Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

[Guest guest]

Hello Group. We have been challenged to find original ways to raise money

for a nonprofit bird rescue facility that I'm involved in. Selling Scoby's

is DEFINATELY an original idea- don't you think? I have about 6 fairly

nice size scobies to offer at 5.00 each plus shipping. I'm in Red Oak, Tx.

Please let me know if you want one- and send me your zipcode so I can

figure out the shipping to send to you.

DKW

On Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:38:18 -0000, " smileyhsmommy " <hsmommy@...>

wrote:

> Hello everyone!

> I'm a newbie here and new to kt. As a matter of fact, I've NEVER had

> kt before ) I got a starter SCOBY from a friend on another e-mail

> group before I ever even found out about this group. Anyway, there was

> very little starter tea. Maybe an 1/8 of a cup. I'm guessing. Anyway, I

> started my tea on Sunday and then read last night on this loop that it

> might mold so I added a small amount of distilled white vinegar this

> morning--maybe a 1/4 cup or so. Is that enough or should I add more?

> And second, do I need to keep my gallon glass container that I have the

> tea in out in the kitchen or is in the pantry alright? Do I need to

> check on it or can I just forget about it until day 7?

>

> Thanks )

> Christi

[Guest guest]

First question, it sounds to me like you've gone about it right.

For your second question, keep it wherever it's happy. Mine didn't

like the pantry and sulked for weeks. It's happiest out on the counter

where it can make a spectacle of itself. Actually ferments faster.

Go figure...

I check on mine when it gets the right smell.

-Patty

>

I got a starter SCOBY from a friend...very little starter tea. Maybe an

1/8 of a cup. I started my tea on Sunday...then added a small amount

of distilled white vinegar this morning--maybe a 1/4 cup. Is that

enough?

> And second, do I need to keep my gallon glass container that I have

the tea in out in the kitchen or is in the pantry alright? Do I need to

> check on it or can I just forget about it until day 7?

>

[Guest guest]

Christi,

I just had the same experience with a scoby and no starter tea.? Today was day

12 and my new scoby's (I had cut mine in two and started 2 small batches with

it) looked like they were mature enough to disturb to try my KT.? It is perfect

and my thick shiny new babies are floating happily in their new batches of sweet

tea!? I hope yours performs as well for you.? I also added a small amount of

vinegar to mine to keep mold out.? It seems to have worked well.? Thanks again

to everyone who responded and advised me on mine!

Good Luck!

Dorene

PS? If you are anything like me there will be no forgetting about your brew!? I

check on mine at least twice a day!? It's a lot of fun to watch the new babies

developing!

Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

Hello Group. We have been challenged to find original ways to raise money

for a nonprofit bird rescue facility that I'm involved in. Selling Scoby's

is DEFINATELY an original idea- don't you think? I have about 6 fairly

nice size scobies to offer at 5.00 each plus shipping. I'm in Red Oak, Tx.

Please let me know if you want one- and send me your zipcode so I can

figure out the shipping to send to you.

DKW

On Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:38:18 -0000, " smileyhsmommy " <hsmommy@...>

wrote:

> Hello everyone!

> I'm a newbie here and new to kt. As a matter of fact, I've NEVER had

> kt before ) I got a starter SCOBY from a friend on another e-mail

> group before I ever even found out about this group. Anyway, there was

> very little starter tea. Maybe an 1/8 of a cup. I'm guessing. Anyway, I

> started my tea on Sunday and then read last night on this loop that it

> might mold so I added a small amount of distilled white vinegar this

> morning--maybe a 1/4 cup or so. Is that enough or should I add more?

> And second, do I need to keep my gallon glass container that I have the

> tea in out in the kitchen or is in the pantry alright? Do I need to

> check on it or can I just forget about it until day 7?

>

> Thanks )

> Christi

[Guest guest]

> Do I need to check on it or can I just forget about it until day 7?

>

> Thanks )

> Christi

>

I'm a newbie myself - only been brewing 5 days but already drinking my

KT! So, no, I wouldn't wait until day 7! My kitchen is warm and my

SCOBY is big, so I decided to test mine on day 3 and it was perfect!

My second jar was on Day 2 and much too sweet (I don't like sweet tea,

so I don't want my KT to taste like it.) By Day 4, it was already

going too sour for me. I could even taste the difference between

morning and evening. I'm running 3 one gallon continuous brew

containers, which has been great. So I test each of them a couple

times a day and as soon as it tastes just the way I want, I pull off 2

or 3 bottles. Since I'm new, and no one I know is doing this, I am

experimenting with all sorts of different flavors. Then I have

friends over and we do taste tests of the different ones, sort of like

a wine tasting! I'm having to be good and not drink all my yummy ones

right now because I have 3 friends coming over Friday to taste them.

