As soon as your parcel ships (within 24 to 48 working hours), you receive an email with your tracking number. You can also find it at any time in your customer account.

Nothing received within 48 h? Check your spam folder, then email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp.

Your order ships within 24 to 48 working hours from France. Then allow:

• France: 3 to 5 working days
• Europe: 4 to 8 working days

Our cultures travel very well: they cope with the journey time without any trouble.

This happens more often than you might think: carriers sometimes scan a parcel as delivered slightly before the actual drop-off, which can follow 1 to 3 days later. Check your letterbox, ask your neighbours and the concierge if you have one.

Still nothing after 2 or 3 days? If so, email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp: we will open an enquiry with the carrier and, if needed, send you a replacement parcel straight away.

Write to us as soon as possible with the correct address: if your order has not shipped yet, we will fix it before it leaves. If the parcel is already on its way, we will follow the situation with you and resend your products to the right address if necessary. To do so, email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp.

Yes, as long as it has not shipped. We prepare parcels very quickly, so contact us as early as you can, ideally within a few hours of ordering. To do so, email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp.

If the parcel has already left, don’t worry: we will find a solution together once it arrives.

Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The site is fully secure (encrypted HTTPS connection) and your card details never pass through our servers.

On the cart page, just before payment: the discount code field sits at the top of the page. Enter your code and confirm, and the discount applies straight away. Welcome codes are reserved for first orders and cannot be combined with one another.

We deliver across the whole of Europe. Delivery is free in France on orders over 45 €. For a destination outside Europe, email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp: we will check feasibility and delivery times.

You have 14 days after delivery to request a return (unopened products, in their original packaging). If a product is faulty, damaged or not as described, we replace or refund it at our expense, of course. And live cultures are covered by a dedicated guarantee (see the next question). To start a return, simply email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp.

Send us a photo of the parcel and its contents at hello@natural-probio.com: we immediately resend whatever is missing or damaged, with no return process on your side.

Yes. If your grains or your SCOBY stay inactive despite correct storage and use, we replace them free of charge. Simply send a photo and a short description to hello@natural-probio.com: reply within 24 working hours. The guarantee also applies if you bought our products on Amazon or eBay.

In the vast majority of cases, yes. Our cultures are robust and cope very well with 5 to 7 days in transit, even in summer. Activate them as soon as they arrive: they may seem a little sluggish on the first cycle, which is normal.

If the parcel is held up for a long time, we open an enquiry with the carrier and resend you a parcel. And if the cultures do not wake up after 3 to 5 cycles, the guarantee applies.

Your order confirmation email serves as one, and every order is listed in your customer account. Need a PDF invoice? Just ask by email and we will send it over quickly.

Open the parcel and start the activation as soon as possible, following the guide included. If you cannot start straight away, keep the pouches in the fridge (a few days is no problem).

All our step-by-step guides are gathered in the Welcome to Natural Probio help centre.

Yes, it’s actually a good sign! Live cultures keep fermenting during transport and release a little gas: proof that they are alive and active. Open the pouch and start the activation as usual.

Not many bubbles, a slightly cloudy liquid, a tangy smell close to sourdough, sometimes a fine white deposit at the bottom, and a flavour that is still bland: all of this is normal, the culture is quietly getting going.

The only two real warning signs: a dry, fuzzy film (blueish or greenish) on the surface, or a putrid smell. In that case, send a photo to hello@natural-probio.com: reply within 24 working hours.

Allow 24 to 48 h per cycle for water kefir and milk kefir: the first fermentations wake the grains up, and they regain full strength after 2 or 3 cycles. For kombucha, the first fermentation takes about 7 days.

The first drinks may be less fizzy or less flavoursome: that’s completely normal.

Nothing complicated: a glass jar, a fine strainer (plastic or stainless steel), a spoon and airtight bottles for the second fermentation. Avoid prolonged contact with reactive metals (aluminium, copper).

Water with little or no chlorine: spring water, filtered water, or tap water left to stand for 2 h so the chlorine evaporates. Chlorine slows the fermentation down and tires the grains.

Real sugar (sucrose): white, raw cane or whole cane, as you prefer. On the other hand, never honey (its antibacterial properties attack the cultures) or sweeteners, which do not feed the grains.

The ideal: whole milk, pasteurised or raw, organic if possible. Avoid UHT and skimmed milk, which suit the grains less. Semi-skimmed milk does not harm the grains, but it feeds them less and gives a thinner kefir: treat them to a whole milk bath regularly. Plant-based milk is not suitable for keeping a culture going long term.

