FAQs
Your kefir questions answered...
Activating Your Kefir Grains
I just got my new milk kefir grains... now what?
Big day! Simply follow our Activation Instructions and you will be making fresh kefir daily.
Can I store my new kefir grains for a while before using it?
Your new little kefir grains just completed a long journey to get to you and are probably hungry! If possible, we highly recommend following our Activation Instructions as soon as they arrive to minimize the stress. If it's absolutely impossible to put them in milk right away, pop them in the freezer until you have the time to look after them.
Are Mountain Kefir grains dehydrated? What's the difference?
No, Mountain Kefir’s milk grains are not dehydrated – they are shipped live, sometimes in a little bit of kefir to keep them fed along the way. This means that they can recover from their journey and start making you kefir more quickly! Often dehydrated kefir grains are slow to rehydrate and some don’t recover enough to start multiplying, even if they are successfully turning milk into kefir.
It has been 3 days and my kefir isn't thickening. What should I do?
Whatever you do, don't throw them out! Follow our activation instructions and keep making these small batches until your kefir is thickening within 24 hours. It can take up to 10 batches, so be patient! Don’t give up on them even if the milk isn’t thickening after 3 or more days. Have faith, these little grains have been making kefir for centuries and they’re not about to stop now.
Maintaining Your Kefir Grains
Do I reeeally have to feed my kefir grains every day? What if I go on vacation?
Kefir grains are living organisms who need to be fed regularly in order to stay happy and healthy – think of them as your new little pet. That being said, if you're going away or simply need a break, check out our tipsheet for putting your kefir in vacation mode.
Help! I forgot to strain my kefir after 24 hours – what do I do?
Don’t panic – like we said, kefir is resilient and very forgiving. If it’s been less than a week, simply strain your kefir as soon as you remember and feed them as you normally would. They may be extra hungry after being forgotten, so keep an eye on them and strain them when those small whey bubbles start forming (even if this is before or after 24 hours).
If it has been more than a week, they may need a couple batches to reacclimate. We might recommend making smaller batches and holding off on eating the first few batches.
I left my kefir for a REALLY long time – should I toss it?
First, let's define a "long time." If it has been a few days, they are probably quite fine and will recover quickly once you get back into a daily routine. If it has been a few weeks... give them a chance! Kefir originated as a way to make milk last longer, so there’s a good chance that you can revive your neglected grains. Simply separate the grains using a strainer and give them a rinse in cold, non-chlorinated water. Then follow our activation instructions using less milk than usual as they probably won’t be that active. If there are signs that they are fermenting the milk (i.e. slightly thickening, whey formation, etc.) then keep straining and feeding them. Wait a few batches before you do a taste test – and remember to trust your instincts and the sniff test when it comes to deciding whether it’s ready to eat.If the kefir being produced continues to be smell off or looks suspicious, then it might be time to start over with some new, fresh grains. Don’t be too hard on yourself – this happens to everyone and we’ll always have your back. You can always check out our tips on how to take a break from making kefir.
How do I prevent my kefir from getting contaminated?
The good news is that kefir is highly resistant to mould and contamination because of the billions of cultures it contains – they will naturally fight off any bad actors! That being said, there are a few things you can do to keep your kefir happy and healthy…
- Wash your hands with soap before working with your grains or kefir
- Avoid using milk that is too close to its expiration date or past expiration
- While you can reuse your kefir jars between batches, be sure to wash them at least weekly
- Make sure you rinse your equipment well to get rid of any soap residue
- Don’t stress your grains by over fermenting them or letting too much time pass before providing fresh milk
If you have other ferments on the go, generally kefir can resist cross-contamination with other cultures. The exception to this is viili yogurt – try to keep your ferments 4 feet apart.
What kind of milk can I use to make kefir?
To get the best tasting and most nutritious kefir, we always recommend using whole organic milk. That being said, any fresh animal milk works. The higher the milk's fat content, the thicker the kefir.
Can I use non-dairy milk, like almond or coconut milk, to make kefir?
Yes, you can use non-dairy milk to make kefir. However, if you choose to do this, remember that your grains need to be refreshed with dairy milk every few batches as your kefir grains need lactose to stay healthy.
Issues & Troubleshooting
There's a pink or blue liquid forming on my kefir. What do I do?
