How to Take a Break from Making Kefir

If you have too much kefir or are going out of town for a few days or more, learn how you can easily take a break from making kefir.

If you deal with grains regularly, at some point in time you may find yourself having to go on a trip out of town where you can’t bring your grains with you.  I recently took a trip out of state and had to put our grains on hold for a 4-day period until we returned.

Kefir grains can stay at a healthy level when they are cultured daily. But if you have to leave town, you will need to take some steps to keep them healthy.

Cold temps slow down the culturing process. The refrigerator is always a great place to tuck those grains away when a break is needed.  The fridge is also a great place to help you make less kefir (slow your production down).

If you are headed out of town, here are some steps you can take to put your kefir on hold.

How to take a break from your kefir

Before opting for this method, you will want to culture the kefir you have for at least 3 weeks. This will ensure that it’s fully established before throwing some in the fridge. Grains stored in the fridge may not grow quite the same unless it’s fully established before tucking it away.

To refrigerate the grains, make your kefir as you normally would. Then strain and place your strained kefir in the fridge in a jar (up to 5 days).  Take the leftover grains and place them in a jar of fresh milk and refrigerate until you are ready to make more.

When it’s time to make more, pull out your grains from the fridge. Let them sit at room temperature as you normally would do, and allow them to culture on your counter. If you are taking a break of a week or longer through refrigeration, take an extra step. In that case, you will want to strain the grains in the fridge and replace with fresh milk once a week.

Read more about how to slow down kefir production, and learn more about the difference between Raw and Pasteurized Kefir.