Advice on first brew?

[Guest guest]

So I'm on my ninth day of my first brew. I've been patient not to

move the bowl from the top cupboard, but did test the tea on the

fifth day, and it was still very sweet, though it did smell like

vinegar. Last night my sister was here she was interested in seeing

it, so I brought it down, and really looked at my baby scoby for the

first time. I was happy to see that there was no mold, and it was

pretty thick! It's also about 10 " across. But the tea is still

sugary. I had the thought that it may need oxygen, and doesn't the

scoby block the bottom from getting oxygen? So I gently moved the

scoby, and then I got more excited about it and started moving it

around, and wanted to see the mother on the bottom. There are

definately lots of brown strands, they were surrounding the mother

and the bottom of the baby. My intuition says that I didn't ruin

the brew by disturbing it so much, that it will just continue from

here, and maybe I helped it by stirring up the brown stuff (is this

the yeast?) and giving it more oxygen. Am I wrong, should I have

left it alone? This morning just to help it a little more, I poured

half a bottle of GT's KT in it. Also, I'd like to start a new brew

as soon as possible, but is it too soon to take either the mother or

the baby out of this brew to start another batch? Thanks for any

input!

[Guest guest]

In message <evdev0+4enneGroups> you wrote:

> So I'm on my ninth day of my first brew. I've been patient not to

> move the bowl from the top cupboard, but did test the tea on the

> fifth day, and it was still very sweet, though it did smell like

> vinegar. Last night my sister was here she was interested in seeing

> it, so I brought it down, and really looked at my baby scoby for the

> first time. I was happy to see that there was no mold, and it was

> pretty thick! It's also about 10 " across. But the tea is still

> sugary. I had the thought that it may need oxygen, and doesn't the

> scoby block the bottom from getting oxygen? So I gently moved the

> scoby, and then I got more excited about it and started moving it

> around, and wanted to see the mother on the bottom. There are

> definately lots of brown strands, they were surrounding the mother

> and the bottom of the baby. My intuition says that I didn't ruin

> the brew by disturbing it so much, that it will just continue from

> here, and maybe I helped it by stirring up the brown stuff (is this

> the yeast?) and giving it more oxygen. Am I wrong, should I have

> left it alone? This morning just to help it a little more, I poured

> half a bottle of GT's KT in it. Also, I'd like to start a new brew

> as soon as possible, but is it too soon to take either the mother or

> the baby out of this brew to start another batch? Thanks for any

> input!

Phew, Sara, what an exciting and healthy sounding brew.

You've done everything right and nothing wrong that I can see.

Perhaps I wouldn't have added the bottle of GT's, but if it is acidic,

so much the better.

By all means, you CAN start another brew even while this one is still

fermenting. Your baby looks strong already, but be aware, adding extra

acidity through either distilled vinegar or a GT's bottle is most important

for keeping mold at bay. Ideally, acidic KT is the best to add. SO when your

still fermenting brew is finished keep some of it back together with the

scoby(s) for another ferment.

The scoby does not hinder the bottom part from getting oxygen. It is a living

and breathing entity.

You will find, that after taking the new scoby out of your not quite ready

brew, there will soon be another skin forming on the top, another baby.

That's the nature of Kombucha.

Don't worry at all about the untidy looking strands of yeast micro organisms,

you can always strain them out when you bottle your brew. That's what I do.

Some people don't bother and bottle it with all the 'ooglies'.

You intuition is right, your interference won't have harmed your brew in

any way. It will go on fermenting and doing its Kombucha 'thing' until

it arrives at the taste/acidity that agrees with you.

BTW, the mother on the bottom will still be perfect for brewing another

brew and another and another ..... These scobys are sturdy beasts even when

they are sometimes thin and scrawny. Also, the brewed liquid itself is

part of the culture as the yeasts and bacteria are living right through all

of the liquid, the yeasts preferring the bottom, the bacteria the top... and

it is the bacteria which build the scoby cellular hat-mat ......

M-hmmmmm, so much to learn ;-)

You are doing just fine, Sara.

Keep enjoying your wonderful hobby!

Blessings,

Margret (UK) ;-)

--

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

<)))<>< http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk <)))<><

http://www.AnswersInGenesis.com

+----------------- http://www.Gotquestions.org ------------------+

God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have

life through Him (1 4)