir was out. I heard all about kombucha, but I did not want to deal with the SCOBY or the fine line between fruity kombucha and vinegar when you make it at home.
Finally, I found out about water kefir and did a lot of research into how to make it, how to flavor it, and the health benefits of it.
I read about how it's not only a probiotic that helps our gut health, but that it also can improve digestion, inflammation, boosts energy - and may even help fight cancer.
And once I figured out a simple system to consistently make it in about 10 minutes of work every couple of days (and how to store it when needed), I was sold and have been making and drinking it now for years!
My hope is that with this tutorial you, too, will be able to start making and enjoying healthy, delicious water kefir.
What Is Water Kefir?
At it's basic level, water kefir is a fermented, carbonated beverage made by using water kefir grains.
Water Kefir is a dairy free alternative to milk kefir, a caffeine free alternative to Kombucha and a very low sugar, healthy alternative to high sugar fizzy sodas or alcoholic beverages.
I'm providing a lot of information in the steps below, but just know the basics are SUPER SIMPLE steps you can do in probably less than 10 minutes.
Like all ferments, you will need to give it TIME - but it's mostly all hands-off.
The best water kefir uses TWO FERMENTS:
- The first ferment is with the grains and sugar water, which allows the bacteria and yeast in the grains to feed off the sugar, converting them to carbon dioxide (carbonation), acids, and more bacteria and yeasts. (If you are super hardy, you can drink this after the first ferment, but it's quite smelly, not really carbonated and not very sweet...).
- The second ferment is when you strain out the grains from the sugar water and FLAVOR that water with juice (or fresh fruit), letting it ferment another couple days, which is what really creates a more carbonated beverage.
Day 1 - First Ferment
Supplies
Here's what you'll need to start the first ferment for water kefir:
- Water kefir grains - these are the best water kefir grains I've found, they are healthy, easy to use and quick to start growing and working.
- Sugar - choose one or a combo from the list below.
- Nylon/plastic mesh strainer - while you can use a metal strainer in a pinch, it's best to keep metal away from kefir grains.
- Quart jar, wide mouth
- Wooden spoon - again, keep metal utensils away from the grains.
- Fermenting Lid - optional but recommended to keep it simple: Easy Fermenter Lid (you can use other lids or muslin or a coffee filter with a rubber band, but you'll need to monitor them a bit more).
- Funnel - optional, just makes it easier to move the grains to the jar.
Types of Sugar You Can Use
- Refined White Sugar - pure white, free of minerals, makes a sweet water kefir.
- Organic Cane Juice Crystals - less refined than white sugar, low mineral content, makes a sweet water kefir. (This is what I'm using in the photos here.)
- Turbinado or raw sugar - sugar that has most of the molasses removed (only slightly less refined than cane juice), medium mineral content, makes a less sweet water kefir than white sugar cane juice.
- Rapadura or Sucanat - sugar cane juice that has been pressed and dried, high mineral content, makes a stronger-flavored, less sweet water kefir.
- Brown Sugar - white sugar with less molasses extracted (or added back, depending on the brand/variety), high mineral content, makes a stronger-flavored, less sweet water kefir. (I use a combo of white sugar and brown sugar in the video.)
Types of Sugar NOT to Use
- Coconut/Palm Sugar - can damage the grains, though you can use a small amount (a teaspoon) if you'd like the mineral content.
- Maple Sugar/Syrup - can damage the grains, though you can use a small amount (teaspoon) if you'd like the mineral content.
- Honey or Molasses - these do not provide the food the grains need and could damage them. (However, if using cane sugar I will sometimes add 1/2 teaspoon molasses for the mineral content, and if your water is low in minerals, molasses is a good way to add minerals.)
- Sugar Substitutes (including stevia, monk fruit, agave, and Splenda) - without the fructose and sucrose none of these will be able to feed the kefir grains and can hurt them.
Steps for First Ferment
Step 1: Make Sugar Water Mix
- Add 1/8 to 1/4 cups of sugar(s) of choice to a quart jar.
LOW SUGAR TIP: You might see elsewhere the standard recommendation of 1/4 cup of sugar in a quart jar (or even 2 tablespoons to a cup!) which I found way too sweet no matter what type of sugar I used. I gradually lowered the sugar to a rounded 1/8 cup which has been perfect and has not affected the grains growth or activity.
- Add about 1/3 cup of hot water (about 110-120 degrees, which is typically the hottest tap water) and stir well with a wooden spoon to dissolve. Fill the jar with cold water, stirring, until it's about 3/4 of the way full (about 2-1/2 cups water total). The resulting water temperature should be about room temperature (70-75 degrees).
