Freezing might hurt it, & old rhizomes are difficult to sprout. If you have a nearby Asian market, it should be a staple that you can get any time of year.
My experience with galangal is it is picky about its location. I killed several rhizomes before I found a shady hot place it liked. Just like many seeds change color before they sprout, the galangal also changes color. As it roots, the rhizome turns bright green. If the rhizome is not turning color, it will likely not sprout.
I also found that when selecting a store rhizome, one with a bit of green on it is more likely to sprout.

Thanks so much for your response. I do have ONE Asian market near by, 23 miles, that carries dried Galanga Root. I will enjoy the fresh root that I purchased while visiting my favorite haunts in So. Cal last week. My DH finally said, enough is enough. We were loaded with Eastern Market non-perishables and non-perishables from my favorite Asian Market in Stanton, CA. It is huge, used to be a K-Mart store.

I have some LemonGrass growing now, A sweet lady from Southern California sent me the rooted stock and it is doing famously. I do wish I could find her email the thank her again.

I will also attempt to root the greener Galanga Root that I purchased. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

Suzy

I bought some galanga root at an Asian market in Sacramento last summer. I used some to make a Thai dish and planted the rest in a large pot. It's about one foot high now and I plan to bring the pot onto my covered deck where it's warmer in the winter to keep it growing. I know it's a member of the ginger family. Hopefully, it's going to get large enough to fill out the pot, then I'll start harvesting the root for cooking. Good luck. Living in Grants Pass, I'd put some in a pot too and protect it from frost. Also needs to be watered often in well drained soil and seems to thrive in sunshine.

How are they growing for you LovinRoses?