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How to Make Kefir Soda
Kefir Soda Starter
Fizzy Fermented and Fun!
Kefir soda . . . oh, how I love this probiotic bubbly drink. I've been making it in different ways using culture packages for over twenty-one years. For many, many years I have wanted to make my own kefir soda culture with good yeasts and bacteria. After testing and experimenting with different combinations with the good folks at Cutting Edge Cultures it's finally here. It's called "Kefir Soda Starter." I finally have made my own product, with enhanced benefits, that is super easy to make and has many health benefits.
When I first started making kefir soda, I found it so much easier and less time-consuming than making kefir with water kefir crystals. Over the years, I have noticed that using water kefir crystals was getting less and less consistent. They can be problematic for a lot of people and very temperamental when it comes to getting good results throughout the entire time you are using them. This caused me to look for a better alternative for myself and you. Now I only make kefir soda with this starter since it is so easy and has even more health benefits and it is dairy free too!
Important! Pop The Top Every Day
Make sure you use bottles such as Grolsch or thick glass bottles made for beer or brewing. Old GT's Synergy kombucha bottles will work too. Bottles bought at craft stores can explode.
While fermenting, check them every day by slowly popping the top. After fermentation and they're in the fridge, pop the top every day to release the pressure as well. These can get a lot of pressure and are super bubbly. You'll want to check them often to release the pressure.
Kefir Soda
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Equipment
- 32-ounce bottle Make sure you use thick glass bottles made for brewing. Craft store bottles will explode.
Ingredients
- 1 packet Kefir Soda Starter - or ½ cup from a previous bottle
- 2 cups Fruit Juice - fresh or store bought 100% fruit juice.
- 2 cups Water, spring or filtered with minerals - lightly filtered or spring
Every ingredient with a link was selected by me to make it easier for you. I may receive a small affiliate commission if you buy something through my links. Thank you! ❤️
Instructions
- Add the Kefir Soda Starter packet to your juice and stir till dissolved.
- Add your juice and starter to a 32-ounce bottle. Using a funnel makes it easier. (Make sure you use thick glass bottles such as Grolsch. Bottles bought at craft stores can explode.)
- Fill the rest of the bottle with water leaving an inch of room at the top.
- Allow it to ferment for 3-5 days or until bubbly and fizzy. If your home is 75°F or warmer it will usually take 3-4 days. Colder homes can take 5 days or longer, but you'll need to check it by popping the top and see if it's getting fizzy. It will start to bubble out the top if it does.
- When it's done, you can pour in a glass and enjoy right away or place it in the fridge. Keep it stored in the fridge or it will continue to ferment and get overly fizzy and hard to pour. Burp daily and consume within 1-2 weeks for the best flavor and most benefit.
Re-Culturing From Your First Bottle
- You can use ½ cup of this finished kefir soda as a starter to make a new bottle. Add 1¾ cups juice and 1¾ water to a 32 ounce bottle and ferment again. It should only take half to a full day to ferment. Check it often it ferments faster!
Health Benefits
We hand picked the bacteria and good yeasts for this starter. Check out all the different benefits.
Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus delbrueckii are both in kefir grains and are powerful microbes. Leuconostoc mesenteroides is responsible for initiating the lactic acid fermentation of dairy products, sauerkrauts, and vegetables. It has been reported that Leuconostoc mesenteroides can inhibit the growth of pathogens and also prevent Avian influenza and H1N1. [1,2]
Lactobacillus delbrueckii can help the body break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off bad organisms that might cause disease. It has been used to aid digestion, prevent diarrhea, and relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. L. bulgaricus and L. lactis, which are also powerful strains and well-studied probiotic species, were shown to have highly similar DNA to L. delbrueckii, and have since been considered to be subspecies of L. delbrueckii. [3]
Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) has long been regarded as one of the most beneficial members of the human gut microbiome. Lower levels of this beneficial bacteria have been shown in obese and diabetic individuals and in individuals taking antibiotics. Those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease have also shown lower levels of Bifidobacteria as well. B. longum also helps relieve anxiety- and depression-like behaviors.[4] B. longum can inhibit inflammation by regulating the balance of the immune system. It can improve intestinal barrier function. [5]
Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) is my favorite probiotic yeast. Not only will it make this soda super bubbly, but it also has a lot of health benefits. And, it can't be killed by antibiotics.
They have done over 53 randomized controlled clinical trials, encompassing 8,475 subjects, that investigated the safety and efficacy of S. boulardii. The studies were done in pediatric and adult patients in which they found it had an 81% efficacy rating. [6]It is now used to treat C. diff, acute diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, some parasitic forms of diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal disorders. [7,8]
S. boulardii is unrelated to the yeast Candida albicans and other Candida species. When you have Candida proliferating, it will decrease the acidity of the gut making it susceptible to harmful bacteria and yeasts. S. boulardii exerts the opposite effect producing lactic and other acids known to inhibit potentially harmful Candida yeast species. [9]
S. boulardii is absent from the natural gut since it is a transient yeast that passes through the intestines after ingestion. If taken every day, it provides a steady stream in the colon within three days and is cleared from the stools two to five days later.[10,11] It does not attach to the mucosal cell lining, but works its magic on you as it moves through the gastrointestinal tract.
When S. boulardii is present, it inhibits toxins from binding to intestinal receptors and steals the metabolites it needs to survive. Thus many pathogens pass out of the body unable to survive in the presence of this powerful probiotic. They even found that other pathogen strains like E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and S. typhi adhere to the surface of S. boulardii, thus preventing them from attaching to the mucosal lining and passing through the body rendering them harmless.
S. boulardii and Sugar
I've learned a thing or two about S. boulardii and when I should drink kefir soda. S. boulardii feeds on the sugars in kefir soda while it ferments, consuming them and making a stronger concentration of this probiotic when you consume it. If you have a lot of sugar or carbs in your diet, the S. boulardii isn't going to fight candida. Instead, this yeast is going to have a feast eating the sugary dessert that you just had after dinner. Stay away from sugar and consume your kefir soda instead, and watch S. boulardii work its magic.
Lab results
These are the results for the two recipes that we tested after four days of fermentation. Your results may differ depending on the specific ingredients that you use, the fermentation times and temperatures, and other variables.
Listen To My Podcast
Kefir Soda has a whole host of benefits. I'm really excited to introduce you to my new Kefir Soda Starter. For many, many years, I have wanted to make my own soda culture with good yeasts and bacteria. After testing and experimenting with different good bacteria and yeasts, I finally have my own product that is super easy to make and has many enhanced health benefits. Tune in to learn more about why you need Kefir Soda in your life!
Kefir Soda Recipes
References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/leuconostoc-mesenteroides/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29847863/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23194812/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.2453
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8324359
- Review article: yeast as probiotics -- Saccharomyces boulardii.
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of saccharomyces boulardii in irritable bowel syndrome: effect on quality of life.
- [Treatment of acute diarrhea: prescription patterns by private practice pediatricians].
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients
- Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supports regeneration of the intestinal microbiota after diarrheic dysbiosis – a review
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4733292/
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