How to Make Fermented Milk Kefir at Home • Cultured Guru (2025)

Raw Milk Kefir

This week, I went on a deep internet dive to learn about the history of milk and why humans started to consume milk from animals in the first place. I certainly learned a lot.

To summarize, someone used animal milk for nutrition, and probably survival, for the first time around 10,000- 7,500 years ago… Someone most likely observed the similarities between breastfeeding human babies and baby cattle, then decided that keeping the animal to consume its milk was a more reliable nutrition source than killing the animal and eating the meat. The milk was almost always naturally fermented into what we know as buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, and cheeses.

Since there were no refrigerators, milk was stored at ambient temperature in ceramic jars or canteens made from sheep’s stomachs. These vessels (and the utters of animals) harbored microbes that always led to some kind of natural fermentation, most similar to raw milk kefir.

Kefir Milk Benefits

There are many benefits of milk kefir. Milk kefir is the most nutritious, easily digestible dairy product.

The primary nutrients of kefir are similar to that of the milk from which it is produced. Thus, it is high in protein, healthy fats, and calcium. The kefir fermentation process improves the nutritional value of milk by increasing the quantity, bioavailability, digestibility, and assimilability of vitamins and nutrients.

The word Kefir, derived from the Turkish word “keyif,” means “good feeling,” and I think that perfectly describes milk kefir! Kefir is known by various names in other countries including képhir, kiaphur, kefyr, knapon, kepi, and kippi.

Whole Milk Kefir

After five years of not eating or drinking dairy, I’ve been trying milk kefir and eating hard-fermented cheeses! I’m very excited. I also now want a dairy cow… and Angora goats.

I gave up dairy five years ago when I was healing my eczema and, thus, my gut. So, I am ready to reintroduce high-quality home-fermented dairy into my diet.

I am making milk kefir at home using organic, non-homogenized cream top milk from Kalona Supernatural. It still includes the cream from grass-grazed cows on small Amish and Mennonite family farms in the Midwest. Until I get land and animals, this milk is a great option.

Ingredients and equipment you need for this recipe

You only need two ingredients to make milk kefir- grains and milk! You can use any animal milk you want. Goat milk kefir is quite delicious, but I usually use cow milk.

• High-quality milk, you can use cow, goat, or sheep milk
• milk kefir grains, click here for my favorite grains
• 16-ounce mason jar, thoroughly cleaned
• cloth covering and a rubber band
• mesh strainer

If you are brand new to making kefir, the easiest way to get started is with the Cultures For Health Milk Kefir kit! Click here to learn more about that.

Milk Kefir Grains

So, what kind of microbes ferment milk into kefir? Many different types of yeasts and bacteria make up the microbial communities called kefir grains, and the specific species vary depending on where they are from and the milk used to feed them.

Kefir grains consist of a species-rich and robust microbial community. Look at this chart from a published paper on Milk kefir: composition, microbial cultures, biological activities, and related products. It shows how diverse and species-rich the microbial communities in the grains can be and how microbial composition varies by region:

More Fermentation Recipes to Try

• How to Make Homemade Yogurt with Matcha and Vanilla (Dairy-Free)
• How to Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot
• How to Make Dairy-Free Coconut Yogurt with Mango

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How to Easily Make Milk Kefir at Home

Are you looking for an easy fermented drink to make at home? Then milk kefir is for you! You just need milk kefir grains, organic whole milk, a glass jar, a cloth covering, and a mesh strainer. You never have to replace the starter culture for milk kefir. Once you acquire milk kefir grains, they last forever as long as you feed them fresh milk. Homemade milk kefir is an affordable source of probiotics, vitamins and nutrients.

• Prep:10 minutes
• Total Time:24 hours 10 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 16 Ounces fresh whole milk (about 500 mL)
• About 20 grams of hydrated and active milk kefir grains

Instructions

1. Add the milk to a glass jar.
2. Add in the milk kefir grains and stir the milk gently.
3. Place a tight-weave breathable cloth lid on the jar and secure it with a rubber band.
4. Allow the milk to ferment for 24-48 hours. (Aim for less time if it is warm in your house. ferment longer if it is cooler in your house)
5. When the kefir is finished, you may need to give it a stir. It should be thick, pleasantly tart, you should see “rivers” on the sides of the jar after pouring.
6. After fermentation, strain off the kefir grains and add them to a fresh batch of milk. Store the finished kefir in the fridge in a sealed bottle for up to a month.

Notes

• You can make kefir with fresh raw milk or pasteurized milk. Pasteurized milk will give more consistent flavor, while raw milk kefir give variation across batches and changes in your grains over time.
• To pasteurize your milk: Place a thermometer in the jar of milk. Place the jar of milk in a pot of water and allow it to get to room temperature. Slowly, on low heat, bring the pot of water to a light simmer.Bring the temperature of the milk up to 181° F (83° C). Once it reaches this temperature, remove the jar of milk from the hot water bath. Leave the thermometer in the jar, and cover with a clean towel. Allow the milk to cool down to about 110° F (43° C). Cooling can take an hour. Once cooled, remove the thermometer and proceed to step three.
• Keep the ratio of grains to milk about the same (10 grams of active grains per cup). When the grains multiply, you can remove some of them, dehydrate them at a low temp in a dehydrator, and store them in a mason jar at room temp.