I use Body Ecology kefir starter. (The Wilderness Family's kefir starter is Body Ecology's kefir starter.) I make mine out of raw goats milk. I use the starter pint to make all the following batches. I do not like the taste if I make the next batch from the following batch. Plus it weakens if I use the previous batch to make the next batch and I end up not getting 7 batches out of it. I hope this helps. (kind of confusing isn't it...)