The perfect texture and consistency of the milk kefir is creamy, smooth and thick. Sometimes the kefir looks watery, grainy, or thin looking more like buttermilk with runny consistency. Few common reasons why the kefir looks thin include weather variations, warm temperature, kefir grains and milk ratio, fermentation timings, etc.. Lets see some tried and tested methods to make a creamy and thick kefir.
- Type of milk used
Goat milk produces a thin consistency, whereas full cream milk from cow or buffalo produces a thick and smooth kefir. Avoid skimmed milk or UHT milk. - Cream content of milk used
The fat content of the milk plays an important role in thickening of the kefir. If you have used skimmed or diluted milk for fermentation the thickness of the kefir will also be thin. You should use full cream milk, additionally you can add some heavy fresh cream (unsweetened) to the batch and produce thick kefir. Even kefir grains feed on thick cream and grow big in size. - Slower production schedule
Increase the fermentation timings with some extra hours or an extra day to produce a thick kefir. - Placing in the fridge
Once the kefir is fermented thickly over the counter, you can notice air pockets in the bottom of the jar. Then place the whole jar content without separating the grains applying an air tight lid in the fridge for a couple of days and later separate the kefir grains. This will produce thick and silky kefir. - Temperature & Climate
Placing the fermentation jar in a warm place (near stove or window side where sunlight heat falls) the kefir ferments quickly separating the water and makes it very thin. Whereas placing the jar in a cool place contributes to slow fermentation, thereby producing a thick kefir. And note, it is noticed that kefir usually is thicker in winter and thin in summer for almost everybody. - Kefir grains and milk ratio combination
Less kefir grains with more milk makes a thick kefir in slow fermentation. Whereas, more kefir grains with less milk, the fermentatiom is quicker and becomes watery. Ideal ratio of kefir grains with milk is 1 TBSP with 1/2 liter milk to make a good consistency of thick kefir milk. - Size and quality of the kefir grains
The small size kefir grains moves around milk, ferments quickly and makes a runny kefir, whereas big size kefir grains with added sticky kefirans and strong biological activities makes a thick kefir drink.
Hope this article will help you to make a delicious, thick and creamy milk kefir! “Heal Your Gut” offers matured big size premium kefir grains to prepare best milk kefir for your good health.