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water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:55 pm
by sequoia
Hello!

My water kefir seems fine in most respects: it produces a delicious drink every couple of days, the grains look healthy... but they are not reproducing! there is about a 1/4 cup of them in the bottom of the jar, and the level has gone up only very slightly, if at all, during the few months I've had them.

Can anybody think of potential reasons for this? I want to be able to experiment, and to share the grains with others, but I don't want to separate the ones I've got, since they are so few as it is!

Everywhere I read about them, people are talking about how fast the multiply. I wish mine would too!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:59 am
by malory.foster
I am having the same problem. Even after doing research on the internet about water kefir, mine seems to be just barely surviving. I even have switched to bottled spring water. Wondering what a good juice or water-juice-sugar-fruit, etc. mixture might be to make my water kefir really happy-bubbly!

Thanks!

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:14 pm
by webpatty
I use 1 quart water and 1/3 cup sugar and 1-2 tbl molasas. I can't drink too much of it every 2 days to I have been lazy and letting it sit for a week. They are multiplying like crazy.

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:53 pm
by Amy
Mine are multiplying very fast! I bought them from http://www.kefirlady.com/

Are you rinsing very well between batches? & not using chlorinated water?
I use:
1 qt spring water
1 cup fresh young coconut water
1/3 cup sugar
stir &
cover with cloth & rubberband
wait 24 hours and taste, it usually is not sweet after just 24 hours
lots of bubbles throughout the day

I think mine doubled in a week!

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:40 pm
by MiraclesGoddess
Did you ever get your kefir grains multiplying?

Recently I read not to use filtered water. That the kefir organisms like the minerals in well or spring water.

If someone has chlorinated water maybe they could let it sit in a wide mouthed contained (like a bowl) and let the chlorine gases go off over night.

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:11 pm
by asharpknife
I think it might just be the cold weather. Well...that is, if it is cold where you are. My grains definitely didn't seem to reproduce much when I first got them, which was early last spring, maybe a year ago I guess. But then they started and soon were very virile indeed. :)
Then when the weather got cold again they slowed down to almost no visible increase.
Are they working, otherwise? As in, are they giving you a sour beverage with some fizz?

Re: water kefir grains not multiplying

PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 9:09 am
by MelanieM
I have the same problem with my grains (from Kefirlady). I've been using reverse osmosis water but have been adding powdered calcium and magnesium occasionally. Have also been using molasses to up minerals. I've got a batch right now with a few raisins (even though I don't like the flavour of the kefir they make) and 1/2 a sterilized egg shell.
My grains aren't just not growing: they're reducing! :-( They now take longer to make a batch.
Very sad about my grains :-(
What can I do? (I emailed Kefirlady but haven't heard back)