Make the sugar water
Use the sugar, water and grain quantities in your pack instructions. Dissolve the sugar and cool fully before adding grains.
Your culture is the starting point. The flavours are yours.
A little culture. A refreshing new ritual.
Water Kefir Grains
Your kitchen. Your fizz. Your favourite flavours.
Make a light, tangy fermented drink with water, sugar and a reusable living culture. No milk or tea needed.
★ 4.6/5 · 297 customer reviewsDairy-free brewingReuse batch after batchPersonal batch support
Know what arrives
India25 g live, hydrated grains
InternationalDehydrated grains · activate before brewing
Rs. 1,200
MRP Rs. 1,500
Save 20%
Inclusive of taxesFree shipping on cultures in India. International charges and availability at checkout.
First batch looking unsure? We’ll help you through it.Meet your new fridge favourite
A fresh pour, made your way.
Water kefir grains, also called tibicos, are soft clusters of bacteria and yeast. They turn sweetened water into a lightly tangy fermented drink. Strain them out, feed them again and keep the next batch going.
Serve it chilled and plain, or add lemon, ginger or fruit to the finished drink. More variety in your glass, with a small routine in your kitchen.
From your first jar to your next
Water Kefir in 4 simple steps
Once your grains are active, a first ferment usually takes 24–48 hours. Temperature and culture activity affect timing; activation and optional bottle fermentation take extra time.
Add grains and cover
Put active grains into a clean jar. Cover with a tightly woven cloth or coffee filter, secured against insects.
Let the culture work
Keep out of direct sun in a suitable, steady temperature. Follow the pack’s timing and check your batch as it ferments.
Strain, chill and repeat
Strain into a clean container and refrigerate the drink. Put the grains into fresh sugar water for the next batch.
Starting with dehydrated grains? Read this first.
International orders contain dehydrated grains. Rehydrate and activate them using the instructions supplied before following the regular brewing steps. Do not count activation time as part of a 24–48 hour drinking batch. If activity seems slow, send us a photo and your setup.
What else do I need at home?
A clean glass jar, suitable drinking water, sugar, a cloth or coffee filter, a band and a food-safe strainer. A thermometer helps you check the brewing temperature. For an optional second ferment, use bottles specifically rated for carbonation.
Keep the grains. Start again.
One culture. Many fresh batches.
The drink goes in your glass; the grains go into fresh sugar water. With regular feeding and suitable conditions, you can reuse the culture for many batches.
Grains may grow over time, but multiplication is not guaranteed every batch. A culture can ferment well without visibly doubling.
Start with a good plain batch
Make room for your favourite flavours
These are serving ideas for finished, strained water kefir. Add fruit and spices after removing the grains.
Lemon & ginger
Bright, sharp and refreshing.
Try this in your glass
Stir a little lemon juice and finely grated ginger into chilled, strained water kefir. Adjust to taste and serve fresh.
Pomegranate & mint
A little colour in your afternoon.
Try this in your glass
Add a splash of pomegranate juice and a few mint leaves to the finished drink. Keep refrigerated and serve chilled.
Mango & lime
For the days you want something tropical.
Try this in your glass
Stir a little smooth mango purée and a squeeze of lime into chilled water kefir. Fruit adds sugar as well as flavour.
Want more fizz? Understand the second ferment.
Bottling strained water kefir can trap the carbon dioxide made by the culture. It is optional and takes extra time. Use pressure-rated bottles, follow their filling guidance and monitor closely: heat and added fruit can build pressure quickly. Chill thoroughly before opening slowly, away from your face. Never use decorative bottles or leave a sealed ferment unattended.
Every kitchen is different. Keep an eye on your room temperature and follow the instructions in your pack.
Small habits make happier grains
A little care. A happier culture.
Give it suitable water
Use safe drinking water suitable for fermentation. Chlorine and chloramine can affect cultures; leaving water overnight does not reliably remove chloramine. RO or distilled water may need a suitable mineral source.
Feed it real sugar
Sugar feeds the culture. Stevia and other non-fermentable sweeteners cannot replace it. Start with the sugar recommended in your pack before experimenting with jaggery or other sugars.
Watch the temperature
Check the actual spot where your jar sits. A hot summer kitchen can ferment much faster; an AC room or winter kitchen can be slower. Keep away from direct sun and appliances that give off heat.
