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Water kefir is the fastest ferment in the kitchen. Two days, a jar, and some grains are all you need to have a bottle of something genuinely alive.


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What Water Kefir Grains Are
Water kefir grains are a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that live in sugary water. They eat the sugar, produce CO2, lactic acid, and small amounts of alcohol (usually under 1 percent), and multiply over time. You can buy starter grains online or get them from someone who already brews.


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3 to 4 Tablespoons

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First Fermentation (F1)
Dissolve 60g of plain cane sugar in 1 liter of non-chlorinated water.
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First Fermentation (F1)
Dissolve 60g of plain cane sugar in 1 liter of non-chlorinated water. Add your grains, cover with a cloth or loose lid, and ferment at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours. The liquid will become slightly cloudy and less sweet as the grains feed.


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Second Fermentation (F2) for Fizz
Strain out the grains and bottle the liquid in a flip-top or screw-cap bottle.
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Second Fermentation (F2) for Fizz
Strain out the grains and bottle the liquid in a flip-top or screw-cap bottle. Add fruit juice, sliced ginger, or a few dried figs for flavor and more fermentable sugar. Seal tight and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Burp the bottle


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Caring for Your Grains
After straining, rinse the grains with non-chlorinated water and start a fresh
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Caring for Your Grains
After straining, rinse the grains with non-chlorinated water and start a fresh batch immediately, or refrigerate them in a small amount of sugar water for up to two weeks. Feed them regularly and they will multiply enough to share within a few weeks.


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Healthy Grain Signs
[ ] Grains are plump and slightly translucent, not flat or slimy
[ ] Liquid smells lightly tangy and yeasty, not rotten
[ ] Grains float when active and sink when dormant
[ ] Batch is slightly fizzy by 48 hours at 22 C