Ok this is my third entry about kefir but I am getting a number of people wanting more info on the subject. I’m also including a recipe I use to make kefir bread. (apologies to my friends on MSE as I’ve posted the picture on there too so they will be seeing it yet again lol)
Kefir is a living clump of bacteria and yeast (among other things) that live together happily in one white clump, commonly known as a kefir grain or grains. It is thought that the grains were a gift from Mohammed to the people of the Caucasus mountains and they must not share them with others or the grains would lose their ‘magical healing powers’
Here is a list of bacterias/yeasts found in Kefir. I have used the list from Doms (the kefir god) website.
LACTOBACILLUS
L. casei – Homo-fermentative [responsible for 90% of lactate synthesis]
L. paracasei – Homo-fermentative
L. acidophilis – Homo-fermentative
L. hilgardi -Hetero-fermentative [responsible for 50% of lactate synthesis]
L. delbruechkii subsp. bulgaricus – Homo-fermentative
L. kefiranofaciens – Produce Kefiran, internaly within the matrix
L. kefyri – Synthesizes kefiran superficially [possibly controlls microflora]
L. desidiosus – Heterofermentative [ferments L-arabinose and gluconate]
L. brevis [Synthesizes polysaccharide]
L. cellobiosus
L. casei subsp. rhamnosus
L. casei subsp. alactosus
L. helveticus subsp. lactis
L. delbruekii subsp. lactis
L. lactis
L. fructivorans
L. parakefir
L. paracasei subsp. paracasei
L. plantarum
LACTOCOCCUS
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis [primarilly utilize lactose]
Lc. lactis subsp. biacetylactis
Lc. lactis subsp. creomoris
LEUCONOSTOC
Leuc. citrovorum
Leuc. cremoris
Leuc. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides
Leuc. mesenteroides subsp. dextrancicum
Leuc. mesenteroides subsp cremoris
Leuc. lactis
STREPTOCOCCUS
Strep. salivarius subsp. thermophilus [primarilly utilize lactose]
Strep. lactis
Strep. lactis subsp. diacetylactis [Synthesizes diacetyl]
ACETOBACTER
Acetobacter aceti [synthesize acetic acid from ethonol in the pressence of oxygen]
Acetobacter racens
YEASTS
KLUYVEROMYCES
Kluyv. lactis
Kluyv. marxianus subsp. marxianus
Kluyv. bulgaricus
Kluyv. fragilis
CANDIDA
Candida kefir
Candida pseudotropicalis
As you can see, there’s quite a lot more in there than your usual probiotic! I have heard people with ‘yeast’ type problems such as thrush being worried about trying kefir. From what I’ve read it can benefit these people because the yeasts in kefir will help bring back a good and healthy mix of yeasts in the body and balance out the system.
People who are intolerant of milk may also find it possible to drink kefir as the bacteria in the grains eat the lactose that is in the milk and turn it into a readily accepted and easily digested nourishing food for the gut.
Take a look at Doms page for everything you ever need to know about kefir…… http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#welcome
Kefir bread recipe:
250g Freshly milled wheat(or the same amount of wholemeal flour if you don’t mill your own)
300g Strong white bread flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 small tsp salt
20ml butter or olive oil
200ml kefir milk
120ml water (I use potato water)
Here’s a couple of kefir loaves I made this week… 
Natural Living Diaries 
16 comments
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February 5, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Erica
I can’t wait to get mine going – I hope it arrives soon!
February 5, 2008 at 11:06 pm
shirleyuk
I sent yours today Erica so fingers crossed you should have your two little babies in the morning! Dont wash them or anything, just put the grains and the milk they travelled in, into a small glass of milk.. you dont want to give them too much to start with. I loosely cover the glass to stop dust getting in but I dont make it airtight. Let me know how it all goes!
February 18, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Erica
Hi Shirley
I’m such a wuss that I’ve only had it in smoothies so far!! OH & I have both tried it now & I’ve even given some to my Mum. We all agree it definitely makes you much more “regular” lol!
