symbiota.co.nz
Milk Kefir Grains
What is Milk Kefir?
Milk kefir is fermented milk. It can be consumed as a drinking yogurt or easily made into cheese. Milk kefir is swarming with a variety of probiotics and is often a better option than yogurt if you are looking for more diversity of probiotics. Many people who do not usually tolerate drinking milk, can in fact tolerate milk kefir very well as the probiotic bacteria metabolizes the lactose which many people do not tolerate well.
How do I make Milk Kefir?
If you have not made milk kefir before, you might consider purchasing our milk kefir kit to make the process even easier.
To make milk kefir, you simply place the milk kefir grains (also known as culture) into milk and leave it to ferment at room temperature for 12-48 hours. Once fermented, drain off your milk kefir for consumption while reserving your grains/culture for the next ferment. This is a one-time purchase and you milk kefir grains will continue to make milk kefir forever providing they are looked after correctly.
You are supplied with one tablespoon portion of active milk kefir grains which cultures 3-4 cups of milk within 12-24 hours depending on the room temperature. The warmer it is the faster your kefir will ferment. The ideal temperature range varies between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius. Within a week, you are likely to be able to culture more than 1L at a time if you choose.
If you purchase dried milk kefir grains, these will need to be placed in 1 cup of milk and refreshed every 48-72hrs. Rehydrating your grains may take up to 7 days before you can ferment with them.
Milk kefir can be flavoured with a variety of fruits and herbs to keep you coming back for more. To read more on milk kefir, read our blog All About Kefir.
What are milk kefir grains?
Our genuine milk kefir grains are mesophilic symbiotic cultures of beneficial yeast and lactic acid bacteria. These are not to be confused with cereal grains, but rather they simply look like a grainy texture.
Milk kefir grains are used to ferment dairy drinks similar to drinking yogurt. Milk kefir is loaded with beneficial probiotic bacteria, more so than yogurt.
Although genuine kefir grains have common strains of bacteria, some grains vary slightly from one to the next. Symbiota’s kefir grains originate from multiple sources to maximize the diversity of bacteria, leading to stronger milk kefir grains and yummier, healthier milk kefir.
Because Symbiota chooses only the best whole milk to grow our kefir grains in, our grains are alive, healthy, very active and resilient.
Choosing dried milk kefir grains
If you do not plan to ferment your milk kefir within 3 days of receiving your culture it is best to purchase our dried milk kefir grains. If you purchase dried milk kefir grains you will need to soak them in a cup of milk for 48 hours to rehydrate. After 48 hours, drain off this milk. If the grains still look hard and not spongey yet, you will need to repeat this process until they look spongy and the cup of milk is tasting fermented. Once they have fermented the cup of milk they are ready to ferment milk. You can now place them in 3-4 cups of milk to ferment.
****NOTE:
- Please use an urban address where possible.
- Live cultures are couriered out on Mondays & Tuesdays to avoid delays.
Here at Symbiota we pride ourselves on customer care and provide ongoing support so that everyone can enjoy their fermenting journey feeling supported and confident.
Please note, if you are going to use raw milk, milk kefir generally does better when the milk has been pasteurized. This is so the bacteria in the milk kefir and raw milk do not compete against each other. Some people have success using raw milk, but this can be problematic for others if it is not pasteurized.
Milk Kefir and Viili yogurt should be kept apart. Do no mix utensils without thoroughly cleaning as these two cultures can cross very easily and require extra care in keeping separate.

Milk Kefir Grains
Arrived promptly and started turning milk into kefir as soon as I got it going
28 hours after receiving the grains I was drinking my own kefir! The order came super quick and the grains were in good shape.
These Milk Kefir grains are very consistent and reliable in performance. These kefir grains make beautiful silky smooth and sweet kefir every time.
Must also comment on the incredible support Amber at Symbiota gives if you have any questions, concerns, or if you just want reassurance you are doing all the steps correctly for the best results.
I have often referred to the great step by step instructions and trouble shooting guide that comes along with the milk kefir grains. The guide is well thought through and thorough, whether you choose the live or dried kefir grains to start
But as I said, Amber is there via phone or email should something come up.
If I had to sum this all up I would say: Excellent product. Fast delivery. Great Customer Service.
I followed the instructions carefully and used high-quality milk, but the kefir didn’t turn out right. The first batch had a strange taste and upset my stomach. I filtered out the grains and tried again. The second batch developed white, moldy-looking spots on top, although the grains seemed to grow. I kept trying because the grains were expensive and I didn’t want to waste them, but I’ve ended up wasting milk and time. Even if it eventually turns out right, the process has been frustrating and costly. I would appreciate some form of compensation, at least for the money I spent on milk. This experience was not as described.
Hi Flora Li. We are sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience. At the bottom of our instructions for the milk kefir we provide our email address for support. We are more than happy to support customers. If you still have your grains, please feel free to contact us so we can support you. It sounds like your grains are happy and growing but the fermentation process just needs a few tweaks. Kind regards, Amber
Milk Kefir Grains arrived in very good condition. Well packed and delivered to my rural location overnight. Everything is so professional. Highly recommended.