Raw milk kefir grains

While milk kefir grains can be used with raw milk, when rehdyrating the grains, it is first important to rehydrate the grains in pasteurized milk. Because raw milk contains its own bacteria, those bacteria can introduce competition for the rehydrating grains and keep them from activating properly.

Once the grains have been fully activated in pasteurized milk, the grains may be slowly transitioned to raw milk.

Instructions:

1. Transfer the rehydrated grains to a mixture of 25% raw milk and 75% pasteurized milk. For example, for a batch using 2 cups milk, combine 1½ cups pasteurized milk and ½ cup raw milk. Use this ratio until you are making good kefir consistently.
2. Next, culture the grains in 50% pasteurized milk and 50% raw milk. For a 2 cup batch, use 1 cup pasteurized milk and 1 cup raw milk. Use this ratio until you are making good kefir consistently.
3. Next, culture the grains in 25% pasteurized milk and 75% raw milk. For a 2 cup batch, use ½ cup pasteurized milk and 1½ cups raw milk. Use this ratio until you are making good kefir consistently.
4. Finally, make the next batch using 100% raw milk. At this point, the grains have fully transitioned to the raw milk, and there are no special considerations going forward.