[Guest guest]

Hi. I'm glad to read of someone else whose brew gets done in only three days.

May I ask, how warm is your kitchen? In my infamous attic, it's around 80-90

degrees and everything seems to be going well. My baby scoby is nearly as big as

the one that Jeani sent me awhile ago. I am itching to start a bigger jar!

Rodrick

Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

> Do I need to check on it or can I just forget about it until day 7?

>

> Thanks )

> Christi

>

I'm a newbie myself - only been brewing 5 days but already drinking my

KT! So, no, I wouldn't wait until day 7! My kitchen is warm and my

SCOBY is big, so I decided to test mine on day 3 and it was perfect!

My second jar was on Day 2 and much too sweet (I don't like sweet tea,

so I don't want my KT to taste like it.) By Day 4, it was already

going too sour for me. I could even taste the difference between

morning and evening. I'm running 3 one gallon continuous brew

containers, which has been great. So I test each of them a couple

times a day and as soon as it tastes just the way I want, I pull off 2

or 3 bottles. Since I'm new, and no one I know is doing this, I am

experimenting with all sorts of different flavors. Then I have

friends over and we do taste tests of the different ones, sort of like

a wine tasting! I'm having to be good and not drink all my yummy ones

right now because I have 3 friends coming over Friday to taste them.

[Guest guest]

LOL - I don't know the temp - I'll have to check that out. But I live

in AZ (only 101 degrees outside right now - quite balmy for us!) and I

have a little studio apartment. The bedroom section I keep at about

78 degrees but there is quite a noticeable difference between that

room and the kitchen area, so I'm guessing it is low 80s in the

kitchen area. My KT is not carbonating yet, but I am totally okay

with that. Not terribly fond of carbonation since I stopped drinking

soda a few years ago. I burped all day long when I drank GT! Also, GT

tasted very alcohol-like to me, which I also wasn't fond of. I love

my own KT!!!!!

Rodrick, are you doing continuous brew? My KT is great, but every

time I add new tea (every couple of days) I disturb my babies. I'm

not sure if they will still grow or not. Should I set a jar aside

just for growing a baby? I want to be able to give some to friends.

>

> Hi. I'm glad to read of someone else whose brew gets done in only

three days. May I ask, how warm is your kitchen? In my infamous attic,

it's around 80-90 degrees and everything seems to be going well. My

baby scoby is nearly as big as the one that Jeani sent me awhile ago.

I am itching to start a bigger jar!

>

> Rodrick

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm doing what *I* call continuous fermentation but someone will have to

tell me if this is really the right way. I don't add any fresh sweet tea until

my jar is empty. I drink a little bit straight from the jar, but for most of it,

I wait until it's completely done and then I bottle it all (except for starter,

of course). I use a jar with a spigot mainly for ease of bottling and starting a

new batch. I think real continuous fermentation is when you take a little away

and add a little every day. I start a new batch every three days. It has never

seemed to affect my baby. It always rises to the top and grows on the surface. I

can see how a very new and thin baby would be damaged though. My baby started by

growing on the mother Jeani sent me. Eventually, after it was about a quater of

an inch thick, it split apart. (I helped a little) (;-) I always make sure the

baby is at the top and now it is about half and inch thick. Every day I can see

some white new growth on the surface of the scoby.

Happy Fermenting Everyone!

Rodrick

Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

LOL - I don't know the temp - I'll have to check that out. But I live

in AZ (only 101 degrees outside right now - quite balmy for us!) and I

have a little studio apartment. The bedroom section I keep at about

78 degrees but there is quite a noticeable difference between that

room and the kitchen area, so I'm guessing it is low 80s in the

kitchen area. My KT is not carbonating yet, but I am totally okay

with that. Not terribly fond of carbonation since I stopped drinking

soda a few years ago. I burped all day long when I drank GT! Also, GT

tasted very alcohol-like to me, which I also wasn't fond of. I love

my own KT!!!!!

Rodrick, are you doing continuous brew? My KT is great, but every

time I add new tea (every couple of days) I disturb my babies. I'm

not sure if they will still grow or not. Should I set a jar aside

just for growing a baby? I want to be able to give some to friends.

