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How to Make Water Kefir Soda (Recipe)

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How to make healthy probiotic water kefir natural soda
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » How to Make Water Kefir Soda (Recipe)

It’s a probiotic… it’s a carbonated drink… it’s water kefir!

I started making this as part of my mission to get more probiotics in our diet and it has worked like a charm! The kids love it and ask for it each morning.

Water Kefir Culture

You will need one unusual ingredient for this recipe: water kefir cultures (also called water kefir grains). They aren’t really grains, but are a symbiotic colony of beneficial bacteria that create probiotics and enzymes during the process of breaking down natural sugar.

I got my water kefir grains from this family-owned company. You’ll also need…

Equipment Needed

  • Glass jar (1 quart or half gallon)
  • Wooden spoon for stirring (avoid metal)
  • Towel, cheesecloth, or coffee filter to cover jar
  • Rubber band
How to make healthy probiotic water kefir natural soda

How to Make Water Kefir Soda (Recipe)

A healthy probiotic-rich drink that you can make quickly and easily at home for pennies.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Author Katie Wells

Servings

4 +

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a half gallon size glass jar, dissolve the sugar in a small amount of hot water. If you plan on making the full half gallon you will need ½ cup of sugar. If you are only filling the jar halfway then you only need ¼ cup of sugar. 
  • When the sugar is dissolved, fill the rest of the jar with cool filtered water and make sure the water is not warm. It must be at room temperature!
  • Add the hydrated water kefir grains.
  • Cover with a towel, cheesecloth, or coffee filter and rubber band to keep out insects and small children.
  • Leave on the counter (preferably at 70-75°F) for 24-48 hours.
  • After 48 hours, strain the water kefir grains through a bamboo or non-metal mesh strainer pouring the liquid into another container. I use a half gallon jar for the first process then strain into two quart size jars.
  • Restart the process by dissolving more sugar in water, adding cool water, and adding the same kefir grains. 
  • To make the water kefir carbonated, pour a couple ounces of fruit juice such as grape, pomegranate, apple, or cherry into the water kefir you just strained. I don’t recommend citrus for this part, as it makes stringy yeast-like things that are not tasty!
  • Once you’ve added the juice, cover the jars tightly with an airtight lid and leave on the counter n additional 1-3 days before drinking or refrigerating.
  • Repeat the process!

Notes

The longer you let your kefir ferment, the more sugar ferments out. So if you’re limiting carbs, I recommend fermenting for the full 48 hours. Don’t leave it longer than that though or it can starve the grains, which need sugar to live!

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

My Favorite Kefir Variations

  • After the first fermentation, cap the water kefir without adding any juice and leave on the counter. After two days, put in refrigerator and add vanilla extract before drinking — tastes like cream soda!
  • Add lemon juice and drink right after the first fermentation — tastes like lemonade!
  • Do the second fermentation with grape, apple, cherry, or pomegranate for a fizzy fruit flavored soda.
  • Add raisins or prune juice for the second fermentation — tastes like Dr. Pepper.
  • Make a grape or berry flavored second fermentation and mix with iced herbal tea for a carbonated fruity iced tea drink.
  • Add pineapple juice after the first fermentation, but drink right away — don’t allow to ferment or it gets slimy!

Water Kefir Recipe Video Tutorial

This video that explains this in more detail and gives step by step instructions. You can also check out Cultures for Health to find the supplies to make water kefir soda and other great fermented probiotic-rich foods and drinks!

Have you ever made water kefir? What’s your favorite flavor?

Water Kefir is a naturally fizzy fermented drink that is full of probiotics and enzymes for a delicious and healthy drink!

Sources

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

337 responses to “How to Make Water Kefir Soda (Recipe)”

  1. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Hello!

    Did anyone notice that this wonderful-looking recipe doesn’t specify the quantity for the kefir grains? I’m guessing I shouldn’t simply throw in a handful! 🙂 Can anyone help me out here? Thanks!