Yes! Well fed, kefir grains grow and multiply with every fermentation, and kombucha forms a new SCOBY with every batch. A single purchase is enough: you will even be able to share them with people around you.

A booklet is included with every order: the QR code on the back opens our recipe library. And everything is also freely available online: our complete water kefir guide, our milk kefir guide, our kombucha recipe and our interactive help centre with over 30 guides and recipes.

Still wondering which culture is right for you? Take our orientation quiz!

Water kefir (also called fruit kefir) is made with sugared water and gives a light, fizzy, lactose-free drink. Milk kefir is made with milk and gives a smooth drink, close to a drinkable yogurt. The two cultures are different and are not interchangeable.

To go further: our complete water kefir guide and the milk kefir guide.

Usually 24 to 48 h at room temperature (20-25 °C). The most reliable sign: the fig rises to the surface. The drink turns slightly cloudy and fizzy, and the sweetness fades.

You probably strained it too early. Let it ferment 12 to 24 h longer, until the fig clearly rises to the surface. The longer the fermentation, the less sweet the drink.

The fizz mostly comes from the second fermentation: strain the drink, pour it into an airtight bottle with a little fruit or juice, and leave it 24 to 48 h at room temperature before chilling.

Open carefully over the sink: the pressure can take you by surprise!

Always during the second fermentation, once the grains have been removed: allow about 100 ml of juice per litre (10%) or 50 to 100 g of fruit per litre, in a sealed bottle for 24 to 48 h at room temperature, then in the fridge. Ginger, berries, citrus, mint: anything goes!

The first fermentation, on the other hand, is always done plain (sugared water, fig, lemon) to protect the grains.

They are two distinct cultures. Fruit kefir grains give a fizzy drink with a neutral taste, to flavour as you like. The ginger beer plant (GBP) is a specific culture that ferments with fresh ginger and sugar to give a true ginger beer, fizzy and spicy. They are grown in a similar way but should never be mixed.

5 to 7 days in the fridge in a sealed bottle. The taste keeps evolving and turns more acidic over time: it is best enjoyed within 3 days.

Yes. The grains take on the colour of their ingredients: brownish with raw cane sugar, pinkish with berries. Only mould (green, black or fuzzy patches) should worry you.

Start with one glass a day, then increase gradually according to your own tolerance, up to about 500 ml a day. Everyone finds their own rhythm.

Water kefir can be offered from age 3, in small amounts. For kombucha, it is better to wait until age 4. If in doubt, ask your paediatrician for advice.

A tiny amount, produced by the natural fermentation: generally under 0.5%, much like a very ripe fruit juice. It is therefore classed as a non-alcoholic drink. As a precaution, pregnant or breastfeeding women may wish to ask a health professional for advice.

No. Water kefir grains feed on sugar, milk kefir grains on lactose. Swapping them damages the cultures. Every grain has its speciality!

The milk has thickened (drinkable yogurt texture), gives off a light sweet-and-sour smell, and a little whey may appear around the edges of the jar. Taste it: it should be pleasantly tangy. As a rule, 24 h at room temperature is enough.

During fermentation, the grains consume a large share of the lactose (70 to 80%). Many sensitive people therefore find it easier to digest than milk. If you have a severe intolerance, choose water kefir instead, which is naturally lactose-free.

Yes, completely. The carbon dioxide produced during fermentation makes them rise. They can also stay at the bottom: both situations are normal.

Yes, and it’s delicious! Ferment for 48 h, pour into a fine cloth hung over a bowl, and let it drain for 12 to 24 h in the fridge. You get a creamy, labneh-style fresh cheese to season however you like.

Yes, with excellent results: goat’s milk gives a lighter kefir, sheep’s milk a richer, creamier one. Always choose a whole, non-UHT milk.

Our milk kefir grains are home to over 50 strains of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts living in symbiosis. That diversity is what gives kefir its unique texture and taste.

SCOBY stands for «Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeasts»: a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts, which looks like a supple cellulose disc. It is what turns sweet tea into kombucha. With every fermentation, a new «baby SCOBY» forms on the surface.

To learn more about brewing at home, explore our interactive help centre.

7 to 14 days depending on room temperature and your taste: shorter, it stays mild and sweet; longer, it turns tangy. Taste it from day 7 with a straw, that’s the best indicator.

No, no worries at all. A SCOBY can float, sink or sit sideways: it makes no difference. The sign of good health is the thin film that forms on the surface over the days: that’s the future baby SCOBY.

It has simply fermented for too long. Shorten the next fermentation by 2 or 3 days, or dilute the drink with fruit juice. A very vinegary kombucha also makes an excellent base for salad dressings or marinades, and a perfect starter liquid for the next batch.

