Kefir - overfermented? page

[breadsauce]

HI. I've been making kefir for some time and really like it. The last few times I have used goat's milk - not quit so sure of this, but I have read that it is better for human digestion than cow milk so I thought I'd try it.

The last lot I left a couple of days longer than usual and it tastes - well, more goat-y, and effervescent and really more bitter. Have I left it too long? Will it still be edible, or should I ditch it (keeping the grains, of course!) and start some more? I don't want to end up poisoning myself instead of improving gut flora!

[JBailey]

I think it's still edible as long as you can handle the taste. The effervescence means the grains are still working and any 'bad' yeasts etc aren't.

Once we tried making blaand from our cow's whey - Blaand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia We let it ferment a long long time, then tasted it with no ill effects. Abandoned the project though because it took too long and was just too weird.

[Leida]

If you left it for too long, leave it till it is really thick, then fish out the grains, set it for an hour or so over barely warm hear to get whey and curds separated and drain it on the dish towel over a colander to make quark. Blows cottage cheese out of the water.

[breadsauce]

If you left it for too long, leave it till it is really thick, then fish out the grains, set it for an hour or so over barely warm hear to get whey and curds separated and drain it on the dish towel over a colander to make quark. Blows cottage cheese out of the water.

That sounds wonderful and I shall leave some cow's milk kefir extra long just to try it. But the goat kefir stayed thin - just went bitter and fizzy.

I love the idea of making cottage cheese like this though. If I add some cream to milk, will it make thicker, creamier kefir and ultimately, cheese? Or might it harm the grains?

[Leida]

You will need to look into quark recipes. Germans do add cream in their quark to make it higher fat, but I don't know in which stage of the process. I did quark with 3.25% milk and full fat goat milk, and it was always pretty thick and creamy.

If kefir stays thin after another day & curd doesn't form, I would not drink it, it might be indicative of the wrong souring process. Besides, it doesn't sound tasty.

[breadsauce]

Leida,

the cow's milk kefir thickened just fine and has done for months. But when I used goats milk, it came out thin. I am making some now with cow's milk again - I hope it thickens OK! I will try adding some cream to finished, strained kefir and see what happens after 24 hours. Probably a form of thickened sour cream / creme fraiche type of thing, I guess. Which I could then use as you suggest, to make quark.

Thanks for the idea!