Basics

Kefir is made from a sweet carbohydrate-rich liquid using a specific water kefir culture to ferment it. This is another symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, but it looks nothing like a kombucha scoby and more like translucent little grains. This drink can be made from sugary water but also from other sweet liquids like fruit juices, vegetable juices, coconut water and various nut milks. Any carbohydrate sweetener can be used – sugar, coconut sugar, demerara sugar, maple syrup, honey, and agave syrup. However, sweeteners such as stevia or xylitol will not work for this (nor for any fermentation).