Pure black or green tea, in bags or loose leaf (about 8 g per litre). Avoid teas flavoured with essential oils (such as Earl Grey) and caffeine-free infusions, which weaken the culture. You will find more brewing tips in our interactive help centre.

First, make sure it really is mould: circular green, black or fuzzy patches, always on the surface and dry. The brown strands hanging under the SCOBY are yeasts, perfectly normal.

If it truly is mould, try the recovery method: start again from the rinsed original disc, run a short 5-day fermentation, then start over with the disc and 100 ml of that liquid for 8 days. If that fails, email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp: the guarantee applies.

To avoid it when starting out: a nicely acidic starter liquid (top up the starter with 100 ml of plain shop-bought kombucha or white vinegar) and a room between 20 and 26 °C.

Like any fermented drink, it contains a trace: around 0.5%, below the non-alcoholic drinks threshold. As a precaution, pregnant or breastfeeding women may wish to ask a health professional for advice.

Well looked after, a SCOBY renews itself indefinitely: every fermentation creates a new disc. Keep the older ones in a «SCOBY hotel» (a jar of kombucha in the fridge): they will serve as back-ups.

Our rennet is highly concentrated (110,000 units). The dosage depends on the cheese: allow 3 to 5 drops per litre of milk for a soft cheese (faisselle, camembert) and 8 to 10 drops for a pressed cheese. Always dilute the drops in a little cold, non-chlorinated water before adding them to the warm milk (30 to 35 °C).

A dropper is included with our liquid rennet.

The most common causes: UHT milk (it does not curdle properly), an unsuitable temperature (the milk should be between 30 and 35 °C), chlorinated water used to dilute the rennet, or too small a dose. Fix these points and the curd will set within 1 to 2 h.

No: our rennet is of animal origin (extracted from calf stomach), the traditional form used in cheesemaking for its reliability. If you are looking for a vegetarian alternative, microbial coagulants exist, though they are less suited to aged pressed cheeses.

Cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk, raw or pasteurised: all of them work. Only UHT milk should be avoided, as its proteins are denatured by sterilisation and no longer coagulate properly.

In the fridge, tightly closed. It stays effective for several months (see the date on the bottle). A 50 ml bottle can set up to 500 litres of milk: plenty to be getting on with!

Start with a faisselle or a fresh cheese: warm milk, a few drops of rennet, 1 to 2 h to set, then draining. After that, move on to tomme, camembert or mozzarella. A guide with recipes is included with the rennet.

Green, black or fuzzy patches? Take no risks: throw away the batch and the affected grains. For kombucha, first try the recovery method described above.

Our cultures are guaranteed: send a photo to hello@natural-probio.com and we will send you a new culture free of charge.

Run through the 4 usual suspects: chlorinated water (switch to filtered or rested water), a lack of food (stick to the sugar doses), a reactive metal utensil (prefer plastic or stainless steel), or UHT milk for milk kefir (switch to whole pasteurised or raw milk). Once corrected, the grains build themselves back up within a few cycles.

A sour, yeasty or slightly vinegary smell is normal: that’s fermentation. On the other hand, a rotten smell or visible mould signals a problem: discard the brew and start a clean cycle with your rinsed grains.

Don’t lose heart: email hello@natural-probio.com or message us on WhatsApp and describe your situation. The most useful thing for a diagnosis: photos taken after 24 h of fermentation (the grains at the bottom of the jar, the liquid against the light, the surface). We reply within 24 working hours with a personalised diagnosis, and if your cultures really are inactive, we send you new ones free of charge.

Yes: the journey is a small stress for the cultures. The first cycles can be slow, less fizzy or less thick. Give them 2 or 3 fermentations to find their rhythm again, in good conditions (non-chlorinated water, real sugar, non-UHT milk).

Three options depending on how long you are away:

• Up to 1 week: jar in the fridge with sugared water and a fig (water kefir) or fresh milk (milk kefir).
• 2 to 4 weeks: same method, refreshing the bath every week, or every fortnight at the latest.
• Longer: freezing. Rinse and dry the grains, place them in a zip bag in the freezer (up to 6 months). Reactivation takes 2 or 3 fermentations.

Place the SCOBY in a jar with enough kombucha to cover it, close it and put it in the fridge: that’s the «SCOBY hotel». It will happily wait there for several weeks. When you start again, the first fermentation may be a little slower.

Yes. Keep a back-up supply in the fridge (a small jar with sugared water or milk, refreshed every fortnight), freeze part of them, or share the surplus with people around you: the grains never stop multiplying!