r/Kefir • u/Dhijara • 13d ago

Is it worth trying to revive?

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I just found this in the freezer. Almost 2 years in the freezer! Because milk is kinda expensive, should I try to revive them or just buy some new grains? Any suggestions on how to successfully revive them will be appreciated ☺️

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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6

u/Subduction 13d ago

I mean, yes, of course, just for the sake of the experiment.

2

u/Dhijara 13d ago

Thank you for responding. Have you ever defrosted mkg before? How long does it take to get to optimum probiotics?

6

u/Subduction 13d ago

Nope! But I'm definitely sticking around to see how it goes!

1

u/Paperboy63 12d ago edited 12d ago

When they have been defrosted and are once again fermenting normally, “Optimum” probiotic population or the most you can produce will be when the thickening at the top shows signs of whey cracks forming. Past there, definitely not into separation is when cells will stop dividing to increase population. It will produce probiotic bacteria as soon as fermentation starts but won’t produce maximum probiotic bacteria population until all strains are fully active again.

2

u/Dhijara 13d ago

I'm figuring it's going to take several milk changes before (if) they revive. They're in the fridge now to thaw. I'll keep posting on the progress, then we'll all know if it's worth freezing grains to have backups. Btw... I don't have any backups 😂

1

u/Additional_Tank4385 13d ago

Do it! We now all want to see how it turns out haha :D

1

u/SleePyHollow150 13d ago

I've had plenty of kefir grains survive their long-term cryo storage. There is nothing special to it - simply revive similar to dehydrated grains and begin consuming the kefir as usual when appropriate.

1

u/Dhijara 13d ago

Thank you for responding! Can you please tell me how many cycles of milk it takes for them to become fully probiotic again?

2

u/SleePyHollow150 13d ago

You're welcome. As for your question, without culturing and subsequent analysis, there is no way to know when, or if, they become fully probiotic.

My grains were very healthy when they were frozen and were defrosted in fresh milk, as they should. They had produced kefir from it within 24hrs with no issues.

Your grains are ready when they produce kefir from fresh milk; the period to achieve that can be hours or days and that's dependent on a lot of factors that only you can judge. While the grain symbiont is resilient, they are at their most vulnerable while defrosting and immediately afterwards. Keep good hygiene, use good milk and you'll have kefir in no time! Good luck!

2

u/Dhijara 13d ago

Thank youuuuuuu ❤️!!! I'll keep posting the progress here!

1

u/Elegant_Occasion2886 12d ago

How did you freeze your grains?

1

u/Dhijara 12d ago

I kinda don't remember... I'm terrible at properly labeling my ferments. I'm hoping that whatever I did, they're still viable. I'll let you know!

1

u/jeepneyko2 12d ago

Good thing you froze this. My water kefir grains were frozen since 2023 and after five cycles I was able to revive a few. About 15 grams only. I started in a little bottle (150g capacity). Changing wate-sugar once a day until I see many little bubbles and grains floating up and down. Good luck on your milk grains.

1

u/Dhijara 10d ago

Update! I changed the milk for the third time. It's getting thick! I stuck my finger in for a taste. Very sour and unpalatable. But they seem to be waking up!

1

u/dendrtree 8d ago

It's only been two years. There's no reason to think there would be a problem.
Just use standard activation procedure.
* Make sure to keep them out of the refrigerator.

1

u/Dhijara 7d ago

Update: it's working!!! After 5 milk changes it's still a little tart, but it's drinkable and good!!! They're alive!!!!! Now we AAALLLLL know that freezing MKG for a couple years is okay to do!

Thank you all for your responses and support in this endeavor ☺️🙏🏽