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Water Kefir

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:15 pm
by tekproxy
Has anyone ever tried water kefir or any other cultured pro-biotic product?

Water kefir is really easy to make, cheap, alcoholic and very healthy. Yes, I know. It sounds unbelievable, but it's true. I drink large amounts weekly and can personally attest to it's wonderful-ness.

Basically you have these things called "water kefir grains" (which are different from milk kefir grains). The grains are created by the symbiotic action of various forms of yeasts and bacteria. These yeasts and bacteria are actually very helpful for our digestive systems. A big factor in the bio-availability (absorption) of many nutrients and amino acids is intestinal microfauna! This is originally why yogurt was touted as being so healthy, because it contains a couple strains of yeasts that are healthy. Water kefir contains many more. Most people have badly damaged microfauna so drinking kefir can help recolonize their gutty-wuts.

Milk kefir has even more than water kefir, but it has a much stronger taste that I like but others think is gross. Milk kefir is also alcoholic, maybe even more so.

To make water kefir you just take a sealable glass jar and fill is about 2/3s full with warm water. Mix in several table spoons of sugar and half a lemon or lime. You can just use the juice from the lemon/lime if you want, if you don't trust having the peel in there for too long. Then add some fruits, most people suggest dried fruits but I use any. I've found pineapple, strawberry and mandarin oranges to make tasty kefir but dried apricots taste very strange. Again, I like it but others think it's gross. Stir it all around and then add the kefir grains, and if you have any kefir from a previous batch, mix it in there too, it helps get things started.

If you did it right, you should see lots of bubbles forming either immediately or in a few minutes. Common sense dictates you shouldn't completely seal the container if it's making lots of gas, so the glass doesn't explode on you. Wait 2 or 3 days then drink. You can wait longer for a less sweet, more alcoholic kefir. Sometimes I'll get busy and leave it for a week or twoand it'll still be quite good.

My instructions are a little rough so I'd look it up online for more details. You can get grains for free or for shipping from a few places online since many give them away for free. Usually the water kefir grains will grow and people will have extra.

If this sounds interesting to you, read up on milk kefir. It's for the hardcore people. Milk kefir is amazing, but most think a sour-milk taste is really gross. I gave some milk kefir mixed with a little honey and cinnamon to my indian friend and he said it tasted like something his grandmother gave him back in India (actually, his exact words were "made me drink").

I know people who are highly resistant to alcohol and are seasoned vets of drinking that quickly get red-faced from small amounts of water kefir. I'm nto sure why since the alcohol content is supposed to be around 2%. Maybe it's a different type? It is a very happy, smiley type of drunk and I usually wake up feeling good after drinking a lot of it.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:01 pm
by Haos
Kefir contains about 1,2 to 1.8% of alcohol, thats why it is a great anti-hangover treatment.

I love milk kefir, and any idea of spoiling it with water, lemon or cinnamon is... well... disgusting.

If you cant stand kefir, try a soured milk, which is more delicate in taste than kefir, more waterl-like. It is really nice if you cant stand fresh milk, like me.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:58 pm
by mr bubbles
for a moment i thought there was a bot taking over tekproxy's account :P

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:08 pm
by Yukiko
Maybe Tekproxy is a bot and he's been fooling us all this time with fancy AI scripting.
*giggles*

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 5:56 pm
by tekproxy
Haos: I love plain milk kefir too. I was experimenting with other things to get other people to try it. With a touch of cinnamon it's barely noticable but people seem to like it more. Water kefir is entirely different, using different grains, different everything. Not sure why it's even called water kefir.

... A bot?


Daisy......

Daaiiisyyy.......

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:01 pm
by MontuZ
If tek's a bot, he's a slow one...

No offense tek... ;)

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:17 am
by tekproxy
Well it's been slow lately because I've been working a lot on this case for a client of mine. You see, he was very wealthy and had no next of kin, and as his case worker and as per the laws of Nigeria, I have to find a benefactor for him. If I were able to find someone out of the country I could fix the paperwork to make it seem like they were the next of kin and could wire them the money. I am not greedy and all I ask is 40% finder's fee, to be paid only AFTER you get the money. There is absolutely no risk involved, legal or monetary.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:08 am
by MontuZ
*waves hands* ;) I'll give ya 75%


fyi I was just kidding about the slow part, lol. :D

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:05 am
by tekproxy
:-D i don't get it....

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:38 pm
by Yukiko
How about you just take the plane fare out of my share, fly here to my city and deliver the check to me. That way there is no risk at all.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:07 pm
by tekproxy
I have to put the money in your account, as it would look suspicious if I wire it to myself. There is a loophole in the Nigerian laws preventing auditors from digging too deeply into foreign next-of-kin. It's more of a privacy issue than a loophole, really. The account has to be a Nigerian bank, but I'd be willing to pay the setup fees an do the paperwork. I'd just need to get a passport and plane ticket to America to actually bring you the money.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:14 pm
by Yukiko
Ah, well now that you explained it to me that way, I think I would be a bad risk for such an offer but I do know a particular man I could refer you to. I think your scheme...errr...offer would be just right for him.

*grins*