Re: Pad Got Too Hot?

[Guest guest]

> I think it got too hot over a period of 5 weeks this time with the towel

and the KT came out with a yucky taste.

The taste might be an overly yeasty brew. Higher temp brewing leads to

higher yeast/bacteria ratio.

The new brew will probably be OK but use lots of starter and brew it

cooler. How about an incubation tub with a low watt light bulb for the heat

source. You can contol the heat level better by how open you keep the lid on

the box.

Using organic products should make it taste better not worse.

rusty

Pad Got Too Hot?

>

> My first batch of KT on a kombucha heating pad. It came out great at 5

plus weeks...nice and vinegary, just the way I like it. Because the room is

very cold and we often leave the heat off in there, but put a towel around

the next bunch of jars I put on the pad. I figured since there were so many

jars that the surface area would absorb the heat and need the towel. I think

it got too hot over a period of 5 weeks this time with the towel and the KT

came out with a yucky taste. Will the one scooby I saved to make my new

batch with recoup if left uncovered and made good KT? I also used the

organic sugar for the first time. Don't know if that had anything to do with

the funny taste? Ideas?

>

> of Dewberry Hill

>

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[Guest guest]

Diane, organic sugar contains a percentage of " impurities " specifically

vitamins and minerals. These are not necessary for the kombucha SCOBY and

will be passed on to the end user (the KT drinker).

The effect are three-fold.

first, I would say that the resulting KT is healthier in that there are more

vitamins and minerals and more importantly no toxins or pesticides passed

through. Second and thirdly are less beneficial to the SCOBY. Since a

percentage of the sugar is non-useable to the SCOBY there is less " energy "

available for the SCOBY. That is why ounce for ounce white refined sugar

out-produces other forms of sugars. My suggestion here would to simply use a

greater percentage of organic sugar to recover any lost " energy potential " .

Third may be more cosmetic and taste related. The SCOBY using organic sugar

produces more darker colors and more often in patches of darker colors than

white refined sugar. The taste also reflects a greater percentage of the

vitamins and minerals which may be equated with bitterness (or astringent

puckering of the lips) quality. Although one may have to have a very

sensitive taste to discern this. If it were not for the toxic residues of

the white sugar, white sugar would be the choice.

Specifically on heat, 5 weeks and towels.

All three may over-suffocate your brew. Kombucha needs air exchange in the

fermentation. The higher the heat the faster this exchange takes place. Up

to 103 oF where the enzymes, yeast and bacteria will begin dying off. The

longer time a greater degree of evaporation occurs. If the towels cover or

smoother the ferment this is also a factor. All things being equal the

kombucha tea becomes thicker and darker. Long enough becoming jelly and

eventually taffy-like. A thicker KT is marketed by some folks in Australia

with testimony of the wonderful inherent benefits. Although the process may

be quite different. Same looking results can be achieved by long cold

brewing and simple evaporation. The critical factor seems to be to what

level do you allow the pH to go to. (time itself is not the critical factor)

The evaporation of the liquid portion of the KT removes the acids (German

Kombuchal patent) leaving the KT more palatable (sweeter) as well as

healthy. Yet, now Guenther s theorizes in his book (8 th edition

p.78...) that it is the acids that contribute to the health benefits of the

kombucha!

just my 2 cents,

Brewing Kombucha Pictures online

http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm

Ed Kasper L.Ac. California Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist

www.HappyHerbalist.com eddy@...

Pad Got Too Hot?

My first batch of KT on a kombucha heating pad. It came out great at 5 plus

weeks...nice and vinegary, just the way I like it. Because the room is very

cold and we often leave the heat off in there, but put a towel around the

next bunch of jars I put on the pad. I figured since there were so many jars

that the surface area would absorb the heat and need the towel. I think it

got too hot over a period of 5 weeks this time with the towel and the KT

came out with a yucky taste. Will the one scooby I saved to make my new

batch with recoup if left uncovered and made good KT? I also used the

organic sugar for the first time. Don't know if that had anything to do with

the funny taste? Ideas?

of Dewberry Hill

[Guest guest]

To reduce the yeasts in your starter as well as the bitterness in the KT try

fine filtering your KT. First run it through a few layers of cheesecloth.

maybe a few times. finer filter may be a coffee filter which is really slow

so be sure to do the cheese cloth first.

Brewing Kombucha Pictures online

http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm

Ed Kasper L.Ac. California Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist

www.HappyHerbalist.com eddy@...