WATER TIPS: The best water to use is actually a hard water that is full of minerals. Well water or spring water works great (that's what we have, so I can use tap water).
If you have treated city water you will want to let the water sit for 24 hours or use a filter. If you do this or have soft water with few minerals (or use a reverse osmosis system) you will want to add minerals regularly to your water mix.
To add minerals, choose one of these to add each time you make the first ferment:
- ⅛ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon plain baking soda
- ½ teaspoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses
Step 2: Strain & Add Grains to Jar
Your water kefir grains will be in an old sugar water mix, whether that's from being fed after receiving, woken up from a fridge sleep, or from a first ferment, so your next step is to separate the grains from the water.
Use the nylon strainer to strain the water kefir grains from the jar they're in:
- Let the water mixture go down the drain if you're feeding after buying new grains OR if you're waking them up from a fridge sleep (they will have eaten all the sugar in here and it will be old and not viable for a second ferment).
- You will be catching the water in a container only after a first ferment (more on this in the Second Ferment steps below).
Gently add the strained kefir grains to the prepared room temperature sugar water, using a funnel if you'd like. Give it all a little stir.
Attach the Easy Fermenter Lid and set the date for 2 days ahead. Or use a coffee filter or piece of muslin attached with a rubber band.
Day 2
Leave the jar to sit on the counter at room temperature for up to 48 hours - you should see bubbles when you move the jar and maybe some of the grains floating.
TIP: If it's cold in your kitchen, find the warmest place for your water kefir or provide a warming light next to it.
Day 3 - Second Ferment
Supplies
- Water kefir fermented 48 hours.
- 100% fruit juice - experiment with different flavors to find what you like best (Note: there are lots of things online about using fresh fruits and even spices, but the easiest way is to use fruit juice.)
- Swing Top Glass Bottles - the type used for fermenting/brewing, this is the set I bought.
- Nylon/Plastic Strainer
- One Quart (4-cup) glass measuring cup - this has a pour spout for adding to the bottles. (The large glass cup pictured is actually an 8-cup measure - you only need a 4 cup for this.)
- Optional 1 cup measure for the juice - I just use the large cup to measure the juice as well (not sure why I added this to the picture...).
Step 1: Make New Sugar Water
Ready another quart jar the same way as the first ferment.
Step 2: Strain Grains, Add to New Jar, Add Fruit Juice
Strain the first kefir ferment through the nylon sieve into a 1-quart (4-cup) glass measure. Transfer the strained kefir grains to the newly prepared jar. Place the lid on and set date dial for two days and keep at room temperature (now you will just be repeating this until you have enough water kefir - see below for moving into refrigerated storage).
The fermented kefir water in the glass measure should be about 2-1/2 to 3 cups. Add 1 cup of your choice of 100% juice and mix with wooden spoon. I prefer tart cherry and grapefruit after trying many juices. Experiment and find the ones you like.
Step 3: Bottle, Ferment Again & Refrigerate
- Bottle - pour the water kefir-juice mixture into swing top bottles. The quart jar fills two pint-sized bottles. You can also use quart size bottles if you'd like one bottle from each quart jar.
- Ferment Again - set the bottles on the counter to ferment again (the second ferment) for another two days - OR until you see some bubbles on the top. In warm weather, it may only take one day, in colder weather maybe three. (Pictured above the bottles are fermenting along with the first ferment of another batch.)
- Refrigerate - once you see the bubbles, place the sealed jars into the fridge where they can stay for up to a month at 40° to 45°F. (Technically, you can leave it at room temperature (68° to 78°F) for 3 to 4 days, but I've always thought it tastes better refrigerated.)
Keep repeating this process - both the first and second ferments - until you run out of bottles or you need to take a break.
How To Take a Break from Water Kefir
In STEP 2 of the second ferment above, after straining the grains and adding them to the new sugar water, place a regular storage lid on the jar instead of the fermenting lid (Note: I do add 1/4 cup sugar when making water for storage just to give the grains more food).
Place this in the fridge for a few weeks up to 6 months. While the sugar water will feed the grains slowly, it's still recommended to replace the sugar water every few weeks if you can (I have left them for a month while traveling and they were fine).
To Restart Refrigerated Grains
Remove the jar of kefir grains in water from the fridge and strain the grains from the water, THROWING OUT the water that's been used up while in hibernation.
