How much alcohol is in kefir and kvass?

Sometimes, it would seem, the usual drinks can present unexpected surprises. Here, for example, how much alcohol is in kefir? And can it (or the same kvass) in connection with this conditionally be considered a low-alcohol beverage and at the same time actively offer for sale? Is it a good task for official medicine, especially in the context of baby food, is not it?

Shocking facts

And now, that shocked the general public in a moment - the statement of some researchers and supporters of a healthy lifestyle about how much alcohol is in kefir: there can be up to 4% ethyl! That is more than in some beers. To what extent such statements are true and whether such figures as VG Zhdanov and others like him say the truth, let's look at more details.

Fermented fermentation

The answer to the question about how much alcohol is in kefir is hidden in the very way of producing a drink habitual since childhood. The thing is that some sour-milk products, as such, are not originally nonalcoholic in their method of production. They are produced by fermentation, but in the sour-milk group there are some differences. So, for example, yoghurt, sour cream, yogurt are products of pure fermented milk fermentation. Here, ultimately, lactic acid is formed. But already kefir (as well as fermented baked milk, and ayran, and koumiss) is a product of mixed fermentation, which results in the formation of alcohol and lactic acid.

What does the story say?

By the way, in the antiquity mountaineers (and it is believed that it was in mountainous areas that this drink was "invented") was prepared kefir as follows. They took a wineskin, prepared by the appropriate method (this is an all-in-one bag made of animal skins) and poured milk there. Then the leaven was introduced (special kefir grains, which were very much appreciated). Burdyuk was tied up and carried out by the owner to the road opposite the dwelling. And every fellow villager or traveler passing by, according to established customs, had to kick the knotted bag with his foot. As a result, sunlight created suitable temperatures, and periodic shaking (from kicks) created a more active process of mixing and fermenting the product. Such kefir reached maturity for 1-3 days, was a real treat and nutritious drink! How many percent of alcohol in kefir, produced by such a wineskin method? Up to 4, and in some cases - even higher.

And today, if you leave an already ready-made store drink (or your own, hand-made production) fermented additionally in a warm place, then it can quite "dial" a degree. So in stores, if the storage conditions in refrigerators are not respected, there is a chance to get strong kefir, especially at the latest terms of its shelf life.

Factory kefir

How do yogurt in industrial conditions today? And how much alcohol should be in kefir according to existing standards? Let's consider further.

At the first stage milk is brought to the plant and merged into large tanks. Milk is separated, and kefir is produced from the highest quality (kefir fungi are very fastidious and love quality). And these microorganisms do not tolerate the cold, and the milk temperature should not be below 19 degrees. Once in a tank of milk, the fungi begin to breed. This lasts for a day (the so-called leaven is formed). Then the fungus is removed from the tank. The youngest and strongest go to new leaven. The resulting semi-finished product is mixed with a new portion of milk and infused for 8-12 hours. All. Kefir is ready. Then it is poured into packages and taken to stores.

Alcohol Check

If you check the factory spirit with a spirit meter, then, strangely enough, the results will tend to zero. Why is this happening: vinous yogurt has up to 5% ethyl (and if you sit behind the wheel, having drunk a kefir, you can lose your rights), and factory - no. It's all about the production process. In the factory version, it goes in two stages: leaven and the creation of a drink. And in the wineskin both stages occur in one dish, hence the higher degree. At the plant, the fungi "manage" only to ferment milk due to a rather low temperature (19 degrees approximately). And for the development of alcoholic fermentation , a larger temperature is needed: up to 30 degrees above zero. Naturally, in our time so yogurt is not stored, and is stored in the refrigerator. How many percent of alcohol in kefir according to GOST? According to the requirements, a one-day drink should have no more than 0.2% ethyl, a two-day drink - no more than 0.4%, and a three-day drink - 0.6%. It is not recommended to store kefir longer. How much alcohol is in kefir 1% fat? If this is a freshly prepared kefir, then the content of ethyl in it is scanty: from 0.01%.

As for kvass

Another not less popular drink among Russian people is kvass. And in it, alcohol is also present in small quantities. How many? It all depends on the way the product is manufactured. If it is homemade, made according to the correct kvass recipe, then the content of ethyl can fluctuate from 0.7% to 2-2.6% (on the final shelf life - the older, the greater). Everything depends on the recipe. In pre-manufactured kvass, prescription previously even intentionally added ethyl. But today bottled varieties with no alcohol content are more common. And only if the bottle indicates that the product is a natural fermentation, then there is ethyl in not too large doses (usually 1-1.2%) - as a rule, the figure is fixed on the label and in the GOST 2014.

Kefir and kvass for drivers

The answer to the question about how much alcohol is in yogurt and kvass, is often of interest to those who are used to spending a lot of time at the wheel. Nevertheless, objectively speaking, a small concentration even in freshly prepared by the rules of GOST, there is a product. And under certain road conditions this can lead to a problem. What should be done to ensure that the GAI device shows zero result?

1. Drink only a freshly prepared factory kefir, as already after 18-24 hours the content of ethyl in the drink rises many times.
2. Do not eat kefir or kvass just before the trip - it is better to refrain from this, especially in order not to attract attention and not provoke a representative of law and order on the roads.
3. Do not drink before driving, homemade or brownie kefir, since the strength of these beverages can be identical to the same amount of beer taken. And if they drank, then wait at least half an hour to get the product digested by the stomach, and rinse your mouth and brush your teeth.

Homemade kefirchik

It's quite simple to make, but it is tasty and useful (only long it is not stored - it's better to drink right away). Take milk at room temperature (18-20 degrees). We buy the store biochetozer (for each glass of milk it is necessary to take a tablespoon of the drink). We introduce yogurt into milk. We put in a warm place and stand (day, two, three, depending on the idea), periodically shaking the mixture. Kefir is ready. With the next preparation, you can use the resulting kefir as a starter. But a week or two of a leaven is better to change, since the notorious fungi are used to "grow old".