Re: new brewer

[Guest guest]

In message <d6svq7+hrs1eGroups> you wrote:

> Started 3 batches on April 25 and 26th.(After the furnace did not

> regularly come on) 1 vinegared in less than 6 days at a average house

> temp of 64-66 degrees and made a nice scoby after 4 weeks. The other

> 2 are not finished yet only 1 has a good scoby the other is just

> forming now and both are still sweet. What happened? All are in the

> same location.

> Have started a new batch with the 1st scoby today. Am going through

> kombucha withdrawals! Need help quick!

April in May;-) hello!

I've chewed on your mail several times since yesterdays and it

does indeed seem a baffling case scenario.

Did you use the same amount of sugar (carefully weighed or measured)

for each batch?

I suspect that the batch that 'soured' so much quicker had also a lot less

sugar in it than the other two batches.

Did you use the same amount of starter liquid/vinegar when you started

each batch?

If one of the batches had more in it at the start could explain the

more rapid fermentation to souring stage. It seems that the faster

batch could have more yeast at the start.

Not knowing your circumstances I'm playing wild guessing games here.

However that may be, I would take some of the more sour batch and pour

some on the still sweet batches. That would speed them up and give you

your ready fermented Kombucha more speedily.

You can drink also the sour Kombucha, but dilute it with plenty of water

and/or fruit juice. It will still be beneficial for your health that way.

Tell us how you're getting on, April.

Keep asking questions.

I'm sorry I can't be of greater help.

Where do you live? Maybe there is a more experienced brewer not too

far away who could advise you.

Blessings,

Margret:-)

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Minstrel@...

www.therpc.f9.co.uk

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The King of Love my Shepherd is!

[Guest guest]

This is pretty perculiar. First I'm confused that you said it soured in 6

days at roughly 65 degrees and yet didn't make a nice SCOBY until 4 weeks.

Was this a make-shift batch from store bought KT that you were trying to

create a new culture from? Normally the souring would coincide with the

SCOBY growth unless you had mostly yeast to work with.

As I wrote Malcolm, 3 weeks or more is not unusual at 66 degrees. Even 4 or

5 is possible with a really slow culture.

This could be a problem but without knowning all the details of how you

prepared the batch it's hard to say.

When you say one has a good scoby, how thick?

Was the starter and culture in cold storage before making this batch?

Did you clean the container with something that could have caused a problem?

Did you make sure the tea was completely cold before adding the culture and

starter?

What was the recipe?

How much starter?

When you say average temperature, what is the coldest the ferment is

subjected to?

Well water, city water, bottled water? If well water, have you had

excessive rains lately or had to chlorinate recently?

I'm just searching for a clue here. These may seem like stupid questions

but I'm hoping it will trigger something in your mind or point to the

problem.

- Len

new brewer

Started 3 batches on April 25 and 26th.(After the furnace did not

regularly come on) 1 vinegared in less than 6 days at a average house

temp of 64-66 degrees and made a nice scoby after 4 weeks. The other

2 are not finished yet only 1 has a good scoby the other is just

forming now and both are still sweet. What happened? All are in the

same location.

Have started a new batch with the 1st scoby today. Am going through

kombucha withdrawals! Need help quick! April

[Guest guest]

Len---Well the refrigerated starter explains the slow batches. But

the one that soured in 6 days has me baffled. The tea and sugar

measurements were all the same. the water was local spring water. The

slow 2 were distilled. 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup starter(not store bought)

and the room temp green tea,3 quarts. The mother's were all paper

thin but the 2 babies are at least 1/2 "

The lowest temperature would have been maybe 60 degrees.

> This is pretty perculiar. First I'm confused that you said it

soured in 6

> days at roughly 65 degrees and yet didn't make a nice SCOBY until 4

weeks.

> Was this a make-shift batch from store bought KT that you were

trying to

> create a new culture from? Normally the souring would coincide with

the

> SCOBY growth unless you had mostly yeast to work with.

>

> As I wrote Malcolm, 3 weeks or more is not unusual at 66 degrees.

Even 4 or

> 5 is possible with a really slow culture.

>

> This could be a problem but without knowning all the details of how

you

> prepared the batch it's hard to say.

>

> When you say one has a good scoby, how thick?

> Was the starter and culture in cold storage before making this

batch?

> Did you clean the container with something that could have caused a

problem?

> Did you make sure the tea was completely cold before adding the

culture and

> starter?

> What was the recipe?

> How much starter?

> When you say average temperature, what is the coldest the ferment is

> subjected to?

> Well water, city water, bottled water? If well water, have you had

> excessive rains lately or had to chlorinate recently?

>

> I'm just searching for a clue here. These may seem like stupid

questions

> but I'm hoping it will trigger something in your mind or point to

the

> problem.

>

> - Len

>

>

> new brewer

>

> Started 3 batches on April 25 and 26th.(After the furnace did not

> regularly come on) 1 vinegared in less than 6 days at a average

house

> temp of 64-66 degrees and made a nice scoby after 4 weeks. The

other

> 2 are not finished yet only 1 has a good scoby the other is just

> forming now and both are still sweet. What happened? All are in the

> same location.

