KEFIR grains-Mind if we give them their own thread?

[ORChick]

I don't do kefir anymore - I decided awhile ago that I didn't like it well enough to continue to bother with it (though the chickens really did like it ). But I have dehydrated, and rehydrated, it in the past. I remember that it took a week or so to get the grains "back on line", and that, during that time, the milk smelled awful - too bad to even give the chickens! But it evened out after a bit, and was back to its regular smell and taste. (I still have some dehydrated grains, just in case I decide to give it another try)

 

[ORChick]

I realized that it has been almost two years since I dehydrated my kefir grains. I have been asked to share some, but thought that I should find out if they are still viable before sending them off. So I put half of what I have in a jar of milk a couple of days ago, and thought I would bring this thread back to life to record my progress.
I remember from a past experience that the milk really smelled foul at the beginning of the rehydration process. I just changed the milk this morning and, while it didn't smell awful it also didn't smell like kefir. Before I wouldn't even offer it to the chickens; this time I might have - though I was in a hurry, and didn't. The only difference that I know of is that this time I have the opportunity to use raw milk, which I could not do before. Raw milk sours more pleasantly than pasteurized milk in any case, so perhaps that is the reason. Or maybe the kefir grains haven't yet regained the "ooomph" to really work on the milk yet. They do seem to be plumping up well though.
I haven't been making kefir since I dehydrated these grains; I got tired of dealing with it every day, and found over time that I didn't actually like the stuff all that much. I am looking forward to seeing if I can get back in the swing of both making it and using it. It has even more healthful bacteria in it than yogurt, so I really want to like it. We'll see.

 

[Mattemma]

I got some dehydrated milk and water grains from the kefir lady Marilyn in Ohio.My water grains have grown,but the water is not carbonated at all.I have the jars set by a heating vent.The milk grains are slow to grow.

 

[ORChick]

Today is the third morning since starting to soak the kefir grains. This morning the milk was smelling bad, just like I remember from the last time I did this. I strained out the grains - which are much plumper and softer than they were yesterday - and tossed the milk. They are back in their jar now with a fresh half cup or so of milk. The kitchen is quite cool - not more than 64* during the day, and quite a bit less at night (as is usual at our house in the winter) - but the kefir seems to be coming along fine even so. I remember kefir as being quite the easiest and least demanding of all the cultures I have experimented with.

 

[ORChick]

Day #4 of the kefir re-hydration experiment. I feel like I am writing to myself, but that's alright, as I'm doing this mostly to keep a record of the progress. The milk today smelled quite nasty, which is normal while the grains get re-balanced, what with bacteria, yeasts, etc. I am only using about 1/2 a cup of milk per day, so not so much gets wasted down the drain. So far the milk is still liquid, with no sign of coagulation yet. I think that should change in the next couple of days.

 

[Hinotori]

You're not talking to yourself.

I've been reading but have nothing constructive to add. I've never worked with the dried grains.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Me too! I make kefir daily, and I'm thinking about taking a break since my goats are drying up. I'm very interested in your experiment - thanks for sharing the results!

 

[ORChick]

Oh, well, that's OK then .

Hinotori, I first dehydrated grains to send them to someone. I got my grains originally from a person in Ontario - they were sent in a plastic baggie surrounded by a bit of water. Needless to say, it leaked, and everything stank to high heaven by the time the envelope got to Oregon. I'm not sure how the post office (or the Canadian/US watchers of the border) ever let it pass through. There is an informative site at http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html. The fellow is very strange, but has a lot f information about kefir. It was there I got the idea to dehydrate the grains.

FEM, dehydrating is a good way to put the process "on hold". You could also freeze the grains (check the site mentioned above). Or you could do as I did one winter, and just put your grains in milk (about twice as much as usual), put the whole thing in the fridge, and forget about it for a few months . By the time I remembered what I'd done 4 months had passed, and I was not looking forward to opening the jar. To my surprise everything was fine; the grains were fine, and even the milk was just like regular kefir, not too strong or funky. I put the grains in new milk, and made a smoothie from the 4 month old stuff, with no problems

 

[Hinotori]

Mine came in a little plastic packet with water when I ordered them. Just took me a while to get enough to make anything with.

 

[Emerald]

ORChick I got a chance to get in to the post and your packet is on the way and I look forward to getting Kefir going !!!! I've read thru this thread twice! and since I have done Kombucha I am very familiar with Dom's site so will be reading that and the other links provided.
I found that I don't like yogurt.. at all but when I make my own for my kids and take a quart of it and drain it overnight and make yo-cheese I love it so if I don't like the kefir I'll make cheese!
I'm hoping that the grand kids who love that liquid yogurt that comes in the tiny expensive bottles will take to kefir with some of the berries that I have frozen from my garden.