Kefir, minus the grain-keeping
Traditional milk kefir starts with kefir grains, and those grains need daily feeding, straining and care. Easy Kefir Starter gives you the same style of cultured drink from a pure freeze dried starter culture. There is nothing to maintain between batches. Keep the sachet in a refrigerator and use it when you're ready.
What's inside
This starter is a blend of lactic acid bacteria, including strains originally developed from kefir grains. The blend was selected for classic kefir flavour: clean and tangy, with a gentle buttery note and a soft natural fizz. There are no fillers added in this pure organic starter culture.
Made your way
Use full cream or low-fat milk, organic or conventional, homogenised or unhomogenised. Cow, goat and sheep milk all work. You can also culture soy milk or coconut milk. Plant-based batches have their own flavour and usually set thinner.
Drink it as it is, blend it into smoothies, or strain it through muslin or a greek yoghurt strainers for a thick, labneh-style spread.
How to make kefir
- Use UHT Milk. Pour 1 litre of milk into our yoghurt maker glass jar.
- Add the culture. Sprinkle 1g of starter culture and stir gently until it dissolves.
- Ferment in a yoghurt maker. Place the lid on and leave the vent open. Use the tempeh setting on the Reuter-i Pro Yoghurt maker (30 degrees celsius and set the time for 18 hours). Ferment until thickened and pleasantly tart.
- Chill and enjoy. Stir, seal, and refrigerate for 6 hours. The flavour keeps developing in the fridge.
Specifications
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Freeze-dried kefir starter culture |
| Net weight | 3 x 1 g sachets |
| Makes | Up to 6 batches per sachet using the back slop method |
| Suitable milks | Cow, goat, sheep, soy, coconut |
| Culturing temperature | Room temperature, approx. 20–30 °C |
| Culturing time | Approx. 18–24 hours |
| Culture blend | Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, plus kefir grain-derived strains |
| Ingredients | Bacterial cultures |
| Allergens | Milk |
| Storage | Keep refrigerated (4 °C) until use. Use full sachet once opened |
Refrigerate on arrival
FAQ
How is this different from kefir grains?
Kefir grains are a living culture that needs daily feeding and straining. Easy Kefir Starter is a freeze-dried powder that stays dormant in your refrigerator until you use it. Grain kefir is usually more effervescent and variable batch to batch. This starter is designed for a consistent flavour with a gentler fizz.
Why is my kefir slightly fizzy?
That's normal. Some of the cultures produce a small amount of carbon dioxide as they ferment, which is why the jar should never be tightly sealed during culturing.
Can I use plant-based milk?
Yes. Soy milk and coconut milk both culture well, though the flavour differs from dairy kefir and the texture is usually thinner.
My kefir is thin. What went wrong?
Texture depends on the milk and the temperature. Full cream milk, a slightly warmer spot (towards 26 degrees Celsius) or a longer culturing time will give a thicker result. For a spoonable texture, strain it through muslin or a Greek yoghurt strainer in the fridge.
Can I use my kefir to start the next batch?
You can re-culture up to 6 times by stirring 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh kefir into a new litre of milk. Flavour and texture gradually drift with each round, so start fresh from the sachet when that happens.
Is kefir the same as yoghurt?
No. Both are cultured milks, but kefir uses a different blend of cultures, ferments at a lower temperature and has its own tangy, lightly effervescent character.
How should I store the starter?
Store sachets in a refrigerator.

