So you've discovered the health benefits of kefir,
and you're ready to get your fermentation game on,
but you've run into a little problem.
Should you use kefir grains, right here,
or a powdered kefir starter culture, right here?
Well, don't worry.
We've got you.
Because, thankfully, our team
have done all the research for you
and we have come up with the five big things
for you to consider.
We'll see which type of kefir they work with,
what they taste like, how many probiotics they deliver,
as well as how easy they are to use.
I'll even show you how much they each cost
so you can work out what suits you best.
Let's go.
(upbeat music)
Before we jump in, I just wanna explain the main difference
between kefir grains, which I have here,
and kefir starter culture, which is here.
Now, while the kefir grains are these tiny complex colonies
of living bacteria and yeast,
kefir starter culture is a simple powder
of freeze-dried bacteria that is commercially made.
So in that sense, the kefir starter culture is similar
to probiotic supplements or a yogurt starter culture,
and it is also the same thing that is used
to make bottled kefir you can buy in a store.
We've been lucky enough to experiment with every type
of kefir grain and powder kefir starter culture.
And the first key difference I noticed
is how they differ in versatility.
You see, while a powdered starter kefir culture
can be used to ferment pretty much any liquid
from cow's milk to fruit juice,
kefir grains are much pickier.
In fact, dare I say,
they're like the Mariah Carey of fermentation.
Let's take a look.
So milk kefir grains work best
with cow's, goat's or sheep milk.
And based on fermentation studies
and my own experimentation,
they can also work with soy and coconut milk.
And literally, that's about it.
So if you're after some hipster oat milk kefir,
forget about it.
Meanwhile, water kefir grains work best
with sugary water, fruit juice, or coconut water.
So when it comes to versatility,
kefir starter culture is our winner.
And what I really like about it,
for people just starting out,
is that one week, you can focus on making milk kefir
from a starter culture,
and the next week,
you open up a new packet of the same starter culture
and try water kefir.
How cool is that?
Kefir grains and kefir starter culture
can produce very different tasting kefirs.
What I thought would be fun
is to actually do a taste test comparison for you.
Let's start with milk kefir I made from kefir grains.
It's definitely has a strong sour note to it.
It's a little bit thicker,
and you can just tell this has just a little bit thinness.
Doesn't stick quite as much to the glass as you twirl it.
So let's go for a taste.
It has a lot of sour notes. It's not very sweet.
And it's just a strong, full-bodied flavor.
So now, with our milk kefir
coming from powdered starter culture.
Again, it's thinner.
It has a milder smell.
And let's go in for the taste.
It does have some sourness,
but it's, again, it's just much milder.
It's a little bit sweeter
than the milk kefir from milk kefir grains,
but it's definitely not as sweet as regular milk.
When we compare kefir to the beer world,
kefir made from grains are more like a full-bodied IPA,
and ones made from a powdered starter culture
are more like a good old Budweiser.
If you're still getting used to the taste of kefir,
a starter culture can make the transition a bit easier,
and ensure you don't run to the hills
after a strong batch of kefir.
As we just looked at, a kefir starter culture
can be more versatile and easier on the palate than grains,
but when it comes to which will give you the most probiotic,
the answer is clear.
Kefir grains are, without a doubt,
the MVP of the kefir world,
the Michael Jordan of fermentation.
So let's do a quick comparison
so you know exactly how they stack up against each other.
One glass of milk kefir made from grains
will typically give you 100 to 300 billion CFUs
of beneficial bacteria and yeast.
And this is often
from a whopping 30 to 100 different probiotic species,
meaning every time you take a sip,
you're literally sending billions
of probiotic superheroes down into your gut.
That's just incredible.
Now, one glass of water kefir made from grains,
it's not bad either,
as it usually will deliver 5 to 35 billion CFUs
and from an impressive 10 to 15 different probiotic species.
So now, the big question, "How many probiotics
are in one glass of milk or water kefir
made from a powdered kefir starter culture?"
Well, if you've ever bought a packet of starter culture,
you'll note there is very little info about this.
To me and the research team, that just doesn't sit right,
especially since we wanna make sure
you're not left drinking expensive milk.
So we decided to put our detective hats on
and go investigating for you.
Welcome to Gut Health Investigations
Special Probiotics Unit.
First, we rounded up all the big suspects,
in this case, the companies
selling powdered kefir starter culture.
Across the US, we found the top eight selling companies,
and we asked them two questions we wanted answers to.
And they were, one,
"What different strains of helpful bacteria and yeast
are inside their cultures?"
And secondly,
"How many CFUs of probiotics are in one glass of kefir
made from their starter?"
Our investigation took quite a while
as we found most companies
weren't quick to answer our questions.
But the team and I kept going
with multiple emails and follow up calls
over the space of four weeks.
And finally, we started getting answers.
In fact, in the end, they sang
like Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas."
Here's what we learned.
In terms of types of bacteria and yeast,
most had around four to five different types
of probiotic species, with the best having up to nine.
