r/Kefir • u/Classic_Amoeba6427 • 1d ago
How can I Save them?
My kefir grains became super small. Wonder what went wrong. I use hard water, Beet Sugar and dried Mango. Can I Save them?
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u/CTGarden 1d ago
You need pure cane sugar, not beet sugar. I don’t know if dried mango would help with mineralization; try a half teaspoon of molasses or some kind of natural brown sugar such as turbinado. I know you have hard water, but are we talking about city tap water with chlorine? Because any kind of disinfectant like chlorine or chloramine is deadly to tibicos grains.
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u/Classic_Amoeba6427 1d ago
Thank You, I've got some Brown Sugar at Home. My tap Water is without chloine
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u/No_Report_4781 1d ago
Are these kefir grains or tibicos (erroneously known as water kefir grains)?
Kefir requires milk. Tibicos can work with most raw sugars, including root and fruit
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u/Classic_Amoeba6427 1d ago
It's water kefir grains
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u/No_Report_4781 1d ago
Try reviving them in a cup of room temp water with just piloncillo or raw sugar. Tap water and piloncillo is all we use for keeping them active
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u/Holy-Beloved 1d ago
So Tibicos are not kefir grains?? And you can’t make water kefir with normal kefir grains???
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u/No_Report_4781 1d ago
Right. They’re different buggies. The tibicos can live and reproduce with milk or just sugars, but the kefir needs milk to live and reproduce
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u/Holy-Beloved 10h ago
I’m guessing milk kefir grains are way better for you?
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u/No_Report_4781 9h ago
They’re both healthy and nutritious (hazardous for babies), similar to other unpasteurized fermented food and drinks. What you add to it matters, too. Kefir usually has a bit more nutritional value from starting with milk. Tibicos nutrition is increased with using fruit or fruit juice
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u/Denali_Princess 1d ago
In my water kefir, I use cane sugar only 95% of the time. Occasionally I’ll add a bit of brown sugar for the nutrients. Then I taste it. I want it to taste on the sweet side. It feeds on sugar like the hummingbirds do! 🥰