Traditional Kefir Practices

It's rumored that the byproduct of milk fermentation originating as batches of kefir came from Shepard’s in the northern Caucasus. The Shepard’s would carry with them leather pouches filled with fresh milk. Every now and then, the milk would be fermented by tiny microorganisms, which would create effervescent milk inside of the pouches. These leather pouches came to be the mode by which milk kefir was created. Commonly, sheep, goat and cow milk would be added to a leather pouch that contained kefir grains and then religiously hung by a doorway. Kefir grains need to be mixed evenly throughout the milk product over a period of a day or more to allow for a more even feeding. By locating these leather pouches near a door, anyone coming or going could give the pouch a quick shake to redistribute the lactose in the milk.

In parts of Iran, it’s said that sterile water was used to wash goat hides which were made into holding vessels for the kefir grains and their soon to be fermented drinks. A Sheep’s intestinal flora was then mixed with pasteurized milk and added to the pouch. A point was made to shake the pouch once an hour to redistribute the milk over the grains. After coagulation of the milk, ¾ of it was removed and fresh milk added.

Other traditional methods include a ratio of approximately 2-10 % by surface volume to be added to fresh raw milk inside of some sort of container.  I have also heard and read from various sources, that a ratio of 1:7 or 1:10 be used.  Due to the PH of the fermented mixture, the container had to be able to withstand acidic contents.  The common scare of the use of metal comes from it’s early reactions with the acidic nature of kefir.  Brass and the like were big no-no’s.  Modern stainless steel doesn’t seem to have any leeching effect when contact is made with the grains.

The chosen container for the kefir would be shaken at least twice during a 24 hour period.  Space was always allowed between the initial liquid used and the top of the container.  This would prevent overflow during the fermentation process, as gasses are released and if separation happens (curd and whey), a rise in volume could also cause a sealed container to break.

The container, no matter what it is would allow the kefir grains to be in the dark for the most part.  Even if it’s winter, and a traditional leather bag was brought outside to warm up on a sunny day, the kefir itself is in the dark.  Keeping the kefir out of direct sunlight is said to preserve the vitamin and mineral content and prevent them from degrading by exposure. 

Ideal fermentation temperatures for kefir are debatable, as kefir created at various temperatures will create different tasting kefir and slower or faster fermentation times. In general though, the first 24 hours is best for the grains to take a strong hold on the milk product. Various sites recommend a temperature of 68-77 degrees F, or 20-25 degrees C. That’s not to say that lower temperatures would not create a great fermentation. I ferment my grains between 60-65 degrees in a more or less controlled environment during the winter. Kefir fermenting above 104 degrees F, or 40 degrees C will most likely die off. On the other extreme, 39 degrees F or 4 degrees C will also cause the grains to stop working. As you can see, there is a lot of wiggle room for these magnificent creatures, so as long as you are within these numbers you should be fine.

After initial fermentation, several things could be done.  One method would be to take a portion of the 24 hour fermented mixture and use it in baking or to add to another food product.  Commonly in traditional practice however, the kefir was allowed to undergo a second fermentation without the presence of the grains.  For several more days, the beverage would be allowed to sour and increase in vitamins and minerals, with an exceptional increase in B vitamins.  The product would not only sour but also thicken.

A common practice for the second fermentation is to add additional herbs to the mix and let the bacteria further digest and leech important minerals and vitamins out of the herbs and into the kefir.  After a period of time, the kefir would then be consumed as a super food with unlimited health promoting properties, depending on the choice of additional elements added to undergo secondary fermentation.

Allowing kefir to ferment for various periods of time changes both the nutritional content and it’s effect on the consumer.  Folic acid for example which is well known for it’s aid in cell division and growth can be increased tremendously when allowed to ferment for longer.  The longer the milk is allowed to ferment, the lower the lactose present in the milk.  For those on a low carb, this means less sugar (less carbs).  A study done on rats shows that kefiran, produced by fermenting milk with kefir grains lowered their both their serum cholesterol levels and suppressed a blood pressure increase.

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-3303966/stock-photo-shepherd-in-the-caucasus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

http://www.whats4eats.com/dairy