Hot Tea cooling

[Guest guest]

I don't need to cool my tea. I normally make one gallon batches, but boil

only about 3 cups- just enough to dissolve the sugar and steep the tea.

this hot mixture is then strained into the balance of the gallon of water- it

is instantly cooled and ready to use.

I am using bottled RO water so there is no need to boil the entire gallon,

current cost is 20 cents per gallon. My tap water is so funky its unsuitable

no matter how long you would boil it.

zoe

> I agree Zoe. I take the same precautions. I rinse everything with

> vinegar after cleaning it, and I don't leave anything uncovered.

> Yes, the hot tea cools faster if uncovered, but I'm not saving any

> time if my KT gets moldy. I've never had a problem with mold. I

> let my KT brew in a spare closet upstairs, so it's far from mold.

> And I keep it covered with thick cloth that gets washed frequently.

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

> From: zoe w <ilovegrafix@...>

>> Butt in anytime you feel the need Jim, this is how we all learn.

>> While I agree that mold is not a MAJOR concern- it is something to be aware

of.

>> There are some on this list who have had the experience and the emotionally

>> devastating

>> consequences of having to ditch the entire lot and start over.

>> Better safe than sorry.

>> In 20 yrs of brewing ( off and on) I have never personally encountered any

>> molds, but have

>> listened to the experts and not INVITED the molds either.

>> #1 most mold reports came from folks who were using Paper to cover their

jars

>> #2 dousing the scoby with finished KT before covering is a means of

>> prevention

>> #3 rinsing hands with vinegar or KT vinegar before handling scoby is another

>> precaution.

>> #4 don't leave your sweet tea sit out in the open air waiting for mold

spores

>> to fall in.

>> Other precautions I take ( not sure if they are necessary- but it makes me

feel

>> better) Once my sugar water has

>> come to a boil I turn off the heat, add the tea and immediately cover

the

>> pot to let it steep. Strain after the allotted

>> time and pour into a closed container to add the rest of the water which

has

>> also been covered all this time. Shake it all up

>> pour what is needed into my brew pot and place the rest in the refrigerator.

>> ( I left this extra on the counter once and after 3 days

>> there was a pile of mold growing in it and it had a lid on it) I say this

to

>> impress upon you that those mold spores are there no matter

>> what you do- you cannot avoid having them, what you can do is to NOT

provide

>> them with a suitable place to grow.

>> Always douse the scoby with the vinegary brew before you put the covering

back

>> on. I use white handkerchiefs and rubber bands.

>> The handkerchiefs get washed every week and fresh ones put on.

>> My kitchen is my brewing place- I am not a spotless housekeeper and many

>> other types of mold are often

>> in my kitchen some even near the brewing container- but none has ever

found

>> its way into my brew or my hotels.

>> However once you have been hit with mold you need to dispose of both the

>> scoby and the brew, sterilize the containers

>> lids, cloth coverings, etc and then start over. If you have a hotel

with

>> uncontaminated scoby's then this is a good thing

>> Otherwise you will need to ask for a fresh start

>> zoe

>> > Hi Tiff,

>> > Zoe, sorry for butting in. Tiff, just relax about your SCOBY, the

>> > only bit that's really important is all the little critters that

>> > live in your SCOBY then come out to brew your tea. They're the bit

>> > you need, the 'mushroom' is just a place for them to hang out.

>> > Don't worry too much about mould, as long as the acidity is low

>> > enough no mould will grow. Someone posted a link to a movie on

>> > YouTube that will set your fears to rest. I can't remember any

>> > details to luck it up though, it was quite funny, perhaps I'll job

>> > someones memory and they'll post it again.

>> > Good luck, and remember have fun.

>> > Jim

>> >

>> >>

>>