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About a year ago, I wrote about water kefir, so I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about what it is. For background information on water kefir, why it’s awesome, and a basic how-to and recipe, please check out my post, Water, Water, Everywhere, and Lots of Drops to Drink. I did, however, want to write an updated post about my new experiences with water kefir. And by new, I mean post-Mason jar era.
The Post Mason-Jar Era of Brewing Water Kefir
Awhile back, I invested in a couple of Fido-style jars for my ferments. Because I cannot afford to shell out the money for the Probiotic Jars at this time, this was the next best option. They are the same type of jars, except the Probiotic Jars come with an airlock and hole drilled into the lid (not something I am going to attempt to do, so I will be going airlock-free for now). So far, the ferments that I have made in my Fido jars have been awesome! Waaaaaaaaay better than my mason jar ferments ever were.
Dear Trusty Mason Jar,
I still love you and you hold a very special place in my heart and my kitchen. I will continue to use you daily, just not for my ferments.
Yours Truly,
Jessica
So, when I got the Fido jars, I decided that the first thing I wanted to do was make water kefir in them. According to the research that I discussed in my post, Fermenting Methods: We’ve Had it All Wrong, where I shared the information that KerryAnn from Cooking Traditional Foods had been putting out, one of the things we covered was that kefir, both milk and water, need to be anaerobic ferments. This was a total change from the way I had been taught (mason jar with a coffee filter). I was skeptical, but I usually am of anything that takes me out of my normal routine!
So, I made my normal sugar water mixture (1/4 cup organic cane sugar to 1 quart of filtered water) and placed the cooled liquid in my 1 liter Fido jar with my water kefir grains. I latched the lid and left it to sit on my counter at room temperature for 24 hours. I always make my water kefir in the evenings, so I had meant to burp it the next morning, but forgot. There were some rumors that if you used these Fido-style jars without the airlocks and you did not burp them, they would explode. So far, I have not experienced this and I honestly don’t think it is a commonplace occurrence.
The following evening (24 hours from the start of the kefir), I decided it was ready to be bottled for the second ferment. The first ferment smelled just like you expect water kefir to smell (slightly sweet and yeasty, but pleasant).
And then there was the fizz!
I have never had the first ferment of my water kefir get this fizzy, but this stuff was bubbling so much that when I filled up my flip-top Grolsch-style bottles for a second ferment, the bottles actually overflowed, even though I was a good inch below the mouth of the bottle. I added some fresh lemon juice and some sliced peaches. I capped the bottles and let them sit out at room temperature for another 24 hours. Then I stuck the bottles in the fridge.
The next day, after the bottles had been in the fridge overnight and were nice and cold, I cracked one of them open. It was an immediate geyser of water kefir. I grabbed a glass and salvaged as much as possible. But, let me tell you — I have never, ever had water kefir that was so fizzy and I have been using my flip-top bottles for a long time. To me, that was a good indication that the first ferment yielded very happy water kefir. Plus, the taste of the water kefir was like no other water kefir I’d ever brewed. It was mild, super fizzy, and uber refreshing, especially since Denver has been on a heat wave streak with 100+ degree weather. An ice cold glass of water kefir will satisfy your thirst and give your belly love!
So, that sealed the deal for me. From that point on, I have been brewing my water kefir in my Fido-style canning jars and have never had better tasting, super bubbly water kefir. I cannot recommend the Fido jars enough. They are totally transforming the way I ferment!
Check out this Water Kefir Flavor Guide for lots of ideas on how to flavor your water kefir!
Do you want to start making your own water kefir at home? If so, read my post “How to Make Water Kefir“. If you have questions about water kefir, check out my Water Kefir FAQs. Also, my friend Lydia over at Divine Health From The Inside Out put together a Water Kefir Troubleshooting post, that might be helpful to new brewers and experienced brewers alike!
For more information on water kefir, check out these posts:
52 Weeks of Bad A** Bacteria – Week 23 – Water Kefir Revisited
Water, Water, Everywhere, and Lots of Drops to Drink!
Water Kefir Flavor Guide – Lots of Delicious Fizzy Flavors!
So, tell me. How do you brew your water kefir? Have you tried the Fido jars? If so, what has been your experience? Leave me a comment below!