Can I use coconut water?
Water kefir grains can ferment coconut water, but it is a variation rather than the simplest starting routine. Establish active grains in sugar water first. Use suitable coconut water and refresh the grains in sugar water between experimental batches; contact us for guidance.
How do I take a break from brewing?
For a short break, store healthy grains in fresh sugar water in the fridge according to your pack instructions. They still need care during storage and may need a few refreshes when you restart. Ask us before a longer break rather than freezing or drying your only culture.
Not much fizz?
A first ferment can be lightly fizzy or still. Check the time and temperature against your pack instructions; bubbles alone do not tell you whether a batch is ready.
Taking longer than expected?
Cooler rooms and newly arrived grains can need more time to settle in. Follow the live or dried-grain instructions supplied with your order, and contact us if you are unsure.
Unsure about the surface or smell?
Do not taste a batch you suspect is contaminated. Stop using it and send us clear photos with the brewing time, temperature and ingredients so we can help you work out the next step.
A living fermentation, explained
What happens inside your jar?
Bacteria and yeast work together, using sugar and producing organic acids, carbon dioxide and some alcohol. This changes the sweetness, tang and bubbles in your drink.
Water kefir is one way to include a fermented food in a varied diet without using dairy. It does not replace fibre-rich foods, and “live cultures” does not establish a particular clinical benefit.
Sugar feeds the culture
It is an ingredient for fermentation, not just sweetness.
Fermentation changes the drink
Acids bring tang. Carbon dioxide can bring bubbles.
Your batch is its own batch
Residual sugar, alcohol and microbes vary with the recipe and conditions.
What does the research tell us?
Fermentation research documents a community of bacteria and yeasts and changes in sugars, acids and ethanol. That is not proof that this product treats IBS, reverses disease or delivers a fixed number of probiotic strains. We do not claim a tested strain count or sugar/alcohol content for your home-brewed batch.
Read Laureys & De Vuyst’s water kefir fermentation study (2014) ↗Different cultures. Different drinks.
Water kefir, milk kefir or kombucha?
Water kefir grains
A reusable dairy-free drink culture
Milk kefir starter
A creamy everyday ferment
Kombucha SCOBY
A longer tea-brewing project
Compare ingredients, taste and care
| Compare | Water kefir grains | Milk kefir starter | Kombucha SCOBY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Sugar water | Milk | Sweetened tea |
| In your glass | Light and tangy; optionally fizzy | Creamy and tangy | Tea-based and tart |
| Culture routine | Strain and feed the grains | Reculture as directed; refresh from a sachet | Keep the SCOBY and sufficient starter tea |
| Milk needed? | No | Yes, for the standard method | No |
| Choose it for | A reusable dairy-free drink culture | A creamy everyday ferment | A longer tea-brewing project |
Water kefir grains and milk kefir cultures are different. Do not swap them between recipes.
Your first batch comes with a helping hand
We want your water kefir to turn out well.
Wondering if the grains look right? Not sure whether your first jar is doing anything? You don’t have to work it out alone.
Just send us a photo.
Tell us your water, sugar, temperature and timing. We’ll look at your setup and help you find the next step.
Get help with my batch ↗Culture fault? We offer a free replacement under our policy. How replacements workFROM THE ZOH JOURNAL
A little reading. A lot of inspiration.
CULTURE & CURIOSITY
The story of water kefir
Meet the culture with a long, well-travelled history.
Read the story ↗
IN THE KITCHEN
Give your next batch an Aam Panna twist
A familiar Indian summer flavour, reimagined with water kefir.
Read the story ↗
BREWING NOTES
Your water kefir companion
More reading for your home-brewing journey.
Read the story ↗A little clarity before you begin
Your water kefir questions, answered
Before you buy
The grains, your pack and getting started
What are water kefir grains?
Water kefir grains, or tibicos, are soft clusters of bacteria and yeast used to ferment sweetened water. They are not cereal grains. Strain them out after brewing and feed them fresh sugar water to start again.
What will I receive in India or internationally?
India orders receive 25 g of live, hydrated water kefir grains. International orders receive dehydrated grains that need rehydration and activation before brewing. Follow the instructions supplied for your format. Jars, sugar and brewing equipment are not included.
