Patent Application
20160106117
The present invention relates to portable devices for simple fermentation of milk into kefir by live kefir grains for personal consumption.
Kefir is a product of fermentation of milk by kefir grains. Kefir grain is an agglomerate of various microorganisms of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria and yeasts in a polysaccharide/protein matrix, which produces by some species of grain. Matrix protects grain (microbiota) from dissolution and invading of other species. The structure and composition of kefir grain is favorable for symbiotic relations of these different species.
Kefir is manufactured by industry in big amounts and sold on a large distance from the manufacturing site. Time between commercial manufacturing and consumption can be 2-3 months if stored at low temperatures and contains artificial substances like pectin. During the period of storage and transportation acidity of product increases and number of live probiotic cells significantly decreases. Storage and transportation always needs low temperature to prevent deterioration of product. Artificial additives like pectin are added to commercial kefir. These disadvantages of big commercial manufacturing decrease quality of kefir. Decreased quality of commercial kefir creates a need to produce fresh natural kefir at home.
Currently used process of homemade producing of kefir contains several time-consuming steps: adding milk to kefir grains, incubating around 24 +/−4 hours at room temperature, separating grains from fresh kefir by plastic strainer and wooden spatula, collecting of ready kefir in separate jar, washing kefir grains in order to use them again in new cycle and cleaning all used utensils and working space. The process of separation through strainer significantly damages relatively soft kefir grains. Thus currently used method of homemade kefir production is not really simple, need training and experience and relatively time-consuming.
Current invention significantly simplifies process of milk fermentation. It doesn't need separation of grains and kefir and doesn't hurt or damage grains. It doesn't need any additional instruments except device itself. Fermentation of milk and consumption of kefir is provided by the same jar. The device allows process to be clean, simple and time saving. Also, the process can be repeated endless number of times with the same kefir grains.
Personal portable device for fermentation of milk into kefir consists of several parts connected in one device is describes. Invented device contains of the following main parts: container having an upper opening, lid removable attachable to the upper opening of the container, chamber insertable in the container having a multiplicity of ports and being adapted to house at least one kefir grain agglomerate and elongated tube adapted to project through the lid and the chamber.
Device allows cutting several regular steps, simplified process and allowing consuming fresh product directly from fermenter. Portable personal fermenter contains chamber with many ports, which is used for storage of kefir grains. It allows grains to be separated from milk during consumption but allows free access of milk to grains during fermentation.
Regular method contains steps: place grains in glass bottle/jar; reliably cover bottle with air permeable material; incubate 20-24 or more hours; separate ready kefir and grains by filtering through strainer with the help of wooden spatula in storage bottle; replace separated kefir grains in another bottle and add milk to start next fermentation (this stage may need washing of grains in water); replace kefir from storage jar to cap and consume.
Invented method and device contains steps: add milk to portable fermenter; incubate 12-24 hours; consume ready kefir directly from jar; new portion of milk added to substitute consumed volume of product. Thus invented device allows simplify process of fermentation, consumption and saves time.
Kefir is a useful product with special probiotics qualities and set of different vitamins and nutrients. It is manufactured in different countries in big amounts. Industrial manufacturing needs special qualities of product especially with respect to prolonged storage and ability for transportation over large distances. Thus, kefir manufactured in industrial amounts contains pectin for maintaining consistency of product during long storage and transportation, which changes taste and prevent viability of microorganisms. Finally, industrial kefir very often becomes too acidic, doesn't have natural delicious taste and has many times smaller amount of live microorganisms, which lower the probiotic activity. These drawbacks create a need for many people to produce fresh homemade kefir from kefir grains.
Kefir grain is a typical Zoogloea—symbiotic composition of different bacteria and yeast. The number of species in Zoogloea can be several tens. Large number of different species significantly increases probiotic qualities. The cells are connected together in agglomerate by polysaccharide transmissible to water and nutrients. Kefir grains are resilient structure withstanding moderate pressure (
Kefir grains have ability to grow/increase biomass when placed in milk and ferment it in kefir.
Traditional technology of homemade kefir is cumbersome as was described.
Use of invented device makes process of fermenting of milk and consuming of homemade kefir simple, fast and harmless to kefir grains. The general view of portable fermenter is demonstrated on
The device contains glass jar (1) for milk fermentation. Chamber (2) used as a carrier and enclose for kefir grains. It has many holes (3) from all sides for easy access of milk to kefir grains. Chamber (2) may have halls on the walls, on a lid (4) and on a bottom (not shown). Chamber (2) attached to a plastic straw (7).
Kefir grains (
The body of kefir grains (8,
The preferable material for jar is glass. Preferable material for chamber and straw is plastic (polyethylene, polyurethane, nitrocellulose and other). Use of metal parts is not recommended due to adverse influence on health of kefir grains.
The sizes of jar, chamber, straw and holes can vary depending on volume of fermenter. Amount of kefir grains must be around 2 grams for 100 ml of milk.
Larger amount of grains can shorten time of fermentation.
Detailed structure/design of portable fermenter for production of kefir is shown on
Kefir produced inside of portable fermenter can be consumed without opening of portable fermenter, just through straw (7), which rested on the bottom of glass jar (1). This position of straw (7) can block lower opening of straw during drinking. To prevent these, two or more notches (10) are made on the lower end of straw for easy access of kefir through straw.
It is clear that device invented for retaining of kefir grains can be used for other purposes. For example for flavoring cold liquids by adding slowly dissolved or slowly releasing flavorful natural components (like mint leaves, orange skin and other) or aromatic substances in solid forms where solid parts are larger than holes (3) of the chamber (2).
Portable fermenter having kefir grains filled with fresh milk and incubated at room temperature 20-24 hours. After incubation kefir is consumed through upper part of plastic straw.
