I have a jar of water kefir grains brewing on my counter. It’s one of the few natural things that will help right my system when I eat something I shouldn’t. It will also chase off a cold if I drink it as soon as my throat start to tickle.
Water kefir grains are supposed to multiply, though mine don’t seem to do so at any visible rate. That doesn’t seem to alter the effectiveness of the result so I’m not going to fuss about it.
I brew my water kefir with maple syrup and dissolved minerals in filtered 7.2PH water. I sliced a chunk of unsulfered candied ginger into the water kefir grains mix and cover it with a piece of paper towel, stirring it twice a day while it’s brewing. I can tell when it’s ready by the way it smells, though I suppose I could measure the brix. Smell seems to work for me. The speed of the initial fermentation is a product of sugar content and warmth.
After the grains have fed for a couple days I strain the liquid into a sealable bottle. I add a few chunks of dried pineapple to the bottle of water kefir and set the cap on without tightening it down. When all the fruit is floating (usually a couple days) I seal the cap. Sometimes the fruit stays at the top, sometimes it sinks to the bottom, sometimes it does both and sometimes it hangs in the middle like little fruit jewels.
When I need a water kefir I uncap it over the sink (if properly sealed it WILL fizz as it is a fermented drink) and strain it into a glass. It’s a lite pineapple/ginger beer filled with good-for-you enzymes and digestive bacteria. What’s not to like?