PROBIOTICS for you and your chickens

[GhostRider65]

OK all you pro biotic experts here,
My kefir was ready this morning well I think it was, TY to Peepacheep for sending me 2 baggies of grains.
Anyway I have a question if it was right, it tasted awful........ but smelled sorta yeasty..and good not like sour milk which is what I had expected it to smell like...... and it had separated to a almost clear layer at the bottom and a thick layer including the grains at the top? I fed it to my chickies and dogs, but was it right or is it bad, did I just make my critters sicker or help them?????????????????
I was expecting it to sorta taste like plain Greek yogurt??????????
Here is what I did Peepacheep sent me 2 baggies 1 with just grains and 1 with grains and powdered milk, I didn't have any good milk the day they came so I threw them in the fridge because opening gun deer season was Sat. and I knew I wouldn't get anywhere to get milk till at least Sun., well I didn't get anywhere all weekend except in the woods, so Sunday night I put it in a quart canning jar and added the 2 c.milk I had 1% store bought including the powdered milk that was in 1 baggie, I added a coffee filter and loose lid and set it between my 2 Bunn coffee pots which is about the warmest place on my counter 70 degrees, because of my leaky kitchen window, I stirred it 3 tx a day, till this morning when I seen it was separated and then stirred it and drained it and added it to my chickies powdered left over feed, and gave some to the dogs?????????? HELP was it right or bad??????? Kim

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
Kim, I hope you pulled out the grains. I am sure it were perfectly safe to eat(drink). Sometimes, grains need a short period of adjustment. Try again. You did notheing wrong. Mine often separates. It will combine when you strain it, or just stir. A yeasty smell is OK. If it is to sour for you try adding a little maple syrup or honey, or mix it into a smoothie. I seldom put anything in mine now because I have really grown to like it plain. My house is colder and takes a few days to brew. I like an older brew. I will strain it and wait a day or two to drink. I usually use 1% also, but lately I have gotten whole because I feed it to the chickens that will be processed soon and I want to fatten them up!

Try again and keep us posted!

Ginny

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

http://www.bubbies.com/prod_sauerkraut.shtml

Above company sells live, raw foods. I recently discovered, as many of my patients are from the generation who will not touch yogurt or anything milk based. These people usually get along fine with sauerkraut, though

The dieticians at the hospital where I work are actively writing a probiotics policy to include things like kimchee, kombucha, sauerkraut, etc as these things have millions more probiotics than yogurts or kefirs.

I have bought Bubbie's pickled green tomatoes and find them addicting. Strange, though. I served them to my little kids for halloween as "goblins heads".

I apologize if you've already discussed above information. I just saw this thread today!

 

[GhostRider65]

Yah I pulled out the grains.........LOL although i AM BLONDE..hehehe but I did think of that.
anyway I still don't think this is right? to me it taste like sour milk, tho it smells sorta yeasty, what keeps the milk from souring? and it keeps separating into the thicker stuff at the top and the clear stuff at the bottom? I sure won't drink it and I'm feeling awfully guilty just feeding it to my critters, what can I do and why does this seem to be not going right for me? am I adding too much milk? is it too warm too cold? what and why is my kefir seem to be spoiled?
I have an amish friendship bread starter going in a gallon bag right next to my kefir and that seems to be doing just fine......... I added the first set of ingredients today the 6th day. and this is the 4th batch of kefir I have went through and fed to my dogs cats chickens, they don't seem to be too picky maybe it's just me ........... HELP Ernie anybody?????

 

[leenie]

It's not spoiled. Sounds like it just worked quickly. Too many grains can create kefir quickly. If it's too warm the kefir will finish quickly. You need to check on it often until you learn when you think it's ready. Some folks like it the way you are finding it.

Sounds like you should strain what you have now and make cheese.

I like it just when the whole glass jar is nice and solid which then unsolidifies when it's strained. If I get too much separation I use it for muffins/baking or treat my hens to it.

 

[Tracydr]

6chickens in St. Charles :

http://www.bubbies.com/prod_sauerkraut.shtml

Above company sells live, raw foods. I recently discovered, as many of my patients are from the generation who will not touch yogurt or anything milk based. These people usually get along fine with sauerkraut, though

The dieticians at the hospital where I work are actively writing a probiotics policy to include things like kimchee, kombucha, sauerkraut, etc as these things have millions more probiotics than yogurts or kefirs.

I have bought Bubbie's pickled green tomatoes and find them addicting. Strange, though. I served them to my little kids for halloween as "goblins heads".

I apologize if you've already discussed above information. I just saw this thread today!

I can get my husband to eat kefir by making a ranch dressing with kefir. I also make vinegrette with raw ACV. I ferment saurkraut as well but he doesn't eat it often. He's not crazy about my kosher, fermented but they are easy to make, maybe your patients would eat them? I love them.
I eat kefir all the time, with stevia as a sweetener and different flavors such as cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon or fruit. I'm looking for a kombucha scoby.
I'm a physician who writes for probiotic scripts but I really push for the more natural methods of getting them, like kefir and ACV.
Another way I get my husband a healthy amount of ACV, plus fiber and omega 3s is to just put a tbsp of chia seeds and two tsps of ACV in a glass of water for a drink. I enjoy the flavor and texture but he just swigs it like a shot.​

 

[Tracydr]

For the richest, yummiest fruit dip, try making your kefir with whipping cream instead of milk. Then sweeten with powdered sugar.

 

[GhostRider65]

Quote:
I hope not cuz my critters are eating it.....can kefir spoil? What to look for?
I had the grains about a hand full when I strained it yesterday, I added it back to a cleaned jar, with about 2 1/2 cups of Organic whole milk, made about 3/4 of a quart jar, and tonight it's separating already, is it too many grains? should I put it in a bigger bowl? or something..........
or should I separate the grains into 2 quart jars? and then hpow much milk to add to the 2 jars? TY Kim

 

[galanie]

My kefir does the same thing. It's not spoiled, it just has a really sour taste to it. It's like sour cream, it's only spoiled if it starts to mold. I love my kefir really thick so I let it separate like you have and drain off the clear part before I strain out the rest of it. Often I'll take that and put it in a muslin bag and let it drain for "cream cheese."

Tracydr, I wondered how it would turn out made with heavy cream, thanks! I'm going to try that.

 

[flagirl]

i have been making keifir several months now and found the best website with all the info you ever needed to know about it:
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au