Erica
March 20, 2008 at 11:33 am
Meishu
Hello Shirley,
I’ve just recently heard about this kefir grain thing. I told a friend who always has constipation problem about this and now she is urging me to try it and let her now the result. I myself have problem in digestion and yeast areas. We both are doing the coffee en**** to help clearing our guts. Seeing everyone is saying that kefir can do so much goodness to one’s gut, I am keen to try it.
I did a search on the freecycle uk site, hoping to find someone who will give a few grains but couldn’t find any. Would you be so kind to spare a few for me to start with? It would be much appreciated. And after I get them going, I alredy have someone on my waiting list.
Meishu
March 24, 2008 at 9:39 am
shirleyuk
I’ve never been brave enough to do the enemas. I would be scared of ‘ripping’ something.
There is a waiting list but i’ll try and let you know when its gone down a bit. My poor kefir have been working overtime recently lol!
March 26, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Ed
Hi Shirley
Great blog which I found from your MSE posts. I read about Kefir a while ago and was amazed by Dom’s mega Kefir site and found it a little overwhelming initially! I would like to start and give Kefir a go and would very much appreciate being added to your waiting list for some grains when your stocks have eventually replenished! In the meantime I will try my local freecycle too. Many thanks
Ed
March 27, 2008 at 12:12 pm
shirleyuk
No problems Ed. Mine are still producing babies but its hard work trying to get them out to everybody. I’ve not even got a back up supply for myself now which is a little worrying 🙂
May 1, 2008 at 10:29 am
Meishu
Hi Shirley,
Great Kefir bread recipe! Tried it and loved it. But, how do you get potato water? And what is it for?
Meishu
May 3, 2008 at 8:06 am
shirleyuk
Hi Meishu
When I’ve boiled up some potatoes, I reserve the water that they were cooking in to use in my breadmaking. Its full of starch and it makes the bread rise well and makes it light and fluffy. Well worth a try. I even freeze the potato water if I don’t need it straight away as I don’t like to waste that lovely nutritional water!
Mind you I have a new favourite bread at the moment. I actually cook a small potato then mash it in the water it cooked in. I use half home milled flour and half white. I add seeds to it and the bread is gorgeous… very very filling with all the seeds and mashed potato in it!
May 4, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Meishu
Salute Shirley
You are truely a new domestic goddess in my opinion, you reserve and freeze the potato water!!!
I did add some seeds in the last loaf I made, and it was nice. I’ll try the mash potato next time and report back to you on the result.
May 6, 2008 at 10:52 am
shirleyuk
Yes let me know what you think? As it was a wholegrain loaf I made, it was so filling with the mash potato that I only had one slice toasted with a bit of butter and I felt like I had had a meal!
Domestic goddess? Thank you…. my family just think i’m weird! 🙂
June 2, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Meishu
Hi Shirley
The mashed potato works like a trick! I like the chewy texture the potato adds in. Wonderful. Now my godparents and friends all like this bread. And I haven’t bought any bread from supermarket since. A big THANKs to you.
June 2, 2008 at 4:24 pm
shirleyuk
Thats brilliant! I love hearing things like this. It is lovely bread thats for sure, my favourite too. Good to hear you spreading the news to your family and friends. 🙂
April 22, 2009 at 10:17 am
Kibo
Being on scary drugs that do horrid things to my intestinal flora kefir sounds just the stuff that could help fight them off! I’d love it if you could send me some baby grains please?
February 19, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Leila
So how do you prepare the bread? Do you soak the flour in the kefir? How long do you bake it, at what temp? I was hoping you’d also address the fact that the kefir buggies would be killed when baking the bread…subsequently, my question is, why would you use kefir in bread if it’s all going to die in the oven? I can see soaking the flour in it, but what good are the buggies if they are dead? Maybe there are still some benefits to consuming them? My questions probably sound antagonistic, but I don’t mean them that way! I truly want to know. I’ve started using kefir lately and we need all the digestive benefits from it. But I also need to find a good/healthy bread recipe to try. (Eating store-bought yucky stuff at this point.) Please educate me!
November 14, 2015 at 10:16 am
Senada
Hi
I have been looking for long time for kefir grains. If anybody has pleaseeeee send me