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Wow, I am so thankful for this post! I have just ordered my first batch of water kefir grains, and I’m so nervous to get it right! It is so helpful to be able to benefit from the experience of others 🙂
Question: after your initial experience with overflowing bottles, have you adjusted your method in any way to eliminate (or minimize) that issue?
The best way to prevent the overflow is to just not fill the bottles as full. Also, I have only experienced overflow problems when I use the flip-top bottles. I typically leave about a half inch of space between the top of the liquid and the lid, but to minimize overflow, you could leave a lot more than that. Most people leave and inch to an inch and a half of space (but we like it super fizzy and are willing to waste a little to have extra fizz). 🙂
Let me get this straight. The Fido jars have a rubber seal that prevents gas from escaping, right? When you fermented water kefir in a mason jar were you using a plastic lid or a two-piece lid with the rubber sealing compound?
I’ve never heard of doing water kefir (or milk kefir) without a hard lid.
If you used a plastic lid I can see how gas could escape since those things are pretty leaky – even if tightened down hard. But if you used a two-piece lid with intact sealing compound then how does it differ from the Fido?
Hi Laurel – Yes, the Fido jars have a rubber seal. However, my friend Lea over at Nourishing Treasures, has been doing some testing on Fido jars and it appears that the jars will self-burp themselves when the pressure builds up too much. The way I was taught to brew water kefir was to use a Mason jar with a coffee filter, a tea towel, or a very loose lid over the top. I was told not to seal the jar, as the ferment needed to breath. I was taught this by several people who I considered experts at the time. But, in light of KerryAnn’s information and my experience brewing WK in the Fido jars, I’ve changed my technique. According to what I have read, the only way to get a Mason jar lid to become air-tight and therefor anaerobic, is to actually go through the canning process, which is not possible when doing live ferments.
Laurel,
You can get a tight seal with the metal lid and ring. However, it’s just the right seal with no way for the CO2 to escape.
The Fido, on the other hand, is airtight, but because of the gasket, it allows the CO2 to escape.
So you need both a tight seal and a way for the CO2 to escape. If you want to use the metal lid and ring, you need to install an airlock. You can also use the Cooking God’s Way airlock system which has a gasket between the white lid and jar. It passed my pressure test and with the airlock, allows the CO2 to escape.
Thanks Lea, for the clarification!
I need to get some of the fido-style jars! That sounds awesome! I’ve been using the mason jar/coffee filter method, and I do get bubbles with my 2nd ferment, but not like you describe. I’m north of you in Fort Collins, so something cool and refreshing like that sounds nice.
Hi Ginny! I love meeting new local people! Have you been affected by the fire? I pray you haven’t had to evacuate or anything. My thoughts are with all of the residents of that area and other areas where the fires are happening in CO. Last report I heard this morning, there were 12 fires happening across the state.
The Fido jars are awesome and I hope you can try them out! 🙂
Hi Ginny,
I’m in Ft Collins, too, and am lookimg for someone to barter with. Am looking for water kefir grains, and I have organic MKG and kombucha scoby for the trade.
LMK!
Thanks
I just had to recoup my grains and I am so excited to try this out. I have some of those type of bottles from Ikea that I use for storage. Thanks!!
Fantastic post! I wanted to write one just like this, but have been swamped in sauerkraut 🙂
Love it. Love Fido’s.
I like your letter to your mason jars. I feel the same way 😀
Love my Mason jars. Also love my Fidos! I’m going to go get some more Fidos tonight!!! WOOO HOO!
I’m glad you posted this Jessica. I just noticed recently that people were brewing with a cloth or coffee filter, and I thought, that’s odd. Then I noticed places that actually sell water kefir grains were teaching this method, which puzzled me. So, I set out to put the word out on facebook and in a post of my own to inform people that water kefir is an ANAEROBIC ferment. I don’t know what it becomes when you ferment it aerobically – but I do know that my milk kefir fermented in a mason jar was tested and came back with evidence of mold – it wasn’t visible to me, but tested positive. So, I don’t think people should take this lightly. I’m sad to hear that in Sandor Katz new book he says that water kefir does not thrive on oxygen or need it but it also does okay with it. UGH! An entire book on fermentation, by an ‘expert’ and it’s not accurate. Nothing against Sandor, but I think we’ve been far too flippant with our ferments and it’s time to set it all straight – one post, one ferment at a time!
For years, I have brewed my WK with just a towel or cheesecloth, because that’s what I was taught. I never suffered any ill effects, but it never got super bubbly and always tasted a little “stale”. Not in a bad way, but it just wasn’t as light and refreshing as I expected. Once I stated using the Fido jar, things dramatically improved! It is unbelievably fizzy (both the first and second ferment) and tastes super light and refreshing. I can’t get enough of it! :):)
Thanks for sharing hour experience! I just have a silly question -(but I will make this for 1st time and trying to get everything I need). My questio; can you use a plastic funnel to put it in bottles? Cause I heard you’re not suppose to use plastic?!
Thanks a lot 🙂
Not a silly question at all! 🙂 I use a plastic funnel to bottle mine. You don’t want to brew or bottle in plastic, but I really don’t see a problem using plastic for bottling purposes!
Thanks a lot Jessica 🙂
Ok I’m sorry I have one last question -(hopefully) – I’m ordering now the fido jars for brewing- do I need to use the same bottles you’re using from them also or can I use the glass bottles I have already from the store, can I reuse them or that will affect the 2nd fermentation to flavor it?!
Hi Ghada – Are you talking about the jars for the second ferment? You can do a second ferment in whatever jars you would like. The nice thing about the flip-top bottles like I use is that they are airtight and help build up more carbonation. I have done second ferments in mason jars, old kombucha bottles, etc., but the WK is never fizzy enough for my liking. I also think that the flavor stays better in the flip-top bottles, but that could just be my tastes buds. I hope this helps! 🙂
After reading your post I switched my WK to a Fido like jar (Mine are from Ikea). I was so excited that I didnt have to buy anything new right away as I use the jars to keep my beans etc in. I’ll try to remember to post an update on my results. 🙂
Thanks for the great post.
Thanks for stopping by! Ultimately, I want to get some of the Pickl-It jars, but until I can afford to invest in some, I will continue using the Fidos! I look forward to hearing how it goes! 🙂
Hi Jessica, I made my 1st batch of WK in a jar with a coffee filter. After 48 hours transferred to a grolsch bottle with Pom juice & let sit for 2 days & after chilling tasted it. It was nice and fizzy but tasted a bit yeasty. My 2nd batch was made with an airlock (s-shape style airlock). I now have this on the 2nd ferment to flavor. I’m interested to see if it tastes less yeasty because of the airlock. Do you think the yeasty flavor comes from the newness of the grains or is it that I bake a lot & this is just the nature of my kitchen? Also, after just 8 oz of WK flatulence kicked in & lasted more than I care to discuss. How can this be alleviated & how long does it last? I know they say to start out by only drinking an oz or so at a time but what do I do with all the WK being brewed in the meantime. It really does add up after just 1 week of batches.
Hi Mary – The yeasty flavor could be a little bit of all of that. I find that if the ferment goes too long, it gets yeasty tasting. But, they do absorb the bacteria in the environment they are in, so they could be reacting with your kitchen. I find this one of the most awesome things about fermenting — no two batches are ever going to be the same for any two people. It’s one of the amazing things about ferments! That said, I think I remember that my grains were a bit yeasty for the first few batches when I first got them. If you’re experiencing any side effects, I’d reduce the amount you’re drinking. Some kefir experts recommend only drinking a tablespoon or two at a time and then working yourself up to a full time, especially if you’re not used to kerif or strong probiotics. You almost have to build up a tolerance to it, as your own system adapts to the new bacteria, yeasts, etc. You should just try to brew smaller batches if you’re not able to drink it all in time. You can share the grains with friends, throw them in smoothies, eat them plain, compost them, or feed them to your critters if you have any. My dogs LOVE water kefir grains — it’s one of their favorite treats! 🙂
Hi again, are you still using fido jars or have you started using pick-liit yet? I presently have a batch fermenting with coconut water. Is there any particular flavoring that you use for the 2nd ferment that would complement it? Thanks for all your help.
Hi Mary – I use the Pickl-It jars for all of my fermenting. If it’s a veggie ferment, I just switch the lid when it’s done with a Fido lid. For the water kefir, I bottle it up in flip-top bottles. I think any flavoring would be good with the coconut water kefir. Here is a flavoring guide that I wrote that may give you some ideas: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2013/02/lets-get-fizzy-with-it-your-water-kefir-flavor-guide/
Hi Jessica and thanx for answering questions &
for having this informative site. I have been
brewing water kefir for several weeks & the last
batch is…well..thicker, a little slimy & some of
the grains are black. Mold ? If so, can this be
a danger ?
Hi Ruth – That does not sound good at all. I have not personally had that happen, but if you’re seeing black, I would think the grains are dead and have maybe gone bad. I’d recommend tossing them and starting with fresh, healthy grains. So sorry about that! I have lost many sets of water kefir grains and it’s always a bummer! 🙁
I am hopeful that this post solves my problems for me! I have been trying to get a good, and reliable, ferment going with my grains, and have not had the success that I have been hoping for. Maybe with just a small change, capping my first ferment, I will improve my kefir!
Hopefully it helps! It may take some tweaking, but once you get it, it’s a piece of cake! 🙂
Are fido jars recommended for coconut milk Kefir?
Also, when done fermenting, do u transfer the coconut milk Kefir into a Mason jar or put it back into the fido jar (or do u put it in a clean fido?)
Lastly, when resting the grains in the fridge, do u still use a fido, or is a sealed Mason jar ok?
Hi Bee – You can use fidos for coconut milk kefir, as that tends to be a really fast ferment. I typically don’t switch jars when done, as that introduces too much oxygen to the ferment, but in the case of milk kefirs, you will need to strain off the grains, so switching jars is fine. When storing grains, I store them in a Fido.
Wow! Learned something new today! I’ve been bring my water kefir for YEARS on my countertop with a cloth on top. Just recently I’ve started doing a second ferment with juice for a soda. Whoo! So fun! What took me so long? I’ve just used it as a boring base to smoothies. I am going to try this! I was thinking of asking for flip tops jars for my birthday, now I’ll ask for Fido’s too.
My question is, is it normal to have a bit of yeasty sediment in your jar after your second ferment? I found your blog looking for info on specific strains of probiotics, but I found so much more!
Hi Andrea – Thanks for stopping by! Glad you found me! Yes, that is totally normal to have some residue in the bottom of the bottle. I always have that. Have fun experimenting with flavors! You’ve opened a wide new world for your fermenting adventures! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Great post. I am so happy I found this today. Just started to hydrate some water kefir grains. I placed them in a Fido jar without the seal. I had covered it with a coffee filter as recommended by so many sites. I’m going to put the seal into the jar and see what happens. I have a question on the second ferment. I do not have any of the fliptop beverage bottles. Can I do the second ferment in a Fido jar with a seal?
Hi June – Yes, you can do the second ferment in a Fido, just be very careful to not let it go too long and build up too much pressure. It may also not get quite as fizzy as the individual flip-top bottles. The second ferment really only needs to go 12-24 hours, especially in the summer. Cheers!
Hello!
Another WK question… why aren’t my water kefir grains ‘growing’ like my milk kefir grains do? And THANK YOU SO MUCH for this information! I’ve been brewing my WK with a coffee filter too! :/ My milk kefir with plastic lids, but will start using the air locks that I just ordered. 🙂
Hi Kelli – I have had that issue too with certain batches. I’ve never figured out the exact reason why that happens. My best advice is to up the amount of minerals you’re using in your water kefir. If that doesn’t help, try doing a super sweet batch of sugar water (with lots of minerals) and add a tablespoon of fresh ginger to the mix. Place your jar in the fridge for a few weeks and then give the grains another try. This tip came from my friend Melanie at PickleMeToo.com and it has worked to improve the health of my grains. You could also try using a different water source. I have found some batches of my grains get really picky about the type of water I use. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Jessica, where can you purchase anaerobic jars?
Hi Carla – I purchase mine from The Probiotic Jar site: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/Probiotic-Jar. My money-saving suggestion is to invest in a few of the jars (maybe 1-3, depending on how much fermenting you want to do) to get yourself started and then stock up on the Fido jars (you can find those on Amazon or at stores like Sur la Table. You want to look for the Bormioli Rocco brand). I have about 5 of the Probiotic jars, but then have about 20 Fidos. The Fidos are going to be MUCH cheaper and the lids are interchangeable. I never have more than 5 ferments going at once, so when that ferment is done, I simply switch the Probiotic Jar lid with the standard Fido lid and store it. That keeps my fermenting lids open and available for my next ferment. Happy fermenting!
I’ve heard a few people say they have better results with an anaerobic ferment, but my concern is whether that could lead to botulism. I do my second ferment anaerobically, of course, assuming that between the acid level and the ‘good’ bacteria that it is no longer hospitable to botulism, but I don’t understand what is the protective factor in F1. Can you please give me some insight on this?
thanks,
Hi Ann! In all of my many years of fermenting, I have never once had any issues with botulism. Sandor Katz addresses this very question in an article and YouTube video:
http://youtu.be/9QdhSFfaoz0
http://www.wildfermentation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3654
The Pickl-It site has a great article on botulism that may be of help too: http://www.pickl-it.com/blog/342/what-about-botulism/
Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
I have a question about the white fuzzy (cotton candy like) mold and brownish filmy stuff that I found on the lid of my kefir. I use an air tight mason jar and I’ve been using the same jar for about a few weeks now. I’ve been just leaving some kefir in the jar and adding more milk and then leaving it out for a day.
Is this safe to consume? I wiped off the mold and the filmy stuff from the lid. I don’t see any molds in the kefir. What do you suggest?
Hi Jung – I personally have stopped consuming ferments that have molded, as I am working on healing my gut and am trying to eliminate anything that could upset my protocols. Some people are highly sensitive to mold and it can cause some digestive distress. I do know a lot of people who just skim off the mold and eat the ferment (which I used to do too), but with my precarious gut health, I am avoiding it for now.
Hi Jessica,
I just started making water kefir a couple of days ago using the method that is described on most sites (coffee filter over mason jar). I read this post and all of the comments and immediately started searching the internet for Fido jars and the Pickl-It jars. In my research, I came across these lids which say you can put them on a wide mouth mason jar. If these would work, they sound much more affordable than purchasing the Pickl-It or probiotic jars. I have included the web address to the lids on Amazon and was hoping you could tell me if these would be feasible or not.
http://www.amazon.com/Pickle-Pro-vegetable-Fermenting-Lid-Pack/dp/B007Z0YF2W
Thanks so much,
Mimi
P.S. What do you suggest I do with my WK while I am waiting on getting the correct equipment? Should I not drink what I have already made? Should I just store the grains for now?
Hi Mimi – I say do the best with what you can. I don’t expect people to go out and drop a lot of money on new jars. Unless you have a lot of disposable income, that’s just not going to be feasible. I have slowly built my anaerobic fermenting jar collection over the last few years as I had a few extra dollars here and there. I also received a few jars as gifts. One tip I can offer is to buy just a couple of the actual anaerobic jars and then buy a bunch of the Fido jars. The lids are interchangeable, so you can do a ferment with the anaerobic lid and when it’d done, switch it out for the Fido lid and then start a new batch of something else in a different jar. It’s a great way to save money on the lids. I am also not a fan of wasting food, so I would personally eat up everything you have and then just make the transition as you are able! Try not to get stressed out about it — baby steps are key! Happy fermenting! 🙂
Dear jessica,
It was so great to read your article about water kefir and found more information about it. Actually i have lots of questions relate to wk and how to make a good second fermentation. I got my wk from friend of mine who seemed have no time in brewing it. It was almost 1 year ago. Now my grain turn to be lots and i have difficulty in managing it. I usually brew my wk in the plastic container (i found some resources mentioned it was fine to do it). Is it ok or not ? Since i less container to do it, most of the time i will put lots of number of wk into 1 container (3-4 liter of water) seated for 24 hours and then stain it. I found the result was so strong, i mean turn to be acidic (like vinegar). I also used it to cook rice, vegetables and other. I found it ok. What actually the ratio of good wk brewing?
Thanks
Read More at www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/07/52-weeks-of-bad-a-bacteria-week-26-how-to-make-water-kefir/ © Delicious Obsessionssing it to cook the rice, meat, chicke
Hi there! So glad the info was helpful! This is my tutorial on how to make water kefir: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/07/52-weeks-of-bad-a-bacteria-week-26-how-to-make-water-kefir/. I have only ever made it in glass jars. I try not to use plastic for anything food related and I have been told by some fermenting gurus that we should not use plastic for fermenting. Taste preferences definitely vary. You probably need to try a shorter brew time. Maybe only 8-12 hours. I like to let mine go for 24 or a little more, but I am trying to get as much sugar out as possible. Are you on Facebook? If so, there is a GREAT fermenting group that I highly recommend here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CounterCultures/. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Jessica, one question…when you say the Fido jar lids are “interchangeable” I’m not sure what you mean by that…aren’t these fliptop lids? I understand you can remove those types of lids from the jars, but they really are a unit attached to the jar – No? Thanks.
Hi Melissa – You can remove the glass lid from any of those flip top jars. You just slip the wire holder off the lid and then insert a different one. This way you can keep your anaerobic lids available for new ferments once the current one is done and ready to be moved to cold storage. Hope that helps! 🙂
Jessica,
These comments were verrrrrrrrry interesting…
I too have the geyser effect on my finished beverage serving!
Yet I use the coffee filter method.
I have been making water kefir for 6 months now using the “mason jar, coffee filter/rubber band method” for my first 48 hour ferment.
My grains are always going up and down and there is a fish tank effect going on with all the bubbling by 12 hours. I let them keep rolling along for 48 though … 🙂
Then on the second ferment I strain to the “flip-top bottle” with flavoring (changing it up all the time) and wait another 48 hours as well.
Oddly enough, sometimes as I fill the first ferment into the prepared flip topped bottles, the kefir water turns the fuit or juice pale for the first few hours, then colors the whole bottle again… :/
Honestly I have my husband open the flip top usually because I am not strong enough to hold down the top. He usually opens it up with a pan under it and a pint sized mason jar on the top.
I thought that mine was super fizz was abnormal until I read this article.
I should try to load my video of this because my friends cannot believe it!!!!
So I guess that climate or sugars or ferment location could also have an effect.
Seriously, I am afraid to try the Fido jars for first ferment since I am already getting the Geyser Effect.
The recipe I use:
1 gallon filtered water (bc I live in town and have chlorine)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 to 4 pieces raw ginger
Cover with coffee filter/ rubber band – ferment 48 hours (warm & dark place)
Strain into fliptop bottles -ferment 48 more hours in same warm & dark place (flavored w/ watever I feel like)
Store on fridge until desired serving
HELP, am I missing something nutritionally by not using the fido-jars????????
Confused about to cap or not o cap,
Andrea
Hi Andrea! It sounds like your kefir grains are super happy! That is awesome! I love when it’s super fizzy, even if it does mean a geyser effect! 😉 I discuss why I chose to switch to an anaerobic method in this post: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/05/52-weeks-of-bad-a-bacteria-week-18-fermenting-methods-weve-had-it-all-wrong/. This was a personal choice for me, based on the research I was presented with and it did create quite a bit of controversy. I always tell people to do the best you can with what you have. If you are happy with your methods, then I say keep on keepin’ on. 🙂 Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by!
When you make your water-sugar mix, is all the water you add hot (just boiled), or do you add enough hot water to dissolve the sugar, then fill the remainder of the jar with cool water?
Hi Mark! You can do it either way. I started out by heating all of the water and then just letting it cool back to room temp. Then I started getting impatient, so I would just heat a tiny bit of water, dissolve the sugar, and then fill the rest with cold water to cool it all down so I could get things going faster. 🙂
Do you know if there is a health benefit to kefir vs kombucha? There are a ton of kombucha options available, and I didn’t know if one was better than another.
Hi Greg! Thanks for stopping by! One is not really better than the other. They both offer different benefits and totally different strains of bacteria and yeast so I say enjoy both! The more variety we have, the happier our guts are! 🙂
I’ve been fermenting water Kefir in Fido jars for 7 years and never had one explode….I don’t burp…
2nd ferment explosions in swing top bottles…if house is too wa m..yup…but not Fido jars..
Hi Barbara! Thanks for stopping by! I’ve personally never had one explode either, but I have heard of others who have, including a friend of mine. So, it’s something to keep in mind. It could be that there was a manufacturer defect in the jars that have exploded. Typically my first ferment doesn’t get super fizzy, but the second ferment does and I’ve had a number of those build up so much pressure that when I flipped the top the water kefir exploded out of the bottle like a geyser and went all over my ceiling and floor. Those were sad days…all that precious kefir wasted! 🙂