Add the grains to a new sugar water jar and start the process again (illustrated in the First Ferment above).
Tips
Here are some tips I've learned making water kefir:
- The carbonation of the finished drink will vary depending on room temperature, how much time it fermented and the activity of the grains. Sometimes it's barely carbonated and sometimes it can overflow the top when removing the seal (as you see in the video!). Most of the time it's just a nice carbonation that doesn't overflow when opened, BUT, I usually add a clean rag over the top when unsealing just in case it would like to overflow.
- While you can drink the water kefir after the first ferment, I don't care for the flavor (or smell), so I always do a second ferment.
- The fermented water kefir is best cold, in my opinion, so refrigerate long enough for it to completely cool before drinking.
- I've read some people report gastrointestinal issues when first starting to drink water kefir - I never had an issue with the cup I drink daily (half of one of my bottles). Start small if you're unsure or if you're trying to heal gut issues.
- Even though we have semi hard well water from a spring, I will sometimes add one of the mineral supplements just to keep the grains healthy. Alternate between the three listed, never using more so they don't get a mineral overload.
FAQs
Fermented kefir water has good probiotic qualities - the microbial diversity of water kefir is in the hundreds with the most prevalent strains including Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus hordei and Lb. nagelii. (source) The exact strains depend on the ferment and what fruit and/or juices you use.
Water kefir may also help fight cancer and may boost immune systems. (source)
Some people have reported bloating, nausea, and constipation or diarrhea when starting to drink kefir water, similar to when you start taking probiotics. These stop when your body adjusts. I didn't experience any of these effects and if you're worried, I'd suggest starting with small amounts, like just a 1/4 cup a day for a week before increasing to see how your body reacts.
While it's not known exactly where water kefir originated, they can be found world-wide under various names. (source) The grains are bacteria and yeast that exist in a symbiotic relationship held together by a polysaccharide. They're called "grains" to describe how they look, not because they're made from grains such as wheat or rye.
Other than the fact that one is made with dairy and the other with a sugar-water ferment, water kefir has fewer strains of bacteria and yeasts than milk. BUT, water kefir has a lot more probiotics than other cultured products like yogurt.
There is a small amount of naturally occurring alcohol in the finished product that will vary from batch to batch. It's a very small amount, though, because the brewing period is short.
While both these fermented products are low in sugar and full of probiotics and other health benefits, kombucha has a few more enzymes and antioxidants, but water kefir has more probiotic bacteria. Plus, water kefir is WAY easier to make a consistent product regularly.
Not much since the bacteria and yeast break down sucrose into fructose and glucose during fermentation and fructose is digested by the liver and doesn't spike blood sugar like sucrose. Also, the longer you ferment, the more sucrose is "eaten" by the bacteria and the less sweet your finished product will be.
More Fermenting Recipes
Here are a few fermented food favorites:
- Super Easy Fermented Pickled Jalapeños Recipe
- Best Mild Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe (That Happens to Be Super Easy!)
- 5-Minute Foolproof Fermented Corn Relish Recipe
- Easiest Fermented Pickled Vegetables Ever
How to Make Water Kefir - Easiest Step-by-Step Method
Equipment
- Nylon/plastic mesh strainer
- quart jar wide mouth
- Wooden spoon
- Fermenting Lid, or muslin or coffee filter and rubber band
- swing-top glass bottles, 1 pint
- 4 cup glass measuring cup
Ingredients
First Ferment
- water kefir grains, 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup - can use more
- 1/8 cup sugar, see types to use and not use below in notes (can use up to 1/4 cup)
- 2½ cups water, total (use well/spring water; filter or leave treated water out 24 hours and add a mineral supplement each first ferment)
Mineral Supplements (use if water doesn't have or if grains appear sluggish)
- 1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon plain baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses
Second Ferment
- strained water kefir
- 1 cup 100% fruit juice
Instructions
First Ferment
- Add 1/8 of sugar(s) of choice to a quart jar (I often use half cane sugar and half brown sugar). Add one of the mineral supplements, if needed, here.
- Add about 1/3 cup of hot water (about 110-120 degrees, which is typically your hottest tap water) and stir well with a wooden spoon to dissolve. Fill the jar with cold water, stirring, until it's about 3/4 of the way full (about 2-1/2 cups total). NOTE: The resulting water temperature should be about room temperature (70-75 degrees) to not damage/kill the grains.
- Use a nylon strainer to separate the water kefir grains from the water in the jar they're in - if it's from storage, DO NOT keep the water; if it's from another ferment, keep the water in a large glass measure.
