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Fermentation Atlas

Soft drinks from USA

Rejuvelac

Grain such as wheat, rye or quinoa is soaked and left in fresh water for about two days at room temperature, and the slightly sour, cloudy liquid is poured off. It is drunk or used to start cashew and other nut cheeses. Without lactic bacteria taking over it can sour poorly, so results vary. Made in 3 steps over 3 days. The longest step, cover with fresh water and ferment, takes 2 days (Brasileiro C.G. et al. 2026) and runs at 23–27 °C (Brasileiro C.G. et al. 2026). Pediococcus and Weissella does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2 daysReported[brasileiro2026][chen2020]Cover with fresh water and ferment
Temperature23–27 °CReported[brasileiro2026]Cover with fresh water and ferment
AciditypH 3.8–4.3Measured[chen2020][brasileiro2026]Cover with fresh water and ferment
Fully documentedSoft drinks3 daysMore soft drinksMore from United States

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe laboratory version of a home recipe in one study; home recipes vary in grain and amount.
About 40 gWhite quinoa[brasileiro2026]
500 mL for soaking, then 500 mL freshWater[brasileiro2026]
Starterspontaneous

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 days

Start
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Close-up: water moving into a grain

What changes: Grain soaks in water and begins to sprout

Step 1 of 3
Soak the grain
Time
24 h
Reported
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: soaked, sprouting grain.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Rejuvelac ferments the water around sprouted whole grain, not a cooked porridge or a dough, so its microbes come only from the seed and the kitchen. It is often used as a starter for plant cheeses rather than drunk.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Wheat or rye rejuvelacThe original grains in raw-food recipes.
  • Quinoa rejuvelacA gluten-free version used by plant-cheese makers.

Safety

A 2026 study of spontaneously made quinoa rejuvelac found no lactic bacteria and a pH of only 4.9, with environmental and possibly harmful bacteria dominant; its authors suggest clean water, 20–25 °C, short fermentation and checking for pH below 4.5. A peer-reviewed outbreak investigation in Canada linked Salmonella to cashew cheese started with rejuvelac and held at poorly controlled temperatures.

Hazards the sources name: Salmonella Weltevreden (outbreak traced to cashew cheese made with rejuvelac).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Rejuvelac was popularised in the 20th-century American raw-food movement associated with Ann Wigmore (Wikipedia, outline). A Finnish trial of a "living food" vegan diet in 1993 used rejuvelac drinks.

  1. [chen2020] Chen J.M. et al. 2020, Nutritional, microbial, and allergenic changes during the fermentation of cashew 'cheese' product using a quinoa-based rejuvelac starter culture, Nutrients 12(3):648paper
  2. [brasileiro2026] Brasileiro C.G. et al. 2026, Assessing food safety risks in homemade fermented beverages, a case study with quinoa rejuvelac, Life 16(4):556paper
  3. [schmitt2018] Schmitt N., Yu G., Greve R., McIntyre L. 2018, Outbreak of S. Weltevreden linked to fermented cashew nut cheese in Victoria, BC, Environmental Health Review (abstract)paper
  4. [rauma1993] Rauma A.-L. et al. 1993, Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients (abstract)paper
  5. [wp] Wikipedia, Rejuvelac (outline only)wiki