Kefir - grains?

So i bought a dehydrated kefir starter. After the first batch it just goes and goes ... but I don't have anything resembling "kefir grains" in the strainer. It creates a really thick tart tangy runny gel but its more gel than runny. But everything goes through a fine mesh strainer. As you might expect given that these are microbes. I certainly don't see any sort of clumps of anything left over.  A teaspoon or so and itmakes the next batch.

Anyone else have this experience? Am i just harvesting it too soon? I suppose i could let it go to separation (though that doesn't appeal to my tastebuds. If i let it go further i think it'll definitely be more yogurt than kefir.

Nathan Stewart wrote:So i bought a dehydrated kefir starter. After the first batch it just goes and goes ... but I don't have anything resembling "kefir grains" in the strainer. It creates a really thick tart tangy runny gel but its more gel than runny. But everything goes through a fine mesh strainer. As you might expect given that these are microbes. I certainly don't see any sort of clumps of anything left over.  A teaspoon or so and itmakes the next batch.

Anyone else have this experience? Am i just harvesting it too soon? I suppose i could let it go to separation (though that doesn't appeal to my tastebuds. If i let it go further i think it'll definitely be more yogurt than kefir.

 

My water kefir produces a lot of large grains. My milk kefir produces no visible grains.

FYI: I produce my kefir using coconut milk with microbes fed brown sugar.

Probably this is a naming issue.

Usually (milk) kefir is made with kefir grains. I also remember a bigger chunkier funghus from my childhood.

Then there is a fermented dairy beverage called "kefir" by some. I once bought a little package of supposedly dried kefir starter but I am sure it is rather a mesophilic or termophilic culture for what we call Buttermilch as well - you can get buttermilk from the process of making butter and by culturing normal full-fat milk although the naming convention might not be correct.
For this cultured buttermilk you also add a bit of the last batch to the new one.
The description said it contains a mix of various lactic acid bacteria strains.

At the moment I am mostly making kefir with kefir grains, and if I make fresh cheese I use the buttermilk culture to make the milk acidic before adding the rennet.