Kefir - Aha!

I think I figured out how to make thicker kefir. If you remember, my current experiment to make thicker kefir involved adding more fat to the jar during the fermentation process. Previously, I had been using 1% organic cow's milk. For this experiment, I used approximately 4 parts 1% organic cow's milk and 1 part organic half-and-half.

The first thing I noticed was that the fermentation process seemed slower. With only 1% milk, I was reaching the popcorny stage in about 12 hours. With higher fat, after 12 hours, there was only a thin layer of curds gathering at the top. I let it go 24 hours. At 24 hours, it looked popcorny so I strained it. At the time of straining, it looked a little thicker, but not terribly much. I stored the kefir in the refrigerator for 24 hours. At the time I went to drink it, it was slightly thicker, but not a whole bunch. I didn't give up and repeated this process three times. Over the three repetitions, the kefir became thicker and thicker. The curds are still small and not big chunks like they were for the "Add a little kefir in along with the milk" experiment.

So, it appears that milk fat is an important constituent in making nice kefir. I am not afraid of fat, so this is okay with me.