First of all, don't eat it! If you have a back up in the freezer, now is the time to use it.
If you don't have a back up, you can try rinsing your kefir grains in cold filtered water and then soaking them in filtered water for 24 hours. Then pat them dry with clean paper towel and feed them as usual. If after doing this, your kefir is still producing blue liquid, it's time to start over with new grains.
The culprit is usually a contaminated utensil/jar or a bacteria introduced through lower quality milk. Once the starter is active, it is pretty bulletproof! But while it is activating there can be some vulnerability. Remember, always wash your hands and use clean jars and utensils to prevent contamination!
What if mould forms on my kefir?
As we’ve mentioned, kefir is incredibly resistant to mould and contamination. That being said, if the grains are stressed and weakened, the door opens for mould to form. Mould can be white, blue, or green and look furry or powdery. If you see mould on your kefir, play it safe and toss it. Clean your jars and equipment thoroughly, and start over with new kefir grains.
Remember, always wash your hands and use clean jars and utensils to prevent contamination!
If there is a brown film, this could be mycodermia or "Flower of Kefir" which is not harmful and can be caused by warmer temperatures, not enough milk, or consistent over fermentation. In this case, you would simply remove your grains and rinse them in non-chlorinated water before putting them in fresh milk. That being said, if you do not feel confident in diagnosing mycodermia, play it safe and start with new grains.
I think my viili yogurt cross-contaminated my kefir. What should I do?
First off, look at you go with all of your ferments! If your kefir is suspiciously thick and you happen to also be culturing viili yogurt, chances are you have cross-contamination on your hands. Some people enjoy this! But if you want your cultures to stay in their lanes, here’s what you do:
- Strain your kefir to separate the grains.
- Rinse the grains in cold, non-chlorinated water until there’s no kefir left on them.
- Drain or use paper towel to pat dry the grains and remove any excess water.
- Place them in a CLEAN jar, add milk and ferment them as usual.
- You may have to repeat these steps for a few batches – the key is to use a clean jar every time.
If this STILL doesn’t work and those viili cultures are being stubborn, you may have to place your grains in a water bath. To do this, strain the grains and rinse them in non-chlorinated water until there’s no kefir left on them. Place the grains in a jar of clean, non-chlorinated water and cover for 24 hours. Then strain and rinse the grains one last time before you put them back in milk to ferment as usual.
Orders & Shipping
Where do you ship to?
Currently, we only ship to Canada and the USA. We are working on expanding to other places in the near future.
Will the kefir grains survive mailing to Arizona in the heat? Alaska in the cold?
Kefir grains have travelled the world and back again for thousands of years, probably by camel and sleddog and horseback and you name it! They're designed to survive in all sorts of climates. If you follow the activation instructions, they will quickly bounceback from their journey.
Sometimes in the summer we will ship your grains in kefir to keep them fed along the way, so don't be alarmed if there's a little liquid in with your grains.
Do you offer tracking for shipping?
To keep costs low and affordable for everyone, we do not offer tracking with our shipping.
Shipping times are approximately 4-6 days in the USA and 3-5 days in Canada. Sometimes there may be slight delays due to challenges within the postal service systems, so if you find that its been 14 days or more since your order has shipped then please contact us and we will send a second order.
I haven't received my order yet. What should I do?
Shipping times are approximately 4-6 days in the USA and 3-5 days in Canada. Sometimes there may be slight delays due to challenges within the postal service systems, so if you find that its been 14 days or more since your order has shipped then please contact us at info@mountainkefir.com. We will send a second order, which hopefully finds its way on a faster truck!
Do you offer refunds?
Our goal is to have 100% happy customers and we work hard to ensure that any issues are resolved promptly.
We have a no-hassle replacement policy and will absolutely provide a refund if you are not satisfied with your purchase.
The below is the "legal" return policy, which we are required to have for various reasons. But we really just want everyone to be completely happy with their kefir grains and it is extremely unlikely I would ever ask you to return anything. Our preferred method of resolution is to send you a replacement product at no charge to you.
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Official Return and Refund Policy:
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To start a return, please contact us at info@mountainkefir.com. If your return is accepted, we’ll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
You can always contact us for any return questions.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon reception and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exchanges
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item.
Refunds
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.