What is water kefir?
Water kefir is a lightly fizzy fermented drink made by adding water kefir grains (also called tibicos) to sugar water, usually for 1 to 2 days. The grains are not cereal; they are small clusters of bacteria and yeast held together by a gel-like sugar. The result is slightly sweet, tangy and bubbly, with a small amount of alcohol, and it is dairy-free.
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In this article
What is water kefir made of?
Three things: water, sugar and water kefir grains. Many recipes add a slice of lemon or a piece of dried fruit to feed the culture. The grains are also called tibicos, Japanese water crystals or sugary kefir grains. They look like small translucent crystals but are living colonies of bacteria and yeast, not grains like wheat or rice.
What is tibicos?
Tibicos is another name for the water kefir culture. The microbes eat the sugar and produce carbon dioxide (the fizz), acids (the tang) and a small amount of alcohol. The grains are strained out after each batch and reused. Where tibicos first came from is uncertain.
How is water kefir made?
- Dissolve sugar in non-chlorinated water.
- Add the grains, and optionally a piece of dried fruit or lemon.
- Cover loosely with cloth and ferment at room temperature, commonly for about 24 to 48 hours.
- Strain out the grains and keep them for the next batch.
- Optional: bottle the liquid with fruit juice for a second ferment to build more fizz, and refrigerate.
Times and ratios vary, so treat recipes as starting points and go by taste. Use clean glass jars, not metal containers, and never keep a batch that smells rotten or shows fuzzy mold.
What does water kefir taste like?
Light, a little sweet, tangy and bubbly, often compared with a mild homemade soda. Flavor depends on the sugar, the fruit and the fermentation time; longer fermentation is more sour.
Water kefir vs milk kefir vs kombucha
| Water kefir | Milk kefir | Kombucha | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Sugar water | Milk | Sweetened tea |
| Culture | Tibicos grains | Kefir grains | SCOBY |
| Dairy | No | Yes | No |
Is water kefir healthy?
It contains live microbes, but we found no official health body that states a specific health benefit for water kefir. It also contains sugar and a trace of alcohol, which matters for children, pregnancy and anyone avoiding alcohol. If you have a weakened immune system or a medical condition, ask a doctor before drinking fermented drinks.
People also ask
What is water kefir made of?
Water, sugar and water kefir grains (tibicos), often with a piece of fruit or lemon.
What is tibicos?
Another name for water kefir grains: clusters of bacteria and yeast that ferment sugar water. They are not cereal grains.
Does water kefir contain alcohol?
Yes, a small amount, because yeast ferment the sugar. The level varies with time and temperature.
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