Isn’t it amazing that you can make a healthy and tasty beverage such as milk or water kefir at home? Imagine having the opportunity to drink a glass (or even more) of fresh probiotics every single day. That’s just a dream come true!
But even though the whole process of kefir making is quite simple, the majority of us may experience various difficulties from time to time. Your kefir might turn out to be a bit too thick/not bubbly enough/too sour and so on. However, if you know what exact covers and lids you have to use, that will automatically decrease the risk of the main kefir-related problems.
Let’s take a look at the best lids/covers for making kefir available on the market and discuss why exactly these things are so important. In our list, we have decided to include only the ‘hard’ options:
1. Pakkon One Gallon Fermenting Lid Kit
2. 1 Gallon Fermentation Jar Replacement White Polypropylene Caps
3.FREAHAP R Airlock Fermentation Silicone Lids
If you’re interested in the reviews of every product, then keep on reading. However, we feel like we have to take a minute to explain why lids and covers should be chosen wisely and with great attention.
Table of Contents
What to Take Into Consideration, When Choosing a Cover or a Lid?
The reason why you would want to use a cover for your container is pretty much obvious. To avoid any type of contamination. Remember that kefir grains can be easily affected by other cultures of bacteria. So, you have to ensure that such a situation does not occur. Moreover, we should always protect our products from ants and flies. And, of course, kefir is no exception. If you like to add various flavorings be particularly careful – some of those contain a lot of sugar which is the perfect food for fruit flies, for example.
We are used to thinking that our baby kefir has to be able to breathe. Yes, especially during the actual fermentation process, the air is incredibly important. However, there are other options that you can take into consideration. In case you are placing a hard lid over your container, you are not stopping the fermentation process. You are slowing it down. And sometimes that can be exactly what you need.
Water and milk kefir grains have a relatively short fermentation cycle. That means that they need food more often. And that’s not always convenient for you (you might be gone for a couple of days and so on). So, if you need to slow down the fermentation process, you can always put a hard lid on. To slow the process down, even more, place the container with the lid in the fridge. By the way, this is also an amazing storage technique.
A hard lid will certainly help avoid any kind of contamination and the kefir is going to have more bubbles. However, bear in mind that with a hard lid the taste will differ as well.
Always remember that if the extra pressure can’t escape the container, it will start building up. That will most likely happen if you decide to use hard lids. The chances are high that your vessel won’t explode in case you live in a cooler climate. However, if it is warm in your house or your area has experienced a particularly hot couple of days – an accident can occur.
To avoid that, experts recommend ‘burping’ the containers from time to time. You simply open the lid and quickly close it again.
What Are the Best Covering Materials?
Ok, so a hard lid is pretty much self-explanatory. You would simply have to make sure that the dimensions are right. But what about the breathable covers that we have mentioned earlier? What exact materials can you use?
How about we start from the things that you shouldn’t be using?
A lot of different websites recommend getting your hands on the cheesecloth. However, this is not a great idea for your water or milk kefir. Cheesecloth is loose-woven carded cotton. It certainly is breathable. But such material will fail to protect your baby kefir from even fruit flies (other types of contamination go without saying).
So, what exactly can you use to ensure that your grains are healthy and thriving?
- Disposable covers – these include paper towels and coffee filters, for example. You can certainly use these things for your baby kefir. It is a breathable material that will do the job. However, bear in mind that paper towels and filters can easily rip. You would have to secure the cover with a rubber band and that might be quite a challenge as the paper will start to tear.
- Cloth covers – the best part is that there is a 100% guarantee that you already have the right material in your house. It has to be a fabric with a tight weave. Ideally, thin cotton. Some people might be using kitchen towels, but we would not recommend that as the material is a bit too thick. We bet you have some old bed sheets or a T-shirt that you wanted to throw away. These things will do the job, simply don’t forget to make sure that they are clean. When it comes to the rubber band, it has to be thick and secure. You might want to try the rings from canning jars or even a hair band.
Review: 3 Best Lids/Covers for Making Kefir
1. Pakkon One Gallon Fermenting Lid Kit
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For the price, you are getting one lid with a BPA-free neon grommet, 3pc airlock. Make sure to measure the outer diameter of your container before placing any lid orders. This particular one fits the containers that are 4.25 inches (like pakkon gallon glass jars).
You should experience no difficulties assembling the whole thing together. A fermenting lid will make sure that the gases released during the fermentation process do not build up in the container. Usually, the vessel might start leaking or even explode. It is not only messy but also an attraction for the fruit flies and other nasty things. A fermenting lid will help avoid all these problems.
Check out the current price for Pakkon One Gallon Fermenting Lid Kit on Amazon.
2. 1 Gallon Fermentation Jar Replacement White Polypropylene Caps
These are, possibly, the most ordinary caps on the list. We see these ones all the time, the white fellows made of food grade plastic. You will be getting three of those. Once again, make sure to measure the outer diameter of your container. These caps fit most of the jars that are 4.25 inches with continuous threads. The lids come with poly liners.
There are continuous thread jars and lug jars. The latter needs a ¼ of a turn to seal the cap. They are quick to open and to close. The caps usually have four or six ‘lugs’ that you can see on the cap. When it comes to continuous thread jars, you would have to make 1 ½ turns to seal the jar. That means a more secure closure. The cap doesn’t have any lugs on the inside. However, you will be able to see a continuous spiral both, on the caps and on the jar.
So, before placing an order, check the dimensions of your container and whether it’s a continuous thread one or a lug model.
3. FREAHAP R Airlock Fermentation Silicone Lids
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You are getting a set of 6 silicone lids. The size is 3.35 inches and the company claims that these lids would fit any wide-mouth mason jar perfectly. Airlock fermentation lids are great because they automatically ‘adjust’ the pressure in the container. That means that you wouldn’t have to remember to ‘burp’ your vessel every single day. Moreover, it helps maintain the water levels and helps make sure that there is no mold in your kefir.
The silicone lids are dishwasher safe, but you will also find it incredibly convenient to wash these by hands. As an additional bonus, the silicone lids come in three cute colors (red, purple and green).
Check out the current price for FREAHAP R Airlock Fermentation Silicone Lids on Amazon.
Those were the 3 best lids/covers for making kefir. If you are struggling to find a hard lid for your container, maybe you would want to consider using one made out of cloth. In such a case, you can always use bottles with swing top caps to store your water or milk kefir.