Hi, mellster
I've been making the MAF314 for a few months now. There are 2 different starters plus colostrum that go into each batch. Of the 2 starters, Compound One is made fresh each week, and Compound Two can be propagated from the previous batch for up to 8 weeks before the bacteria and yeast get out of balance and you need to start over with new starter for that one, too (It gets really yeasty by week 8). I'm sure the first starter would propagate, too, but what I don't know is if it would retain the right balance of bacteria to do its macrophage activating job. Each of the 2 starter compounds consists of about 20 organisms, 2 of which are the bacteria that convert the Gc protein, and the other 18 of which are there to protect those 2! So they have to stay in balance for proper effectiveness. Compound 1 cultivates at 104-110 degrees F (i.e., a typical yogurt maker); Compound 2 at "room temperature" for Italy, i.e., at 79-86 degrees F.
Yes, it needs to be kept cold: either refrigerator or freezer. The original starters come in packets with expiration dates, but they're about a year from now - April 2013, I think.
Good luck!