> Have started a new batch with the 1st scoby today. Am going through

> kombucha withdrawals! Need help quick! April

[Guest guest]

In message <iakg40+l61ueGroups> you wrote:

> Hi! This is my very first time making kombucha. I'm making my first scoby from

some store bought kombucha and I'm worried about some strange looking gooey

stuff on top. It's greenish gray and is a bit snotty looking Is this normal? I

took a photo of it, but I can't figure out how to attach it to my message. Any

help is greatly appreciated.

Beth, this snotty greenish stuff is harmless and occurs with most brews

at one stage or another. We call it 'ooglies'.

There are some on my site:

http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk/family/scobygrow/home.html

Uploading pictures to the Kombucha Yaahoo site is not really difficult:

kombucha tea/photos/album/0/list

kombucha tea: Photos: Thumbnail View

They would have to be approved first, so it may take a little while until

they come up.

Developing a viable Kombucha brew from a store-bought bottle may take quite

a long time, and may not be successful, as the store-bought Kombucha

usually lacks a balanced bacteria-yeasts culture, and is usually deficient

in yeasts.

Keep us updated on how you're doing.

Blessings,

Margret:-)

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creation.com

The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to him

and are safe. (Proverbs 18:1)

[Guest guest]

In message <iamiat+ppd3eGroups> you wrote:

> Thanks for your help. I've read online that I should be careful about

> fungus rising to the surface but can't find any pictures of what this

> looks like. Can you describe it to me?

>

Dear Beth, What an utterly strange way of putting something, which i cam

only take to mean : Formation of new Kombucha culture across the surface.

Of course, the bacteria do rise to the surface and build the new zooglia

mat. To call it 'fungus' is really a misnomer!

Kombucha is biologically a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts.

(Note the acronym SCOBY!)

To call the scoby fungus or mushroom is really erroneous or at least

misleading.

If you look on my little site you can follow the process of scoby formation.

If you read the simple accompanying text, you can glean a few insights

into what happens during fermentation. It's not really a complicated

matter regarding what the brewer ought to know and understand.

http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk/family/scobygrow/home.html

There is more misleading information than not on the web, concerning

Kombucha. Coming to this Kombucha forum with question is a sure way

of getting good all-round information and getting one's understanding

completed and sometimes adjusted, if necessary. :-)

All best with blessings,

Margret:-)

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+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

'Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for

he acknowledges my name.' Psalm 91:14

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your help. I've read online that I should be careful about fungus

rising to the surface but can't find any pictures of what this looks like. Can

you describe it to me?

Beth

[Guest guest]

Margret, your photos are very helpful! I think mine is doing what's it's

supposed to do. http://www.kombuchacultures.com/kombucha_problem_floating.html

This is what I was referring to when I mentioned the fungus and I've definitely

got something that's floated to the top with an air bubble. I brew beer in

opaque buckets and my kombucha is in a glass container; I think I do better when

I can't see everything that's going on and stress about it!

Beth

[Guest guest]

In message <iamu8m+8nd6eGroups> you wrote:

> Margret, your photos are very helpful! I think mine is doing what's it's

> supposed to do.

Bet, I'm sure it is! :-)

http://www.kombuchacultures.com/kombucha_problem_floating.html

Well, I had a quick look at it and it's really strange, because both

are proper Kom ucha cultures. The first one with the Kombucha when you start

your brew is called the 'Mother culture' or older culture.

The new one forming on the top during the brewing process is the

'baby culture' or simply 'new culture'. Both are Kombucha cultures,

both can do the same job and go on fermenting more brews. I usually

use 2 cultures with any new brew, because it produces better tasting KT.

The old culture rising to the top is absolutely fine and it will NOT dry out!

The scoby mat is like a sponge filled with liquid and will be just fine

floating on the top.

Often a new culture will grow like piggy-back onto the old culture -

that too, is alright.

I don't like them calling it 'the fungus'. It sounds like a horrid alien!;-)

> This is what I was referring to when I mentioned the fungus and I've

> definitely got something that's floated to the top with an air bubble.

Great! No problem. If you wish, you can puncture the bubble - there is just

fermentation gas in it. Sounds you have a lovely, well working brew, Beth!

....and there really is nothing there that you should stress about!

Happy brewing your Kombucha. It's a tough beasty and very forgiving!

Remember to put the emphasis on the liquid you drink. Too many folks

get too focused on the scoby. It's the bit you drink, that's the most

important! ;-)

Happy brewing and drinking!

Margret:-)

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+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk/family/scobygrow/home.html

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

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[Guest guest]

Hi again Margret! I have a thin but healthy looking SCOBY going right now.

However, the whole thing smells like it's turned to vinegar. I've read about the

tea not being very good if you start from commercial Kombucha, but can i use the

mother that's growing from it even if it's turned to vinegar? How thick should I

let it get before I start new tea with it?

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hi again Margret! I have a thin but healthy looking SCOBY going right now.

However, the whole thing smells like it's turned to vinegar. I've read about the

tea not being very good if you start from commercial Kombucha, but can i use the

mother that's growing from it even if it's turned to vinegar? How thick should I

let it get before I start new tea with it?

Beth