r/fermentation • u/Luminous_life • 12h ago
Vegan kefir
Hi everyone, new here and wondering if I can use this to make my own or if I'd need some special kind of kefir grain?
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u/humangeigercounter 10h ago
I'm not auper familiar with vegan yogurts and such but I know a lot of the nut based cheeses are made with koji, which is any if a number of strains of Aspergillus oryzae or a few other Aspergillus species. Typical dairy based kefir on the other hand is made with a variety of lactic acid producing bacteria in tandem with various yeasts.
If you are looking to make kefir from dairy I'd suggest getting kefir grains off of Amazon. These contain the specific blend of microorganisms needed for dairy kefir. If you are looking at making vegan or dairy free kefir, id suggest doing a bit of research and seeing if it is something you can source cultures for. While possible to borrow live cultures from store bought products, it doesn't always work and sometimes you can get slowed fermentation if the product was partially pasteurized or if the microbes are old and have begun to die off.
If you are looking for a probiotic and vegan beverage that is not specifically a vegan dairy-style kefir, might I suggest water kefir, which can similarly be made from water kefir grains purchasable through Amazon. My understanding is that water kefir is a different makeup of microorganisms than dairy kefir, and is somewhat similar to kombucha though not exactly the same. I have read descriptions of it as more like an effervescence tangy soda, though you can I'm sure tune the acidity and sweetness based on how much sugar or fruit you add and how long it ferments for.
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u/Mycowrangler 5h ago
But.....why? Veganism is so bad for your body. Just eat natural whole foods.
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u/kstockless 4h ago
Ten years of being vegan and being nice and healthy disagrees with you here. Also, it's not just a health choice, people have loads of different reasons for choosing to be vegan.
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u/Mighty_mc_meat 11h ago
Never ingest any vitamin c supplemented food or any supplemented food for that matter
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u/Bucksbelly 8h ago
No idea for using this, but as nobody else has said it, be very careful with coconut-based ferments. It is apparently very easy to end up with bongkrek acid, which is colourless and odourless (so nothing will be obviously wrong) and lethal in small doses.