06/25/2026
Complete beginner water kefir guide:
What do you need to get started?
1 Tablespoon Dried Water Kefir Grains
3 Tablespoons Organic Sucanat
3 Tablespoons Organic Cane Sugar
4 Cups Spring Water
Do not use just white sugar. Adding sucanat or molasses adds minerals that are needed by the kefir grains. For the same reason, spring water is used rather than reverse osmosis water. Avoid the use of tap water, which can be harmful to the grains.
Do not add anything with the grains other than sugar, sucanat or molasses and spring water. You should not try to substitute other natural sweeteners like honey, agave or date syrup, or artificial sweeteners like Stevie or monk fruit, because this could be harmful to the microbes in the water kefir, which need sugar to feed on. The finished water kefir will be naturally lower in sugar, as it ferments, because the microbes will consume the sugar.
Only add juices, herbs, and other ingredients to the second fermentation, after straining out the water kefir grains. Adding them to the sugar water with the kefir grains can be harmful to the grains.
