preserving milk kefir grains

Every year before kidding, I have a several month period where I get no milk. Most of my milk is used to make cheese and kefir. Cheese, I can store in the fridge, freezer, or in olive oil in the pantry. Cream gets stored in the freezer. But can't freeze enough milk for my kefir, so I end up having to buy milk. I wouldn't mind storing the kefir grains for several months, but I'm not sure how. Can they be frozen? Dehydrated? Anyone know how? I'd love some advice.

I started milk kefir with dry grains, so I’m guessing it’s possible. Why not try and dry some and then see if they come back to life when you have excess milk. Same goes for frozen. Third option would be to give excess to a trusted third party who wants some grains and then when you have milk, they give you back some.

I gave mine away when I left Singapore. I really should start over again - I’ve been making yoghurt instead.

I took up Edward's suggestion and have started a couple of experiments.

The first is dehydrating milk kefir grains. I washed the grains and spread them out to dry on a cotton kitchen towel for several days until they were hard and dry. Directions say to coat the dried grains with milk powder, which I don't have. So I put them straight into a baggie, and put the baggie in a small paper bag to protect from freezer burn. That went into the freezer until next spring, when I'll have fresh milk again.

For the second experiment, I put some unwashed grains into a small amount of milk in a jar and then froze them fresh in the milk. I put the jar into a paper bag and am keeping it in the freezer, also until next spring.

Kidding is in March, so soon after that, I'll have milk to work with again and can find out if either or both batches of kefir grains survived.

When I rehydrate I use just a small amount of milk for 24-36 hrs before I run a full sized batch to get them up and running.

Leigh Tate wrote:

The first is dehydrating milk kefir grains. I washed the grains and spread them out to dry on a cotton kitchen towel for several days until they were hard and dry. Directions say to coat the dried grains with milk powder, which I don't have. So I put them straight into a baggie, and put the baggie in a small paper bag to protect from freezer burn. That went into the freezer until next spring, when I'll have fresh milk again.

I've used that technique with success (although I did have milk powder with mine) for about six months.

For shorter stints (~2 weeks), I also put my (fresh) grains in fresh milk in the fridge, and then continue normally once I'm back from vacation. The grains take a little while to recover after that (they don't grow as fast) but they nevertheless make good kefir in the meantime.

Also, sharing with friends and neighbours is a good way to insure that there are new sources of kefir in your community available to you once you're ready to start producing again. I've shared mine with at least 5 or 6 different households, and while I don't know if they've kept at it or kept sharing it, my hunch is that I'll be able to get grains back from somewhere if my own line dies.

Kefir grains can be frozen, or dehydrated and frozen. I have had success in recovering them after several months, but the last time it was about 9 months and they were all dead.

I generally rinse, dry on a plate until dry to the touch, then put in a bag of dry milk in the freezer. They rehydrate perfectly at all stages, but at 9 months they weren't able to kefir any longer.

not sure I understand.  You're buying milk during the dearth period - why not keep the kefir grains active using the store-bought milk during that time?  That's what I use

Kena Landry wrote:I've used that technique with success (although I did have milk powder with mine) for about six months.

Lauren Ritz wrote:I have had success in recovering them after several months, but the last time it was about 9 months and they were all dead.

This is useful information. Thank you both. I'm looking at a storage time of about 4 months before I'm back in goat milk. So, I should be okay.

Davis Tyler wrote:not sure I understand.  You're buying milk during the dearth period - why not keep the kefir grains active using the store-bought milk during that time?  That's what I use

That's it exactly! I buy the milk to keep them alive. But if I can't or don't want to buy milk for a time, I need to learn other ways to preserve them. Hence, my question and experiments.