    Ingredients
    hydrated water kefir grains
    ¼ cup sugar per quart of water. Do not use honey.
    non-chlorinated filtered wate

  2. Debeev Avatar
    Debeev

    How much sugar/water do I need to keep the Kiefer grains dormant But alive in the refrigerator And how long are they viable

  3. Kendra Avatar

    What is the measurement for the water kefir per sugar per water?
    TIA

  4. genevieve Avatar
    genevieve

    is water kefir good/okay for people with chronic gastritis?

  5. Hannah Avatar

    I have a colony of Kefir grains i’ve had for over a year now that my friend gave me from her batch. I can’t kill these things if I try! I use cold water straight from the tap and we have pretty cruddy quality water and they don’t mind. I don’t dissolve the sugar first I just dump it in. It will dissolve on it’s own. I keep it in a mason jar and don’t use a strainer- just rinse them out and give them a good swirl in the new jar each time. I sometimes forget about them and don’t feed them for many days and they thrive no matter what. I wonder if because they are not a new colony but many years old they are so hearty? My husband grew up in Mexico and he drank stuff like this quite frequently so he enjoys it straight without flavor and I usually chug it. Haven’t tried fruit in the second fermentation but i’m planning on experimenting this summer.

  6. Katie Avatar

    How do you keep all your different drinks that you’re fermenting straight? Do you use some kind of system for labeling them? Chalk board stickers or the like? Do you put the dates and all the ingredients to keep track of what you liked? Getting overwhelmed already even with just kombucha and water kefir between 1f and 2f…and I want to do more but not sure I can find room for it all.
    On a similar vein, I want to try doing more ferments but am concerned about cross contamination of the different strains, which is complicated further by trying to find a place in the house with the right temp etc. Any good tips? Am I being over concerned about this? Thanks for all your great advice!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      Post-it notes are a simple way to keep track of what’s what and dates. As far cross-contamination, just do the best you can with your specific home layout. I usually keep things on opposite sides of the kitchen or counter.

  7. rr Avatar

    Hi there
    Please advise how much hydrated kefir grains for your recipe.
    Thanks
    RR

  8. Deb Avatar

    Just started my water kefir, loving it! Making more than I can drink, can I allow the grains dry or at least put away for a few days ?

  9. judy Avatar

    When making the kefir, item #7, are you adding the kefir grains back into a new batch or do you use new grains and toss the old ones.

  10. Fiona Avatar

    I received some water Kefir crystals from a friend who has been making it for many years; but rather than white flakes I have a brown granular mass. The granules are about the size of quinoa grains. When they are in solution there are some white kefir crystals but I dont know what the brown stuff is – I dont see it in anyone’s pictures and I dont know how to separate the kefir from the brown stuff. Any help and suggestions?

  11. Chantelle Avatar
    Chantelle

    Hi Katie. Just wondering, how much of the kefir can one consume in a day? You mention your children ask for it every morning-do you limit the amount? All these recipes look divine, I really am going to try some. Thanks!

  12. Bailey Avatar

    Thank you so much for the recipe and explanatory video! Looking at getting into making water kefir for my daughter’s and my health.
    I have a question about the strainer. You say it’s OK to use a mesh strainer, but not a metal one. I’m confused on the difference. Mesh is metal, right? Why is one OK and not the other?

  13. Leah Avatar

    Hi! Is water kefir allowed on the autoimmune protocol? Has anyone had any successes with it in conjunction with the aip?

  14. Jen Avatar

    I’m wondering if you’ve tried combining kefir (presumably in the second fermentation) with apple cider vinegar. I recently tried Kevita’s apple cider vinegar probiotic drinks and would like to recreate them at home (I already make my own kombucha). I’m not sure if these would need to be combined at a specific point in the process or if there are any concerns in recreating this drink at home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

  15. ed Avatar

    4 stars
    ive been making water kefir for a couple years, and i recently ran across your blog… i was soooo excited, i had one of my friends bring over raisins (hoping for a Dr Pepper fix) , the next day when we tried the kefir, my friend said, “it tastes like raisin water”.

  16. Lezelle Avatar
    Lezelle

    Hello

    My three year old has been constipated since she started solids. I introduced water kefir about four months ago to see if this will help and I can give her less laxatives. The water kefir helps but it gives her vaginal thrush. How can I introduce probiotics without it causing thrush?

4.58 from 42 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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