Rejuvelac is a fermented beverage that is inexpensive, easy to make, refreshing to drink and FULL of wonderful nutrients for your body. A healthy probiotic, it also has vitamins B, K and E, proteins, and enzymes. It is beneficial to your digestive system, promoting a healthy intestinal environment. It is also a great starter for raw nut cheese!
How to make Rejuvelac:
1. Start with one cup soft wheat berries (pictured). You can also use rye, quinoa, buckwheat, or other grains. Wheat, rye and quinoa seem to make the best rejuvelac.
2. Soak the grain for 24 hours. Drain off water and rinse two to three times a day until little sprout tails appear.
3. Place sprouted grain in large jar. Add 4 cups water and let sit on the counter for 2-3 days.
4. You will notice that the water will get cloudy and little bubbles will start forming.
5. Taste…it should taste clean and fresh with a hint of lemon. Strain the rejuvelac off of the wheat berries and store in covered glass container in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least a week, just make sure it still smells and tastes fresh. You can reuse the wheat berries to make a second batch. It will only take a day.
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My rejuvalac has a film on the top…. I’ve left it for a few days…. should I trow it away?
Epic fail…as my children would say. The sprouting of rye berries was perfect. And the foaming began, but very quickly the water smelled sour/rancid. In less that 24 hours I threw the batch out. I am trying to figure out what went wrong. I will endeavor to try until I get it right.
It can be tricky. Once you get the foaming, put it in the refrigerator. Done correctly, it is very fresh. Sometimes mine fails, too, I think it is the wheat.
Hi there! I’m new to your site and am going to try your recipe for rejuvelac! I’ve made kombucha for quite a while now and am excited to try other probiotic beverages. When you make rejuvelac, can you use tap water or do you use bottled water? With kombucha, I read you have to be picky about the water you use and was wondering if this was the same for rejuvelac. So happy to have found ya and thanks for sharing such great recipes!
I wouldn’t use tap water. I never use plain tap water for anything I put in my mouth. Cheers!
I am really keen to get into some fermenting but I am concerned about temperatures. I live in a warm, humid area with summer temps regularly over 35 and humidity around 70%. Even inside it can stay in the high 20′s day and night. Will this interfere with the fermentation process and has anyone got any advice for dealing with this? I can’t even sprout properly at the moment as they put rift before they really get anywhere. And sourdough cultures are a no-go as well…
Where can I purchase a jar with that type of lid and what is their names?
Thanks
It is a sprouting jar.
Day 2.5 and it looks cloudy and starting to smell lemon-y.
Going to taste it tonight
Bubbles still forming especially when I give it a shake.
In a big mason jar with sprouter lid and coffee filter.
Hmmm…I don’t know if I’ve overshot the tail spouting or not…I don’t think I have tails yet and my buckwheat berries have been soaking on the counter for 4 days…The water is cloudy but looks and smells fine and I did see some little bubbles. Do you think it’s ready? When the rejuvalac is ready, do you drink it as is or do you flavor it? Thanks for being my go-to for rejuvalac 411!
Soak the grains overnight then drain and keep them drained but rinse two or three times per day until they sprout. Cheers
Here are some of my little tidbits/tips from making Rejuvelac for 10 years, reading all of Ann Wigmore’s books, and working for a raw food chef…I am writing to answer some posted questions from above:
If you leave the berries under water(soaking) or for too long they will never sprout because they will just be drowning or have died by drowning.
The soft white wheat berries really only need an 8-12 soaking (overnight). Then rinse them then turn them upside down inside the jar (slanting so they can drain and get air. I use a dish rack) and rinse 2 or 3 times per day, then they will usually start to sprout in about 24-48 hours…the rinsing is important to keep them moist. They only really need tiny buds of tails…long tail sprouts aren’t necessary for Rejuv. Then rinse once more when you’re ready to ferment, add water to nearly the top of the jar (leave bout 1 inch for bubbles and foam or your rejuv will literally overflow with activity and you will have a wet cupboard!)…use non-fluorinated, non-chlorinated, filtered water for SURE. Berkey filters are great.