>

> Hi. I'm glad to read of someone else whose brew gets done in only

three days. May I ask, how warm is your kitchen? In my infamous attic,

it's around 80-90 degrees and everything seems to be going well. My

baby scoby is nearly as big as the one that Jeani sent me awhile ago.

I am itching to start a bigger jar!

>

> Rodrick

[Guest guest]

Hi Rodrick and EveryOne,

Well there could be many ways to do Continuous Fermentation. Usually

it does mean, as you said, to take a little KT and add a little,

sugar, tea, water mixture every few days. The advantage of that is

that you drink Kombucha tea at all stages of fermentation from the

fairly sweet to the very sour all mixed together and so get the

benefits that are there at each stage along the way...and it is also

easier than bottling.

However, there is nothing wrong with doing it the way you said to make

bottling easier and in doing so, you avoid your brew getting too

acidic which can happen especially in hot weather.

Enjoy your KT however you make it!

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

-- In kombucha tea , " Rodrick " <rshank@...> wrote:

>

> Hi, I'm doing what *I* call continuous fermentation but someone will

have to tell me if this is really the right way. I don't add any fresh

sweet tea until my jar is empty. I drink a little bit straight from

the jar, but for most of it, I wait until it's completely done and

then I bottle it all (except for starter, of course). I use a jar with

a spigot mainly for ease of bottling and starting a new batch. I think

real continuous fermentation is when you take a little away and add a

little every day. I start a new batch every three days. It has never

seemed to affect my baby. It always rises to the top and grows on the

surface. I can see how a very new and thin baby would be damaged

though. My baby started by growing on the mother Jeani sent me.

Eventually, after it was about a quater of an inch thick, it split

apart. (I helped a little) (;-) I always make sure the baby is at the

top and now it is about half and inch thick. Every day I can see some

white new growth on the surface of the scoby.

>

> Happy Fermenting Everyone!

> Rodrick

>

>

> Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

>

>

> LOL - I don't know the temp - I'll have to check that out. But I live

> in AZ (only 101 degrees outside right now - quite balmy for us!) and I

> have a little studio apartment. The bedroom section I keep at about

> 78 degrees but there is quite a noticeable difference between that

> room and the kitchen area, so I'm guessing it is low 80s in the

> kitchen area. My KT is not carbonating yet, but I am totally okay

> with that. Not terribly fond of carbonation since I stopped drinking

> soda a few years ago. I burped all day long when I drank GT! Also, GT

> tasted very alcohol-like to me, which I also wasn't fond of. I love

> my own KT!!!!!

>

> Rodrick, are you doing continuous brew? My KT is great, but every

> time I add new tea (every couple of days) I disturb my babies. I'm

> not sure if they will still grow or not. Should I set a jar aside

> just for growing a baby? I want to be able to give some to friends.

>

>

> >

> > Hi. I'm glad to read of someone else whose brew gets done in only

> three days. May I ask, how warm is your kitchen? In my infamous attic,

> it's around 80-90 degrees and everything seems to be going well. My

> baby scoby is nearly as big as the one that Jeani sent me awhile ago.

> I am itching to start a bigger jar!

> >

> > Rodrick

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Bev,

Thanks for the explanation. I think I'll try it different ways, but so far,

every way has been good!

So long,

Rodrick

Re: Another SCOBY with minimal starter tea

>

>

> LOL - I don't know the temp - I'll have to check that out. But I live

> in AZ (only 101 degrees outside right now - quite balmy for us!) and I

> have a little studio apartment. The bedroom section I keep at about

> 78 degrees but there is quite a noticeable difference between that

> room and the kitchen area, so I'm guessing it is low 80s in the

> kitchen area. My KT is not carbonating yet, but I am totally okay

> with that. Not terribly fond of carbonation since I stopped drinking

> soda a few years ago. I burped all day long when I drank GT! Also, GT

> tasted very alcohol-like to me, which I also wasn't fond of. I love

> my own KT!!!!!

>

> Rodrick, are you doing continuous brew? My KT is great, but every

> time I add new tea (every couple of days) I disturb my babies. I'm

> not sure if they will still grow or not. Should I set a jar aside

> just for growing a baby? I want to be able to give some to friends.

>

>

> >

> > Hi. I'm glad to read of someone else whose brew gets done in only

> three days. May I ask, how warm is your kitchen? In my infamous attic,

> it's around 80-90 degrees and everything seems to be going well. My

> baby scoby is nearly as big as the one that Jeani sent me awhile ago.

> I am itching to start a bigger jar!

> >

> > Rodrick

>

>

>

>

>

>