Are these grains or a powdered starter?
These are reusable water kefir grains. Dehydrated grains supplied internationally are dried grains that must be activated; they are different from a powdered kefir starter.
How much water kefir can I make?
Use the first-batch quantity supplied with your pack. Batch capacity depends on the amount and activity of your grains. Once established, the grains can be reused with fresh sugar water; increase quantities only as the culture is ready.
Making your first batches
Brewing, straining and keeping the rhythm
How long does water kefir take?
A regular first ferment with active grains usually takes 24–48 hours, depending on temperature and activity. Dehydrated-grain activation and an optional second ferment take additional time. Grains may need time to settle after travel.
What sugar and water should I use?
Start with the sugar and water recommended in your pack. Use safe drinking water suitable for fermentation and real fermentable sugar. Non-fermentable sweeteners cannot feed the grains. RO or distilled water may need a suitable mineral source; chloramine is not reliably removed by leaving water overnight.
Can I make water kefir with coconut water or jaggery?
Both are possible variations, but establish your grains with the standard sugar-water method first. Different sugar and mineral levels change fermentation. Use coconut water occasionally and refresh the grains in sugar water between experimental batches.
Why is my water kefir not fizzy?
An open first ferment can release carbon dioxide, so it may show little fizz. Low fizz alone does not mean your culture has failed. Check the recipe, temperature and activity. For more carbonation, follow a careful second-ferment method using pressure-rated bottles.
What should healthy grains look like?
Hydrated grains are usually translucent, irregular clusters; colour can change with the sugar used. Dehydrated grains look smaller and drier. Appearance alone cannot confirm safety. If you see fuzzy mould, unusual coloured growth or a putrid smell, do not taste the batch; contact us.
Do the grains multiply every time?
Not necessarily. Growth varies with water minerals, sugar, temperature and culture condition. Grains may ferment well without visibly multiplying in every batch. Avoid changing several variables at once when troubleshooting.
Diet, sugar and alcohol
What goes in and what fermentation changes
Is water kefir dairy-free and caffeine-free?
The standard water-and-sugar recipe uses no milk or tea, so those ingredients add neither dairy nor caffeine. Added ingredients change the finished drink. For a diagnosed allergy, check the current pack and contact us about handling and cross-contact before buying.
Is homemade water kefir sugar-free?
No. The culture uses some of the sugar, but residual sugar varies and fruit or juice adds more. Do not assume a home batch is sugar-free, low-sugar or suitable for diabetes without appropriate nutritional testing and personal advice.
Does water kefir contain alcohol?
It can. Yeasts produce alcohol during fermentation and the amount varies with the recipe, temperature, time and bottling. Homemade water kefir is not guaranteed alcohol-free. If you need to avoid alcohol completely, do not rely on an untested home batch.
Can children or pregnant people drink homemade water kefir?
Do not assume an unpasteurised home ferment is appropriate for everyone. Alcohol levels and microbial safety are not standardised. Seek individual clinical guidance for pregnancy, young children or reduced immunity rather than treating this as a universally suitable drink.
Does water kefir treat gut problems?
Water kefir is a fermented food, not a treatment for IBS, infections or other medical conditions. Its microbial community varies, and fermentation studies do not establish a specific benefit for every person or for this product.
Delivery and support
Your order, arrival and a little extra help
Is shipping free in India?
Yes, Zoh culture orders ship free within India. International availability and shipping charges are shown at checkout. International water kefir grains are supplied dehydrated and need activation on arrival.
How do I store my grains or pause brewing?
Follow the storage instructions supplied for your grain format. Healthy hydrated grains can be refrigerated in fresh sugar water for a short break, with care as directed. Dehydrated grains have different storage and activation needs. Contact us before a longer pause.
What if my culture does not work?
Email support@zohprobiotics.com with a batch photo and your water, sugar, temperature and timing. We’ll troubleshoot and replace the culture free if we identify a product fault, under our fair-use policy. Food cultures cannot be returned; international replacement shipping and duties are payable by the customer.
Keep exploring living cultures
Find your next kitchen favourite
From other home kitchens
A little help from fellow fermenters
Water kefir grainsRs. 1,200Choose your culture ↑