- Gently add the strained kefir grains to the prepared room temperature sugar water, using a funnel if you'd like. Give it all a little stir. Attach the Easy Fermenter Lid and set the date for 2 days ahead. Or use a coffee filter or piece of muslin attached with a rubber band.
- Let sit at room temperature for up to 48 hours - you should see bubbles when you move the jar and maybe some of the grains floating. TIP: If it's cold in your kitchen, find the warmest place for your water kefir or provide a warming light next to it.
Second Ferment
- Make another quart jar of sugar water the same way as the first ferment.
- Strain the first kefir ferment through the nylon sieve into a 1-quart (4-cup) glass measure.
- Transfer the strained kefir grains to the newly prepared jar. Place the lid on and set date dial for two days and keep at room temperature (now you will just be repeating this until you have enough water kefir or you want to move it into refrigerated storage).
- The fermented kefir water in the glass measure should be about 2-1/2 to 3 cups. Add 1 cup of your choice of 100% juice and mix with wooden spoon.
- Pour the water kefir-juice mixture into swing top bottles. A quart jar fills two pint-sized bottles, you can also use quart size bottles if you'd like one bottle from each quart jar.
- Set the bottles on the counter to ferment again (the second ferment) for another two days - OR until you see some bubbles on the top. In warm weather, it may only take one day, in colder weather maybe three.
- Once you see the bubbles, place the sealed jars into the fridge where they can stay for up to a month at 40° to 45°F. (Technically, you can leave it at room temperature (68° to 78°F) for 3 to 4 days, but I've always thought it tastes better refrigerated.)
- Keep repeating this process - both the first and second ferments - until you run out of bottles or you need to take a break.
Storing Water Kefir
- In the second ferment above, after straining the grains and adding them to the new sugar water, place a regular storage lid on the jar instead of the fermenting lid (note: I do add 1/4 cup sugar when making water for storage just to give the grains more food).
- Place this in the fridge for a few weeks up to 6 months. While the sugar water will feed the grains slowly, it's still recommended to replace the sugar water every few weeks if you can (I have left them for a month while traveling and they were fine).
To Wake Up Refrigerated Grains
- Remove the jar of kefir grains in water from the fridge and strain the grains from the water, THROWING OUT the water that's been used up while in hibernation.
- Add the grains to a new sugar water jar and start the process again.
Notes
- Refined White Sugar
- Organic Cane Juice Crystals
- Turbinado or raw sugar
- Rapadura or Sucanat
- Brown Sugar
- Coconut/Palm Sugar
- Maple Sugar/Syrup
- Honey or Molasses (okay to use 1/2 teaspoon molasses as a mineral supplement)
- Sugar Substitutes (including stevia, monk fruit, agave)
Janine says
I read this post two months ago and thought it looked interesting. I immediately ordered the supplies and started my kefir making. I just have to let you know, I LOVE it!! It tastes wonderful and I look forward to it every day. I thought I had to go without carbonated beverages when I gave up pop, but this is wonderful--probiotics, fruity, fizzy, and good for you!! Win-win!! I've also found it interesting for the various carbonated levels I get depending on the type of juice I use, the weather, and if I add the molasses or baking powder. If it's not very fizzy, I add the extras. If it's overly fizzy (that's exciting!), I cut back on the extras or the time I leave it to ferment. Either way, I love the way it tastes, I love the way it makes me feel, and it's super easy and doesn't take but a few minutes every other day. I'm planning on doing this for quite awhile! Thanks so much for sharing such a great post!
Jami says
I'm so happy to read your review, Janine!! I had hoped I could encourage people with how good and easy this was (especially compared to kombucha which is what we hear more about, but seemed really hard to make a consistent product). Keep it up - it's such a refreshing way to be a bit more healthy. 🙂
Nadia says
Jami, This video was so helpful for a newbie who just received their first grain. Actually, I ordered them after watching this video. And now have watched it twice.
My question is, I don't have any swing top bottles, can I do the second ferment in a Quart jar with a plastic airtight lid? I imagine that would work, not sure about opening it though. 🥴
Thanks so much!
Jami says
I'm so glad this was helpful to you, Nadia!
So the thing with the swing-top lids is - it's literally the only thing I've ever seen used. It's because they are made for brewing and are super air-tight.
I did find one source that said you could use two-piece mason jar lids, but that the lid needed to be new so that the wax would seal it airtight. Try that and see how it works, but I'd encourage you to look into purchasing the bottles if you'd like to make this a routine. 🙂