How long kefir should be fermented? Is there some lactose left in it?
Kefir should be fermented for 24 hours minimum. Fermentation is a natural process: that is why it cannot be 100% predictable. Some batches of kefir may taste more sour than others, and every batch will have different amounts of lactose left in it. There is some lactose left in all fermented dairy products, even in aged cheese. It is the probiotic microbes in your gut flora, which we are providing in kefir and other fermented dairy, which break the lactose up in your gut. Indeed, vast majority of people have no problem with tiny amounts of lactose left in their homemade fermented dairy. In particularly sensitive individuals I recommend fermenting yoghurt or kefir longer (36 hours or even more), which will make it taste very sour but will reduce the lactose content. As you progress through the GAPS Programme and your gut starts healing, you may find that you can tolerate more and more lactose to the point of eventually trying raw milk and cream without fermenting them.
