Adding Trace Minerals to WK

[Brandy Lance]

Another member posted about how her WK grains weren't producing very well.  Mine weren't either and I likened them to heavy sand w/ a few small lumps.  I've starting add unsulphered molasses to my kefir to see if it would help and it has.  My grains are reproducing again and are larger than they have been.  So clearly we are missing some minerals in our water that aren't doing my WKGs well.

 

The other member said that she started adding liquid minerals to her WK and it's helping her grains.  I do have some trace minerals and wanted to see what you all thought about adding them and...

 

1) whether it helped your grains

2) how much should I add

3) will it change the flavor of the WK

 

Should I just try this with one T of my grains to see what happens?  I'd like them to start growing not just so we can have more but so that I can start sharing with some locals. 

 

TIA!  :)
Brandy

[Brandy Lance]

I'm doing an experiment w/ my grains to see what effects their growth. They've been slow to grow and I compare their size to heavy sand and dried couscous.

2 T + 1/4 t of WKGs in the regular recipe with 2 drops of trace minerals added. 48 hr 1st fermentation. Actually lost about 1/8 t of grains. Wondering if that's because they may have lumped up in to two bigger clumps though. Either way, they didn't produce much more than what I started with. It may have helped w/ the over all clumping factor though as they were definitely larger than the dried couscous sized grains that I've been having.

2 T + 1/4 t of WKGs in the regular sugar water recipe but w/o any dried fruit. 48 hr 1st fermentation. Lost 1/4 t of grains. Very sandy and mostly dried couscous sized grains.

2 T + 1/4 t of WKGs in the regular recipe with 2 T of unsulphered black strap molasses added. 48 hr 1st fermentation. Ended up with 4 T of WKGs! So the grains almost doubled in 48 hrs.

Clearly, given the water that I have at my house (through my filter) my grains are missing something that they appreciate in blackstrap molasses. I'm thinking I may have to do a high blackstrap concentration on the weekends just to feed my grains and keep them happy. I don't mind the blackstrap kefir but am already starting to tire of the taste. I'm sure it's helping w/ our iron though! :)

[Jamie]

Thank you for starting this thread.  I too am not getting grains that multiply and getting  ones becoming sandy.  I will try the molasses.  Also, where are you finding the liquid trace minerals?

Thanks!

Jamie

[Brandy Lance]

Jamie,

I have my grains going on a second day of molasses w/ a couple of drops added as well.  I can tell they have almost doubled again.  At this point I have 2 jars going w/ 2-3 T of grains and the normal recipe.  I did throw some super ripe pear in reusuable tea bags too and they are loving that.  It tastes really good too.  Then I have one jar w/ the rest of my grains in the molasses and drops.  I put some extra molasses in this one to see if it speeds up their growth even more so that I can start sharing them.  They look pretty happy.  So I think that's how I'll keep doing it.  Today I'll strain both and swap them so that the non-molasses grains can now have a good dose of molasses and the others won't.  I don't mind the molasses because we need the additional iron from it but I love the other flavors that I do too and want to have different flavored kefirs.

 

I don't remember where I purchased my minerals from because it was a few years ago but someone else on here said that she picked hers up at Whole Foods.  She also said that she's since found them cheaper online. 

HTH and hope your grains start growing better too!  :)

Jamie said:

Thank you for starting this thread.  I too am not getting grains that multiply and getting  ones becoming sandy.  I will try the molasses.  Also, where are you finding the liquid trace minerals?

Thanks!

Jamie