Two weeks ago, my kefir was totally flat with white sugar. Switched to raw sugar like you said. Bubbles started within a day. The whole batch got much more active.

The clarity makes a huge difference compared to the old analog static and missed calls. It's almost a night and day difference in daily ops.

You avoided flux because it seemed messy? That's wild, since it's the thing that prevents slag pockets in the first place. Now you see why it's not extra work at all.

Is it just me, or does compost get a sweet smell when fruit flies show up? I had a bin that got really bad once, and it smelled like rotten apples left in the sun. It made me think about how fermentation works, like with old fruit or something. I mean, maybe the flies are part of that process, even if it's gross. Idk, dealing with bugs just seems to come with the territory in apartments.

Honestly, I felt the same way until I saw the work up close.