Ann Wigmore says you can pour off the first batch after 48 hours, add more filtered h20 then 24 hours another then 24 hours another….3 batches total from 1 cup organic soft white (pastry) wheat berries (hard, red, winter ones are for growing wheatgrass, by the way). Use the 1/2 gallon (64 oz.) mason jar for 1 cup berries (they will be close to the mass of 2 cups by the time you sprout them and this is perfect).
You can use small squares of window screen with the mason jar rings instead if you don’t have the sprouting lids…this is cheaper too. These are great for rinsing and draining any sprouts and for when pouring off your Rejuvelac.
I sometimes make smaller batches to save fridge space and have more fresh by doing a half cup of berries at a time (use smaller, 32 oz mason jar) then round about after I have sprouted the first batch, I start soaking another 1/2 cup berries in another jar. I have read to keep the fermenting rejuvelac in the dark so I keep mine in a pantry. Notes are good for not forgetting when you “hide” your rejuvelac, ha.
Definitely refrigerate right after pouring the rejuvelac off of the berries. You can drink some 1st too, of course!
The thick foam is okay and the smell should be strong to most people, for ex., it is very good if it smells like stinky cheese or almost like farts! Ha. This is good bacteria’s lovely aroma. If you pour off the rejuv through your sprout jar or screen, the thick foamy layer will not follow (it will stay in the screen and you can rinse that away after). It should taste refreshing and lemony-ish as stated above. The stinkiness will dissipate after refrigeration.
SOUR Rejuv has lost its benefits and needs tossing.
You can make dishes with the wheatberries too afterwards. Ann Wigmore is a great source for recipes as well. Composting is great for them, otherwise.
WARM, HUMID areas OR during summer months…sprouts don’t need soaking as long (8 hours), but need rinsing more (at least 4 times per day) to keep mold away, then check the fermentation at 24-36 hours. If bubbly, foamy on top, and a lil stinky, you’re good to drink. May only get a second batch instead of a 3rd in humidity or warmth.
I am making my 4th batch of rejuvelac for cheddar cheese from Artisan vegan cheese by Mikoyo Schinner using the 4 cups of water from both your site and from the fall issue of VegNews which is where I found some of her recipes.
I used my 3 tier Biosnacky that I’ve had for 30 years, dividing the grains into 3rds. I wish I had some other interested neighbors that would enjoy making these vegan cheeses since my husband and I can only eat so much. Anyway, looking forward to my 4th batch of cheddar and then onto something new.
betsy shipley
I have read that only 40% of the time you get good bacteria. One way on improving the odds is to add acidophillus capsules (www.rejoiceinlife.com). I was thinking of adding a tablespoon of kefir. Has anyone tried this before? Have never drank this before.
Hello,
Can I use the sprouted wheat berries after using them for rejuvelac to grow wheat grass and then juice it? Thank you!
Reusing wheat berries. I don’t. I am not sure if it would work but you could sure try.
I left the jar lid on this time while fermenting for 2 days- should I take it off now for a day? Is it still good? It actually tastes good like champagne.
It’s hard for me to comment since I can’t see it. But if it is fizzy and fresh smelling, it should be good.
I add the spent chewy wheat berries to salad or mix into my raw recipes. Hate to waste the yumminess in them.
How much rejuvilac should I drink each day to get the proper amount of probiotics to help my digestion?
I only use it in cheese. If you want to learn more about using it in other ways, I would research Ann Wigmore.
Susan, thank you for your lovely website….your pictures, again, are just won~der~ful!! They always give me incentive!
Do you leave the lid on while fermenting?
It’s the temperature that effecting the outcome of your crop. That, and the wuality of the water you are using. What is the composition of your water? Do you even know? You will have no answer until you have certain factslike that answered.
I just made bread using spent rye sprouts from rejuvelac. Used the food processor to chop them up, added yeast, oil, salt and bread flour and wheat flour. Fermented overnight then late next day punched down and into loaf. Turned out better than I thought, and really quite tasty. Nothing unusual.
Will rejuvelac be the same if it is frozen and then thawed?
I have never frozen it but others do.
I wonder how long buckwheat needs to soak, over night as well? Would love to start with buckwheat rejuvelac! Thank you!
Buckwheat doesn’t need to be soaked as long. You can soak for an hour, then start the rinsing process to get the sprouts.
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