# Is my kefir ruined? Yogurt like



## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

I just started doing kefir and have drained the grains out every other day. 
Today I found a fuzzy white covering, didn't smell nasty though, and it has the consistency of yogurt. 
Can it be salvaged and if so, how? 

Thanks


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

SJSFarm said:


> I just started doing kefir and have drained the grains out every other day.
> Today I found a fuzzy white covering, didn't smell nasty though, and it has the consistency of yogurt.
> Can it be salvaged and if so, how?
> 
> Thanks


Stir it up and strain it like usual. The thick part can look a little fuzzy when you don't change the milk out every day. You most likely have too many kefir grains in there so it might taste strong. I recommend you change the milk out every day. They do also multiply so you need to look at how many Kefir Grains you have and what size of container you are processing them in. When that happens to me, I know I have way too many in there.  I change out the milk just about every day. You can pm me and send me pics, I have been doing Kefir for many years!


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## BohemianWaxwing (Sep 13, 2014)

It's nearly impossible for the culture to "go bad". The populations may shift about and you may like some combos better than others, but the diversity present makes it very unlikely that you'll need to throw them out. When in doubt, rinse the grains off with some water and start them again in fresh milk.

Are you using raw milk? I didn't care for the taste of my kefir when I used raw milk to make it and it seemed like the culture was getting mushy, less "grainy". I switched back to pasteurized for kefir and it's been fine.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

If you do want to rinse them, I would rinse them in milk. It is more gentle and less shocking to live Kefir Grains than water which you want to keep active. Water tends to make them go dormant a process or two. If using water, make sure there is no chlorine in it. Yes, my Kefir grains have been processed in both raw and pasteurized milk. They do well but grow faster in raw milk.


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

They survived that, but because I forgot to save the milk for two milkings -the babies got it all- I put it in the fridge. When I took it out the next day, it was thick again, so I let it sit on the counter for several hours to warm up. When I strained it, there were no grains! I killed it. .


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

SJSFarm said:


> They survived that, but because I forgot to save the milk for two milkings -the babies got it all- I put it in the fridge. When I took it out the next day, it was thick again, so I let it sit on the counter for several hours to warm up. When I strained it, there were no grains! I killed it. .


They don't disappear so something else must have happened. I am pm'g you! I was in the middle of a move cross a few states that began with work in June around the time you were posting this. Sorry I missed seeing it!


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