Water Kefir: A Crisp Summer Guide
Lightly sweet, gently fizzy, and endlessly customisable—water kefir is the perfect probiotic refresher for warm days. Use this quick-start guide to nail fizz and flavour.
Why water kefir?
It’s caffeine-free, fast (24–48h), and wonderfully forgiving. The grains (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) turn sugar water + minerals into bubbles, organic acids, and delicate flavour.
Base recipe (1 litre)
- Mix 1 litre dechlorinated water with 3–4 tbsp sugar. Add a small pinch of molasses or a dried fig for minerals.
- Add 3–4 tbsp water kefir grains. Cover loosely. Ferment at 20–26°C for 24–48h.
- Strain. Bottle the liquid for a second ferment (see below). Move grains into fresh sugar water to start the next batch.
Tip: Too flat? Increase second-ferment time (sealed) and use sturdy swing-top bottles. Too sour? Shorten the first ferment.
Second fermentation (flavour & fizz)
Add fruit or herbs to bottles—think lemon & ginger, strawberry & lime, or pineapple & mint. Seal and leave at room temp for 24–48h, then chill. Open slowly.
Care & troubleshooting
- Grains shrinking? Ensure minerals (molasses/fig) and avoid chlorinated water.
- Off aroma? Refresh with a short 12–18h ferment and reduce temperature.
- Too sweet? Extend the first ferment to 36–48h.
Want the full, step-by-step drinks playbook?
Get my book “How to Make Fermented Drinks — Probiotic Drinks Made Easy” for precise ratios, carbonation tricks, fruiting charts, and a full troubleshooting section.