Got Contamination?? Then it's time to get anal...!

[Guest guest]

ok people, I'm here to give you more than a few tips on how to decrease

your chances of getting a contamination in your Kombucha. I have

learned and developed these techniques with growing edible mushrooms as

their sterile growing mediums are very susceptible to contamination

(mold), but that's another forum [:-B] You can even use some of these

techniques if you keep finding your bread turned moldy.

I've seen Kombucha instructions ok'ing and have noticed pictures of

people holding their scobys with their bare hands. Personally, I don't

believe I can get my hands clean enough to guarantee they won't

contaminate the scoby. Nasties will still hide out under your

fingernails and can easily be transferred to your scoby while handling.

For starters, I keep a little vinegar in the jar and swish it around,

dump it then keep the lid on until I am ready to transfer the scoby or

pour in new and starter tea. With my sun tea jars I like to use 2 coffee

filters instead of a towel or cloth like most people do. I believe that

the gaps between the threads are big enough to let dust and mold spores

fall through while it sits fermenting. This is a little hard to explain,

but I picture in my mind coffee filters feature more tightly packed

fibers than a towel that is not as packed and is flexible which would

allow dust and whatever to find it's way through. Stack two filters and

you have a pretty good dust shield with enough air exchange to allow

fermentation. Heck, 3 might be even better, but 2 layers does me fine.

If you can put your lips on it and suck air through it without too much

resistance then it'll work. See my photo album, no, I'm not sucking

filters for you.

I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

vinegar. I keep a deep dish with some vinegar in it next to where I

work, I bathe both sides of my gloved hand and I also wash (with water)

my arm before I put the glove on and stick my hand in the jar to

retrieve the scoby to be transferred. Dust on your arm can easily fall

off into the jar, so wash it first! Basically, keep in mind that

anything that will be over the opening of your jar could have dust fall

from it inside. That includes opening a cupboard. Also! turning off and

on the faucet at your sink can be a spot for cross contamination, either

use your wrist or have a motionless helper operate the faucet when you

need it. Figure out your procedures and you should be able to do it

just fine by yourself.

NEVER dry your hands with a dish towel (for obvious reasons) and never

use paper towels because people usually leave their roll out in the open

collecting household dust and mold spores. I always lightly shake or

drip dry my hands and arms. On that note, shaking your arms and natural

movement of your head will cause dust to fall from your hair. So I

usually like to go rinse my hair or even take a quick shower before I

work. Don't towel off, stand and air dry. You're allowed squeeze or

beat the water out of your hair with your hands only. Do your Kombucha

naked if you want to, haha! I work in my kitchen so I turn off my

refrigerator so it isn't on stirring up whatever dust in the kitchen.

Turn off your forced air system too! And if you wanna really be anal,

don't breath over what you're doing, hold your breath and exhale away

from your jars. [:|]

You gotta be really anal with this stuff or contamination CAN happen

easier than you think.

Mystr Charming

[Guest guest]

> I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been made for

thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even showers

I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here would not even

have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be sanitary

and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former is easy if you try.

[Guest guest]

> I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been made for

thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even showers

I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here would not even

have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be sanitary

and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former is easy if you try.

[Guest guest]

In message <hd98nf+gpbceGroups> you wrote:

> > I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

>

> I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been made

> for thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even showers

>

> I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here would

> not even have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

>

> It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be

> sanitary and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former is

> easy if you try.

Yes, I throw my weight behind that! Absolutely! After all, we are not in

the operating room of a hospital!! ;-0

Margret:-)

--

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

http://www.newlifederby.org.uk

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

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

Dreams only come true when the dreamer takes action.

[Guest guest]

In message <hd98nf+gpbceGroups> you wrote:

> > I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

>

> I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been made

> for thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even showers

>

> I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here would

> not even have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

>

> It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be

> sanitary and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former is

> easy if you try.

Yes, I throw my weight behind that! Absolutely! After all, we are not in

the operating room of a hospital!! ;-0

Margret:-)

--

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

http://www.newlifederby.org.uk

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

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

Dreams only come true when the dreamer takes action.

[Guest guest]

Yes, I go with just normal clean kitchen and hands.

No extra precautions or vinegar on anything.

Gayle

On Nov 10, 2009, at 2:41 AM, Margret Pegg wrote:

> In message <hd98nf+gpbceGroups> you wrote:

>>> I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

>>

>> I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been

>> made

>> for thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even

>> showers

>>

>> I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here

>> would

>> not even have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

>>

>> It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be

>> sanitary and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former

>> is

>> easy if you try.

>

> Yes, I throw my weight behind that! Absolutely! After all, we are

> not in

> the operating room of a hospital!! ;-0

>

> Margret:-)

> --

[Guest guest]

Yes, I go with just normal clean kitchen and hands.

No extra precautions or vinegar on anything.

Gayle

On Nov 10, 2009, at 2:41 AM, Margret Pegg wrote:

> In message <hd98nf+gpbceGroups> you wrote:

>>> I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

>>

>> I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been

>> made

>> for thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even

>> showers

>>

>> I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here

>> would

>> not even have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

>>

>> It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be

>> sanitary and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former

>> is

>> easy if you try.

>

> Yes, I throw my weight behind that! Absolutely! After all, we are

> not in

> the operating room of a hospital!! ;-0

>

> Margret:-)

> --

[Guest guest]

I have an often dirty and always messy kitchen. Sometimes I forget to wash my

hands before picking up scobes. Sometimes I do remember but then dry them on a

nasty old dishtowel. My siphon gets washed irregularly, usually only after

transferring some other non-KT ferment. I never wash my vessels, glass bowls,

preferring to renew them just after bottling.

I have not had contamination or other problems since beginning early this year,

only tasty KT (nettle KT takes about three weeks to brew while milk thistle is

ready after a week). I have likewise had no contamination in my other

fermenting projects.

Could be I'm lucky...well, I am that. I can't see a mother getting along with

latex gloves. If memory is cellular, then that mother remembers well being

touched and likely finds the human skin comforting.

> >>> I always use a fresh latex glove rinsed with water then coated with

> >>

> >> I gotta throw in with the nay-sayers about this. Kombucha has been

> >> made

> >> for thousands of years BEFORE latex was invented. Possibly even

> >> showers

> >>

> >> I think if this was " official advice " then 90% of the people here

> >> would

> >> not even have attempted to make kombucha. And that would be a shame.

> >>

> >> It sounds like you are working in a " clean room " . The goal is to be

> >> sanitary and NOT sterile ... the later is impossible and the former

> >> is

> >> easy if you try.

> >

> > Yes, I throw my weight behind that! Absolutely! After all, we are

> > not in

> > the operating room of a hospital!! ;-0

> >

> > Margret:-)

> > --

>