Alcohol in Kefir?

**cwright30** · 10-08-2006, 01:27 AM

I just read a post that gave a certain percentage of alcohol in kefir. Is this the case? I don't consume alcohol in any form, so I'd like to know more about this.
Also, does it have a yeast or beer like aroma? I'm not sure I could stomach that...
Thanks
Cindy

**mks51369** · 10-08-2006, 02:22 AM

I'm not sure where you're getting that information, but on my bottle of kefir, there is no ingredient listed as alcohol, or any ingredients that turn into alcohol (except maybe the pure cane sugar, but it's not the fermented beer or wine that I think you are worried about). And no, it doesn't taste like yeast or beer, it tastes a lot like yogurt. I get strawberry flavored, so mine tastes like strawberry yogurt, but better.

**RoundTuit** · 10-08-2006, 04:02 AM

Cindy,

Based on your question, I did some Googling. Here is what I found:

http://www.kefir.biz/ferm.htm

Kefir, an alcoholic beverage?

Depending on the fermentation process, fermentation temperature, time and type of culture used, the alcohol content of Kefir will vary from 0.06 % (Marshall 1984), up to a maximum of 3% alcohol. The average alcohol content in home brewing is around 0.5% with a loose lid and 1% in an airtight jar. Shaking the fermentation container during the fermentation time also results in higher alcohol content.

Dom's site says this

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

Kefir has a uniform creamy consistency, a sour refreshing taste, with a subtle aroma resembling fresh yeast [or a very subtle beer-like flavour]. Kefir also has a slightest hint of natural effervescent zesty tang. There are an assortment of some 40 aromatic compounds contributing to the unique flavour and distinctive pleasant aroma of kefir. To round this all off, kefir may contain between 0.08% to 2% alcohol. However, between .08 to .1% alcohol are common figures for a 24 hour cultured kefir-- [yep-- wow!].

The alcohol content in beer averages 5% according to this website http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/calories.php

Wikipedia had this to say:
This drink is prepared by inoculating cow's or goat's milk with the grains - or "beads" - of previous kefir batches. Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids and sugars. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Saccharomyces kefir are widely used, though the exact combination of bacteria and yeasts vary between cultures. The milk is incubated at room temperature for a day or more, during which the lactose is fermented. The resulting beverage is a sour, carbonated, slightly alcoholic drink. The consistency is similar to thin yoghurt. In fact, most commercially available American "kefir" lacks both carbonation and alcohol and is nothing more than liquid yogurt. Other places may have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic kefir.

But who knows about Canada as far as what they sell.

I really appreciate you bringing up the question because it got me wondering myself. I think it comes down to you. For me and my house, we will not be joining the kefir grain club.

Kim
TTapp Trainer-in-Training
Bay Area, CA

I finally got a "round tuit" [8D]

**cwright30** · 10-08-2006, 10:45 AM

Wow Kim, I really appriciate all that info!!! As for me also, I will not be joining in the kefir thing either. Any percentage of alcohol, is too much for me!!!

Cindy

**DebbieSchrader** · 10-08-2006, 12:23 PM

The benefits have been fantastic for me.

**NuGramma** · 10-09-2006, 02:11 AM

Here's an interesting quote that I found about the alcoholic content of homemade rootbeer, which was very similar to that of kefir:

A WORD ABOUT THE ALCOHOL IN HOME MADE ROOT BEER (OR GINGER ALE ): I have received numerous inquiries about whether there might be alcohol in this home made soft drink. The answer is yes, but... We have tested in our lab the alcoholic content which results from the fermentation of this root beer and found it to be between 0.35 and 0.5 %. Comparing this to the 6% in many beers, it would require a person to drink about a gallon and a half of this root beer to be equivalent to one 12 ounce beer. I would call this amount of alcohol negligible, but for persons with metabolic problems who cannot metabolize alcohol properly, or religious prohibition against any alcohol, consumption should be limited or avoided. However, there are many high school biology labs who have made this beverage without any problems. If you are one of these, I am interested to hear about your conclusions.

By quoting this, I'm not encouraging anyone who has a personally held conviction against drinking any alcohol to go against that conviction - I don't drink alcohol myself. I do think that the comparison is interesting, and gives a little perspective. I don't have a problem with the use of kefir, just as I don't have a problem with the use of Nyquil for a bad cold, and Nyquil's alcoholic content is much higher. But... I'm not trying to cause anyone to stumble here. Just sharing some thoughts...

Jan

1st Thessalonians 4:11,12

**mks51369** · 10-09-2006, 02:30 AM

I agree with Jan. For anyone who should not/cannot tolerate alcohol, I see the point in abstaining from home-made kefir. However, if you are willing to take any type of cold medicine that has alcohol in it, then you should at least try kefir - the benefits far outweigh the tiny amount of alcohol that may be in it. Like Jan, not wanting to cause anyone to stumble. If you are opposed to the alcohol in homemade kefir, but would like some of the benefits, you should try Lifeway's kefir that you can find in the stores. As far as I know (and from the label) there is no alcohol in it, and it does provide some benefits (just not as much as homemade with raw milk).

Marnie

**myCelia** · 10-09-2006, 12:21 PM

This is a very good point to consider before trying kefir. I will include the question and answer (thanks for looking that up, Kim) in the Kefir'nauts thread.

Although Lifeway doesn't say there is alcohol in their kefir at bottling time, I would still be wary, if this is an important issue for anyone, since kefir is still technically a fermented beverage, even though the alcohol content is negligible.

Derya

**gillmings** · 10-09-2006, 02:48 PM

Well, heck. Just when I was convinced to try it. Is there any way to minimize the amount of alcohol? What if you don't let it "brew" as long? Or will that not create enough of the benefits?

-Moyne

"She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain." -Louisa May Alcott

**myCelia** · 10-09-2006, 03:48 PM

Moyne,

Yes, you can reduce the amount of alcohol by culturing for less time - say, 12-18 hours. You will still get the benefits of the goodies and will have a milder kefir.

I could be wrong but I believe the increase in alcohol mostly results from the secondary fermentation where you let the strained kefir sit on the counter for a period of time before putting it in the fridge. The main benefit of secondary fermentation is the marked increased in folic acid levels, otherwise, you're not depriving yourself of the benefits if you don't do secondary fermentation or "brew" for a shorter time during the first. Most days, I skip the secondary fermentation and the strained kefir goes directly in the fridge.

Derya