Differences between ginger bug, water kefir, whey

[Hanna]

I am experimenting right now with fruit kvasses and I am curious about different fermentation techniques. I'm considering getting some water kefir grains but I wonder what difference do the grains make compared to using whey or ginger bug as a starter? How do different starters affect taste in the beverages? Anyone with experience?

[Tibor]

I have asked the same question a while back and got no replies so I experimented myself with both.
I had gotten water kefir grains from a friend quite some time ago and have been making wonderful sodas with fruit juices. Then I made a batch with some strong sweetened ginger tea and it came out like a ginger brew-quite good. That is when I asked my question and got no replies. So I started a ginger bug for the first time, and then made a ginger brew that way. That also came out good but not as carbonated. I have yet to do a side by side taste test , but one thing I could tell you is that the water kefir way is so much easier and so much faster.
Lately, I've been making a wonderful turmeric brew with a turmeric bug and I'm about to try to make it with my water kefir grains. I bet it will turn out great.
I have no experience with whey or any dairy ferments.
One word of caution. Making soda with water kefir grains is quite addictive

[Hanna]

Thank you for replying Tibor!
I wonder about the water kefir grains. Would you say they are easier to maintain than a ginger bug? Have you saved your ginger bug? If so, how do you store it?
My experiments so far: rhubarb + ginger + honey + water (fruit kvass) and raspberries + rose petals + honey + water, 1 quart each. After three days still no bubbles. I guess the honey was pasteurized. So I added a pinch of yeast and then the fermentation started, the beverages turned out quite nice. I can really recommend the raspberry-rose petal combo!
But I don't want to use bread yeast, I'm looking for a "wilder" starter.

My second experiment was adding a little yoghurt whey to a rhubarb-apple-cardamon-honey-water mixture (no yeast) and after a couple of days there were some bubbles forming. Tastes nice, not as sharp as the yeast version but with less bubbles (didn't leave it out carbonating as long though and maybe the smallish amount of apples made it a bit sweeter than the previous batch?)
Now my next step will be trying the ginger bug!
And I'm really curious about the water kefir grains.

Tibor, it would be great to hear how your turmeric water kefir brew turns out! And which will you prefer - turmeric bug or kefir grains?

[skate]

Kefir is a yeast ferment. Whey is bacterial. I think ginger is yeast because of the natural yeasts on the skin.

Quite a few fruits have natural yeast on the skin eg grapes, strawberries, plums, anything with a 'bloom' on the surface plus others that you can't see (you can probably find a list online). You can use them to kickstart ferments without kefir or whey.

In my experience, whey speeds up the process. I assume kefir does too. But the natural bacteria and yeast in the air will make things ferment anyway so long as there is food for them, it will just take longer. Adding whey or natural yeasts gives more control I think.

I can't eat kefir ferments because of the yeast, but am ok with small amounts of natural yeasts esp if mixed with whey to start.

[Tibor]

My turmeric water kefir turned out delicious but it took a week to carbonate. In the meantime I made an apple WK with lemon and it carbonated well in 18 hours.
So I'm wondering why it took a week. I only added 1/2 cup sugar to the strong Turmeric tea I made so maybe I'll add more sugar next time. Of course to make tea I had to simmer it and heating it up might have made it take longer. I'm wondering if I juiced it whether that would speed it up but I don't have a juicer.
Does anyone have any input or ideas why it took so long ?

[Hanna]

Tibor, maybe it has to do with heating up the turmeric so that all the available bacteria and yeasts only came from the WK granules? In the apple-lemon version I presume you didn't heat the fruit? If juicing, would you use the juice in a raw state? In that case maybe it would carbonate faster.

Today I've bottled my first ever batch of ginger beer! It has a strong ginger taste. Now carbonating. Will be exiting to see how it turns out!

I've done some more experimenting with whey based soft drinks/kvasses. The taste is definitely a bit yoghurty and milder compared to the batch I made with commercial yeast. And while I made the ginger beer I also made a small batch of apple-kvass with a spoon of ginger bug as a starter. Light apple taste with a ginger bite.

[Tibor]

I make my fruit WK from store bought organic unfiltered juices and I presume they are pasteurized. So they are heated but not simmered for a half hour like I did with the turmeric. So yes, that could be the reason it took so long to carbonate. It would take a lot of turmeric if I was to juice it but if I juiced a little bit and added it to the tea I make, that might speed things up.
I'm just curious and will experiment a bit but either way, I did make a delicious and carbonated turmeric water kefir that is incredibly good for you.

[Hanna]

I'd love to try turmeric WK/ale. Seems really nice and healthy! Great that your turmeric WK it turned out so well!
Now I've tasted my ginger ale and it has a strong ginger kick which I like. Not very carbonated, I didn't leave it out so long. It seems it is slowly carbonating in the fridge and that's fine with me.
It is fun experimenting!