Info on dehydrating, shipping and rehydrating kefir grains

[freemotion]

PM me your address as I am sending out grains on Monday and can squeeze out a couple more, I'm sure...

 

[miss_thenorth]

pm sent!! thanks!!

 

[Bebop]

I finally just got a chance to get some organic, non-homogenized milk to rehydrate my kefir grains! So far, looking good! Got a bit of a culture going on. I'll post some pictures when I can of the process.
I just got a little plastic container, put the grains in, and poured enough milk to cover and left the lid open on one corner.

 

[freemotion]

Ladies....the ones I promised kefir grains to....I still didn't get them into the mail this week. Read my kidding thread to see why.

Barring any new crises, they will go out on Monday. All envelopes were packed and addressed for shipment last Monday, but when Mya's ligaments went, the envelopes were forgotten!

 

[Bebop]

So this is what I found today when I checked on my grains.

I put the grains through a plastic sieve and poured cold bottled water on it.

The milk, being non-homogenized, kind of encased the grains in cream, I think, or it was the milk being cultured by the grains. I rinsed as much as I could off.

And then I started the process again.

So, some questions!
The grains are going to yellow for a while, correct? While they're in the reactivating process? I'm guessing after a while, they will being to turn clear and "dead" grains will still be yellow?
I hope I'm doing this right!
Thanks again for the grains!

 

[Mackay]

So I make my own yogurt and then I decided to get kefir grains and someone mailed me some.

They were not dehydrated.

What I would like to know is what is the difference between kefir culture and yogurt culture?

Anybody know?

 

[big brown horse]

So I make my own yogurt and then I decided to get kefir grains and someone mailed me some.

They were not dehydrated.

What I would like to know is what is the difference between kefir culture and yogurt culture?

Anybody know?

Not sure about yogurt cultures.

Were your grains "partially dehydrated"? Dried enough to form a thin "crust" on the outside, yet squishy on the inside. Usually it is sent with a bit of dry milk.

Sorry Miss_the_north! Hopefully free's grains will work.

 

[Bebop]

Are these semi-reactivated kefir grain chunks?

There are bigger chunks in the liquid.

 

[big brown horse]

When you give them a gentle squeeze, what do they feel like? They should feel like very soft gummy bears.

 

[Bebop]

Yes they do! Some of the smaller particles felt grainy though.
I think I may have unknowingly made kefir butter. When I was trying to grab some of the chunks, I got this greasy yellow sweet smelling substance.
The milk seems a bit watery and there are yellow bits floating. I originally thought it was the smaller kefir "dead" grains, but it feels, looks, and smells like butter!

Not sure if I want to taste it just yet, but I'm guessing after 2-4 weeks, the kefir grains should be good?