{"id":29,"date":"2021-02-02T18:54:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T18:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fermentationhero.com\/?p=29"},"modified":"2021-03-28T13:42:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-28T12:42:15","slug":"water-kefir-grains-what-are-they-made-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fermentationhero.com\/water-kefir-grains-what-are-they-made-of\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Kefir Grains: What Are They Made of?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
If you are reading this post right now, you probably know what kefir is and that we use “grains” to make it. But, like me, you want to know more. What are those kefir grains made of? Are they really grains? Don’t worry, I did the research and I will give you the answer in plain English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what are water kefir grains made of? They are made of beneficial bacteria, yeast, and polysaccharide (sugar).<\/strong> They are called grains because of their appearance in clusters that look like grains or crystals but have a gelatinous texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those small and a bit weird-looking “grains” have a great variety of strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast and are capable of fermenting water and turning it into a delicious drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are looking for the bacteria’s names, below is a quote that lists the main strains of bacteria and yeast found in water kefir grains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The microflora of sugary kefir grains was principally mesophilic and consisted chiefly of lactic acid bacteria [Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus hilgardii<\/em> (=brevis<\/em>), Leuconostoc mesenteroides<\/em> ssp. dextranicum, Streptococcus lactis<\/em>] and a small proportion of yeasts (Zygosaccharomyces florentinus, Torulospora pretoriensis, Kloeckera apiculata, Candida lambica<\/em> and C. valida<\/em>). <\/p>Pidoux, M. (1989). The microbial flora of sugary kefir grain<\/a> <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It is worth reiterating that there are many other strains of lactic acid bacteria<\/em> in water kefir than mentioned above. The variety is enormous, and every colony has its diversity of bacteria and yeast living in a symbiotic relationship. The ones cited are the most present and represent a higher percentage of the bacteria found in the grains analyzed by Pidoux. If you want to read the study in detail, the link is at the bottom of the quote.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich beneficial bacteria are in the water kefir grains?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n