Milk kefir in cold

[ank]

Hi,

First year of making milk kefir and during warm months, it was fine. Cold started I cannot make milk kefir any more. Tried leaving them for up to 5 days. Bought a new batch of grains thinking mine are somehow gone spoilt. Still the same thing happens. Cheesie layer (2-3cm) forms on the top of the jar & the rest underneath remains milk which runs through the sieve as milk does and there is no nice thick kefir consistency. Most forums advise milk kefir ferments in winter too, just more slowly. Mine stopped fermenting all together and new batch of grains did not solve this puzzle either. I live in Adelaide (winter temperature average 3-4 degrees C minimum,15-17 degrees C maximum). Has anybody experienced something like this too?

[AlexP]

Milk kefir can certainly work in cold temperatures. Some people even ferment out of the fridge where it takes about a week. You mention outside temperature, but what about room temperature where the grains are? If the temperature inside is quite cold and fluctuates a lot, it may be why you are getting an inconsistent ferment. The fluctuating cold temperature doesn't allow it to properly set. Having said that, many times even if the bottom has the consistency similar to that of milk, it may still be fermented. Have you tried tasting it? I would recommend using less milk or using more grains and see if that helps. Depending on the temperature, you can ferment a day or so longer, but try adjusting the milk or grains for a more consistent ferment.

Alex