These Kefir grains are alive and thriving! I am so impressed with how much a got and how active they are. (As you can see in my picture, plenty!) Not only that, they are growing like crazy! The first couple of batching making Kefir, smelled more on the yeasty side but from what I understand is that this happens during shipping. It took about 4 or 5 days to get to my house. Essentially the grains were being starved during that time which resulted in the grains turning too yeasty. The yeasts in kefir are not bad, or undesirable in any way. In fact, there has to be yeast present within kefir and its grains. This is because they play a crucial role in the fermentation process. The only problem concerning yeasts is that they can become too much. Their levels can rise out of proper proportion and cause mild brewing problems within your kefir. So after a few batches, I got my grains working to where my Kefir was smelling like vanilla greek yogurt! For me, what helped the yeasty taste go away is that I did one fermentation cycle of kefir in the fridge. Yeast does not do well in cold temperatures. The bacteria within kefir on the other hand can survive them pretty well. One cycle at these low temperatures has the ability to trigger a quick yeast kill off. I returned to normal cycles and after 3 batches, my kefir got to where I liked it. Smells great! So those who have the same problem, this worked great!

My kefir grains arrived well packaged and looked and smelled fine. There was only about 1/2 a teaspoon though as you can see in my picture, not 2 teaspoons as stated in the description. It came with complete instructions explaining that it may take several milk changes for the grains to acclimate. When I changed them after the first day, I noticed some tiny grains had formed which was encouraging. The next day I went to change it again, and was surprised to see I already had thick kefir and many new tiny grains. I used regular whole milk because I can't find any raw milk where I live, and because it's winter time, I loosely wrapped a heat strip around the jar to help them along. I'm pleased they are doing well, but suggest that the seller either send the amount stated in the description, or change the description to match what is being sent. I was disappointed to find only 1/4 of the amount I thought I would be getting, but because they seem to be thriving I'm giving it four stars.

BUT...it took a long time to make kefir. They arrived after being en route for 8 days. I was certain they were dead, but they looked fine (I have been making kefir for many years) so I gave them a try. For 2 weeks every 24 hours I fed them a new cup of milk, and never gave up because despite being so slow, the grains appeared to be multiplying, so I knew they were still alive. Finally, finally! For the last three days these grains have been giving me a snappy foamy delicious cup of kefir. Whew. Patience rewarded! I am confident they will be with me for many years, my last bunch lasted 8 years, until an error killed them (well meaning relative heated them in the milk). It is vitally important what sort of milk you ferment. It should be freshest, and whole milk. Many dieters want to use skim or 2%, but think instead of the health benefits outweighing an extra 100 calories. I have chronic heart burn, and kefir is the only thing that I have found which calms and keeps calm a stomach that wants to make fireworks over every little thing I eat or drink. Kefir truly is a gift from God.

These Kefir Scoby are very healthy! I had a family emergency at the time they arrived and they were refrigerated for about a week. When I could get to them I combined raw and pasteurized milk for about a week before switching to just raw. Also, I have made kefir cream cheese by offering in heavy cream for 48 hours and then straining for 36 hours in a nut milk sack. Unlimited probiotic culinary possibilities await.

My grains arrived and they smelled like spoiled milk. I put them into grass fed milk and it curdled. Waste of money. And yes, I know the difference between kefir and spoiled milk. Also the description said the culture arrives in a muslin bag inside a jar and mine were literally inside a plastic baggie in an envelope. Which is most likely why they were spoiled. Not at all what was advertised