Now, as we all know, more diversity is better
since different probiotics
help with different parts of your gut.
And for us, around eight strains is the minimum
we'd like to see in starter culture product.
Now, in terms of the number of probiotics
in the finished kefir,
this is where the suspects really broke down.
Seven out of the eight companies couldn't give us
an indication of how many CFUs
a customer might expect to enjoy.
We understand time, temperature, and liquid
can influence CFUs,
but they couldn't even offer a rough range.
Some companies simply said, "We have not measured it."
And others even said, and I quote,
"Sadly, this is proprietary information
that we are unable to provide."
We found this all very disappointing.
And the one company that did give us some guidance
about their finished cup of their kefir,
it said it would contain
1 to 2.5 billion CFUs of good bacteria.
As you can see, there is just not enough data available
for us to get excited about the probiotic potential
of a powdered starter culture.
Although we do hope that as time goes on,
companies can test their products and share this data,
as it would allow us to make
a more informed recommendation for you.
So to sum up here, kefir made for grains
typically has over 30 different probiotic species
and over 100 billion CFUs per cup,
making them the Michael Jordan of fermentation.
And by contrast, a powdered kefir starter culture
is more like Dennis Rodman,
meaning they might be great for Team Kefir
but we have no idea exactly what is going on.
And so if you're looking to get
the most health benefits from kefir,
which I explained in the video above,
then kefir grains are a more reliable source.
At this point, you still might be a bit unclear
as to whether you should use kefir grains
or kefir starter culture.
Well, let's take a look at what they cost,
as that might make the decision much easier for you.
So good quality kefir grains often cost around $15 to $20,
while a single sachet of powdered starter culture
will be more like $2 to $4.
But here's the thing, kefir grains are one time purchase
because you can keep reusing them indefinitely,
as long as you take care of them.
Meanwhile, a starter culture is normally only good to use
two to seven times, and then you need to buy more.
From my own experiments,
kefir starter cultures tend to lose their fermenting powers
after the fifth batch,
by which time the bacteria just get too weak
and aren't able to fully ferment the kefir.
Now, you're probably wondering
how much kefir do you need to make
before kefir grains are a better value.
Well, we did the math for you.
On average, one sachet of kefir starter culture costs $3.
It can be used five times,
and each time, it will roughly make one quart or one liter
of milk kefir for you.
So it costs about 60 cents a batch.
That means if you're planning to make
more than 25 batches of kefir,
then kefir grains are going to work out cheaper.
In fact, at this point,
each new batch made with kefir grains cost you nothing,
while every new batch made with kefir starter culture
costs you 60 cents.
So if you plan to keep making kefir
beyond the next month or so, then kefir grains for the win.
Remember how I said before
that kefir grains are a lot pickier
than kefir starter culture,
and kind of reminded me of Mariah Carey?
Well, that's because they need attention,
love and lots of commitment, which is not surprising
since kefir grains are living worlds of bacteria and yeast
that need to be kept at the right temperature
and have a constant supply of nutrition to survive.
By contrast, kefir starter culture is more like managing.
- Ed Sheeran, who knew?
- God, he's so cute.
♪ I found a girl ♪
- All he needs is a guitar, microphone and some speakers.
In other words, zero maintenance.
Since kefir starter uses freeze-dried bacteria,
it doesn't even need refrigeration.
And when you want to use it,
you simply open a new packet of kefir starter culture,
sprinkle it in your liquid of choice,
leave it to ferment.
Voila.
You don't even need special equipment to do this.
Maybe best of all, kefir starter
produces pretty much the exact same product every time.
So if you're looking to enjoy kefir
without the commitment of grains,
then a powdered kefir starter culture is the way to go.
So, which is best?
Well, if you are just looking to test the waters,
then a powdered kefir starter culture can make sense.
It's just so easy to drink and make,
and it offers a really friendly introduction
to fermenting kefir.
Plus if you buy a few sachets,
you can try milk kefir one week and water kefir the next.
But if you fall in love with kefir
and really want to get your fermentation game on,
and, of course, enjoy a much higher
and diverse intake of probiotics,
then kefir grains will make the most sense.
Plus, as you just saw, they're so much cheaper
over the long term.
Given the current lack of information
on the probiotics you get from kefir starter culture,
we think traditional kefir grains are the clear winner.
They produce a much more powerful kefir,
and this can be a game changer for good gut health.
Now, if you're excited about kefir
and want to learn the easiest way
to make your own kefir in minutes,
then download our "Ultimate Guide to Kefir" ebook.
It's free, and the link is in the description below.
Do you prefer to use kefir grains
or a kefir starter culture, and why?
Leave a comment below.
We can't wait to hear what works best for you.
And if you enjoyed this video
as part of our Fermented Food Series,
I'd love for you to join our Essential Stacks community
by clicking the Subscribe button below.
We research the most important ways
you can improve your digestive health
so you can love your gut again.
Bye for now.
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