Milk kefir is not only easy to make, it is a delicious, probiotic-rich, versatile beverage your whole family can enjoy. Whether you are just exploring how to make milk kefir at home or have cultured dairy before, this video and instructions are here to help make culturing milk kefir at home easy.

Before You Begin

• These instructions utilize the traditional starter culture known as milk kefir grains, rehydrated and ready to make milk kefir. If you wish to make milk kefir with a powdered Kefir Starter Culture, consult our article on How to Make Kefir with Direct-set Starter Culture.
• If you have purchased our dehydrated milk kefir grains, please follow the instructions included with your milk kefir grains or watch our how-to video on How to Activate Milk Kefir Grains to get started.
• If you wish to use raw milk to make milk kefir, be sure to activate your milk kefir grains using pasteurized milk first. You can then slowly transition them to raw milk.

To get started, first, gather your supplies and choose a variety of milk to use.

Supplies for Making Milk Kefir

You’ll need the following supplies to make milk kefir, most of which can be found in the Milk Kefir Starter Kit. For more information on what supplies work best (and what to avoid) read our tutorial: Choosing the Best Equipment for Making Milk Kefir.

• • A glass jar
  • A non-metal stirring utensil
  • A breathable cover for the jar such as a tight-weave towel, butter muslin, paper towel, or paper coffee filter
  • A band to secure the cover to the jar like a rubber band or canning jar ring
  • A fine mesh plastic strainer for removing the kefir grains from the finished kefir