My milk kefir does not grow/ very slowly and the milk does not turn sour. What can I do?Updated a year ago

In general, milk kefir is a culture in which the nodules grow much slower than, for example, kombucha mushrooms or water kefir crystals. However, kefir usually just needs a little time and if it is well cared for, it will also multiply.

Here are some tips for you:

Time: Give the milk pea tubers enough time to get used to their new environment. If you have just taken them out of the fridge or if they have had a long journey by post, they will need time to acclimatise in their first run at your home. Milk kefir tubers can survive stored in milk for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. However, the cold environment is not the optimal climate for all microorganisms. Each time the culture enters a new temperature environment, it must first expend energy to adapt to it. Some of the microorganisms then go into a kind of hibernation. For best results in terms of growth, the average temperature should never change much.

Feed: Your milk kefir should be fed regularly and get new milk every 24-72 hours depending on the temperature. If the milk kefir becomes too acidic, this can damage the culture and some micro-organism species die in large quantities because the environment no longer suits them.

Temperature: Milk kefir likes it warm. The place where the tubers do their work should ideally be between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. The warmer it is, the faster the microorganisms ferment the milk. It is best to place the milk kefir in one of the warmest places in your kitchen. However, it is important that it is not in direct sunlight. The glass could overheat there and many vitamins are sensitive to light.