Day 1 (Baby Kefir Grains)

Milk kefir grains arrived by mail today.  I was surprised how small they were.  There couldn't have been more than 1/2 a teaspoon full in total.

I poured 4 oz of whole store bought pasteurized milk into a clean glass jar.

I then cut open the packaging the kefir grains came into and did my best to squeeze them into the milk.  The grains had a distinctive sour aroma to them.

Once the grains had made their way into the jar, I very gently made a swirling motion with the jar to ensure even distribution of the grains.

The jar was then placed on a shelf in the basement where average temperatures range from 60 degrees to 68 degrees F.  To prevent contamination or unwanted visitors a napkin was placed on top of the jar and secured with a rubber band.

The jar will again be gently swirled by hand at the 8 hour mark, to promote a more even microbial feeding.  The jar will remain like this for 24 hours.  After 24 hours, the jar will be strained and fresh milk added.