I have been experimenting with various ways to make coconut water kefir. My first step was to rehydrate some water kefir grains I had been given by a local fermentation fan last year and get them bubbling. I had previously made coconut kefir with dairy kefir grains which also works quite nicely, but I was eager to try the water kefir grains since I knew they love mineral and sugar rich water.

The water grains really loved the coconut water, although it did take them about three weeks before they started to reproduce. They loved them so much that I only had to leave them in overnight before straining them instead of the 48 hour cycle that plain water kefir likes. To be honest I didn’t really like the smell and I found that my personal preference is to use dairy kefir grains to make coconut water kefir. I also discovered that when using dairy grains to culture the coconut water, if they start to weaken you can add them back into dairy for a while to get them reactivated. Just give them a couple weeks before using in coconut water again.

I’ve been looking around at other people’s experiences with coconut water kefir and there seems to be a lot of variety in how people are making it. Some prefer it made with diary grains, some love it with water kefir grains, some people just use a probiotic supplements to get their culture started, other people just make alcohol with it by adding sugar and yeast. Feel free to experiment and make it however you like it best. I personally found that the kefir made with the water grains made a ferment that was quite strong and tasted more alcoholic and yeasty, whereas kefir made with dairy grains was a lighter taste and smelled more pleasant. I found with both methods of making coconut water kefir that I definitely preferred them when I added a fruit syrup and did a second ferment. Adding herbal tea is also nice for the second ferment.

Click here for Coconut Water Kefir recipe.

Making a coconut water kefir is a great way to get more probiotics into your system and is really good for your intestines as well as your skin. I generally find that it is best not to drink too much of it as it is quite strong. 1/4 to 1/2 cup in the morning and at night is plenty. If you take more you may find yourself getting a Herxheimer reaction from candida die-off in your gut creating a toxin overload in your system. If this happens take a bath with epsom salts, bentonite and baking soda and take a break for a couple days. Try the kefir again but start with a very small amount and work up to more. When starting to drink the coconut water kefir you may find yourself getting more pimples after a week or so. This will go away and your skin will be more radiant, smooth and silky than before, it is just your body cleaning out toxins.

What People Say About Coconut Water Kefir (from www.bodyecology.com)

• It completely stops your cravings for sugar. Imagine the benefits of that!
• It aids digestion of all foods
• It has a tonifying affect on the intestines, even flattening the abdomen!
• It appears to cleanse the liver. In Chinese medicine the liver rules the skin, eyes, and joints. Coconut water kefir eases aches and joint pains. Many people report having a prettier complexion. They experience the brown liver spots on the skin fading away and skin tags, moles, or warts drying up and disappearing. Vision also improves.
• It contains high levels of valuable minerals, including potassium, natural sodium, and chloride, which explains why the hair, skin and nails become stronger and have a prettier shine.
• It appears to have a beneficial, cleansing effect on the endocrine system (adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, ovaries). Women find that their periods are cleaner and healthier; some who had experienced early menopause have found this important monthly cleansing returning again.



• It increases energy and gives you an overall feeling of good health. Read More

Also check out this amazing story of a girl with autism who with diet and coconut water kefir who turned her life around — Tula’s Story – Antibiotics, Autism, and CocoKefir™.

If you are looking for dairy kefir or water kefir grains you can order them from: www.kefirlady.com. Or you can try me, sometimes I have some available.

The video How Good Is Coconut Water Kefir answers some other questions people have about coconut water kefir: