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CULTURES
A fermentation starter (or starter culture) is a blend of beneficial bacteria and/or yeast used to begin and guide fermentation in foods and drinks. These live cultures are essential for achieving reliable, safe, and flavorful results. Milk kefir grains, water kefir grains, kombucha starter, sourdough starter.
Kefir Grains
Kefir grains are live cultures needed to prepare milk or water kefir. We distinguish between water and milk grains which are a bit different in the structure. Live cultures are reusable. With proper care they can last for a lifetime. They also grow and multiply with every batch of kefir you make. Sooner or later you get extras that you can use for additional batches of kefir or you can share it with others.
The kefir grains consist of proteins, polysaccharides and a mixture of several types of microorganisms, such as yeasts and aroma and lactic-acid forming bacteria proven highly beneficial to humans.
Water Kefir Grains
- Transform Sugar Water into Water Kefir
- Water kefir grains—often called tibicos—are soft, translucent granules that contain a natural blend of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Unlike milk kefir grains, they grow and multiply in sweet liquids. Commonly used to ferment sugar water, fruit juices, or coconut water, they rely on simple sugars like sucrose as their primary source of nourishment.
- Water kefir grains are nearly transparent, soft, and jelly-like. They resemble small crystals. Can vary in size.
Milk Kefir Grains
- Transform Milk into Milk Kefir
- Milk kefir grains are small, white, cauliflower-like clusters made up of a mix of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. These living cultures contain proteins, natural sugars, and microorganisms that work together in fermentation. They thrive in milk, where the bacteria break down lactose into simpler compounds like lactic acid, glucose, and galactose. These compounds, in turn, provide nourishment for the yeasts, which cannot process lactose on their own. This makes lactose the key energy source for milk kefir grains.
- Milk kefir grains are white, soft, and rubbery to the touch, with a cauliflower-like appearance. They vary in size and grow but are typically small clumps or clusters.
Kombucha Starter
A kombucha starter is a live culture made up of beneficial bacteria and yeast, often referred to as a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). It’s used to ferment sweetened tea, turning it into kombucha — a naturally carbonated, tangy drink rich in probiotics.
Kombucha
Starter
What is a Kombucha Starter?
- Kombucha starter is concentrated tea with live bacteria and yeast. It kickstarts the fermentation that turns sweet tea into probiotic-rich kombucha.
What Is a SCOBY?
- SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.
- After few days of fermentation a jelly-like layer starts to form on top – also called SCOBY- the kombucha mother, mushroom, baby, disc.
- It’s not a real mushroom, but a home for the microbes that make kombucha.
How Scoby looks like?
- No two SCOBYs look the same!
- Shape, color, and thickness vary depending on the tea, jar, and conditions.
Do You Need a SCOBY to Make Kombucha?
- No! You can begin with raw, unflavored kombucha (the starter tea).
- A SCOBY disc will naturally form in a few days if conditions are right.
Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is a naturally fermented mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from the environment. Over time, it becomes active and bubbly, and is used as a natural leavening agent to make bread rise without commercial yeast. It gives sourdough bread its distinctive flavor, texture, and long shelf life.
Sourdough
Starter
- Sourdough is a natural leavening method that uses a fermentation starter made from wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Unlike commercial yeast, sourdough ferments slowly, enhancing the flavor, aroma, digestibility, and texture of baked goods.
- Our Bio Sourdough Starter – Dried is made with high-quality, organic ingredients, capturing the power of nature in every sachet. Carefully dehydrated to preserve the vitality of living cultures, it contains dormant wild yeast and beneficial bacteria ready to awaken with just water.
- Once activated, this starter produces dough starter with the signature tangy flavor and chewy texture of authentic sourdough. It’s perfect for homemade bread, pizza, focaccia, and more.