Re: Kombuchology

[Guest guest]

In message <hosftn+3p4ceGroups> you wrote:

> Stage 2. Today I lifted it out, 2-3mm thick (3/16 " ).

Nice!

> Stage 3. I halved it. One half to be dried to a " parchment " consistency,

> the other .... freeze it for a couple of days or so.

Oooooh-outch that's cruelty to lovely Kombucha-scoby-halves.

> Stage 4. Will be trying to brew from them.

You'll probably be able to, BUT are you sure that the Kombucha culture

has not lost any of its beneficial microflora in the process?

To me it's quite unnecessary to mess around with the culture, when the

easiest way is just to let if float in KT in a covered glass jar until

needed again (like in a scoby-hotel).

Here you have TWO important conditions for a successful brew:

1) A healthy scoby (that has not been tampered with through drought or

frost)

2) An excellent very acidic starter fluid which was the scoby's natural

home environment, with most of any remaining sugars consumed.

This really provides the optimal conditions for a good Kombucha Tea outcome.

> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the microflora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

> Stage 5. I'll report back in a few moons.

Yes, , please do! :-)

BTW, I did a Kombucha experiment myself (no frost or drought involved) which

did show that the microflora in the liquid (bacteria) will comtinue to

build a cellular mat on top of the brew (if not wobbled;-) even without

a scoby to start with.

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

Here endeth the minstrelpegg's kombuchology = (knowledge about Kombucha!)!

As ever,

Margret from the very damp UK island;-)

--

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

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

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

zfor he acknowledges my name.' Psalm 91:14

[Guest guest]

In message <hosftn+3p4ceGroups> you wrote:

> Stage 2. Today I lifted it out, 2-3mm thick (3/16 " ).

Nice!

> Stage 3. I halved it. One half to be dried to a " parchment " consistency,

> the other .... freeze it for a couple of days or so.

Oooooh-outch that's cruelty to lovely Kombucha-scoby-halves.

> Stage 4. Will be trying to brew from them.

You'll probably be able to, BUT are you sure that the Kombucha culture

has not lost any of its beneficial microflora in the process?

To me it's quite unnecessary to mess around with the culture, when the

easiest way is just to let if float in KT in a covered glass jar until

needed again (like in a scoby-hotel).

Here you have TWO important conditions for a successful brew:

1) A healthy scoby (that has not been tampered with through drought or

frost)

2) An excellent very acidic starter fluid which was the scoby's natural

home environment, with most of any remaining sugars consumed.

This really provides the optimal conditions for a good Kombucha Tea outcome.

> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the microflora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

> Stage 5. I'll report back in a few moons.

Yes, , please do! :-)

BTW, I did a Kombucha experiment myself (no frost or drought involved) which

did show that the microflora in the liquid (bacteria) will comtinue to

build a cellular mat on top of the brew (if not wobbled;-) even without

a scoby to start with.

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

Here endeth the minstrelpegg's kombuchology = (knowledge about Kombucha!)!

As ever,

Margret from the very damp UK island;-)

--

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

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

creation.com

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

zfor he acknowledges my name.' Psalm 91:14

[Guest guest]

We said...

Me> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Margret> Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the micro-flora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

Bcoz, I think, it'll negate the experiment.

Having agreed that you can brew starting from ONLY starter and no SCOBY it would

be self-defeating to add starter to a SCOBY I'm testing the validity of.

Only problem I canforesee is ... If the brew(s) taste(s) O.K. to my palate how

can I judge the efficacy of it/them?

.

________________________________

From: Margret Pegg

Sent: Tue, 30 March, 2010 10:57:32

In message <hosftn+3p4ceGroups> you wrote:

> Stage 2. Today I lifted it out, 2-3mm thick (3/16 " ).

Nice!

> Stage 3. I halved it. One half to be dried to a " parchment " consistency,

> the other .... freeze it for a couple of days or so.

Oooooh-outch that's cruelty to lovely Kombucha-scoby-halves.

> Stage 4. Will be trying to brew from them.

You'll probably be able to, BUT are you sure that the Kombucha culture

has not lost any of its beneficial microflora in the process?

To me it's quite unnecessary to mess around with the culture, when the

easiest way is just to let if float in KT in a covered glass jar until

needed again (like in a scoby-hotel).

Here you have TWO important conditions for a successful brew:

1) A healthy scoby (that has not been tampered with through drought or

frost)

2) An excellent very acidic starter fluid which was the scoby's natural

home environment, with most of any remaining sugars consumed.

This really provides the optimal conditions for a good Kombucha Tea outcome.

> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the microflora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

> Stage 5. I'll report back in a few moons.

Yes, , please do! :-)

BTW, I did a Kombucha experiment myself (no frost or drought involved) which

did show that the microflora in the liquid (bacteria) will comtinue to

build a cellular mat on top of the brew (if not wobbled;-) even without

a scoby to start with.

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

Here endeth the minstrelpegg'skombuchology = (knowledge about Kombucha!)!

As ever,

Margret from the very damp UK island;-)

--

+------------------ 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]

We said...

Me> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Margret> Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the micro-flora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

Bcoz, I think, it'll negate the experiment.

Having agreed that you can brew starting from ONLY starter and no SCOBY it would

be self-defeating to add starter to a SCOBY I'm testing the validity of.

Only problem I canforesee is ... If the brew(s) taste(s) O.K. to my palate how

can I judge the efficacy of it/them?

.

________________________________

From: Margret Pegg

Sent: Tue, 30 March, 2010 10:57:32

In message <hosftn+3p4ceGroups> you wrote:

> Stage 2. Today I lifted it out, 2-3mm thick (3/16 " ).

Nice!

> Stage 3. I halved it. One half to be dried to a " parchment " consistency,

> the other .... freeze it for a couple of days or so.

Oooooh-outch that's cruelty to lovely Kombucha-scoby-halves.

> Stage 4. Will be trying to brew from them.

You'll probably be able to, BUT are you sure that the Kombucha culture

has not lost any of its beneficial microflora in the process?

To me it's quite unnecessary to mess around with the culture, when the

easiest way is just to let if float in KT in a covered glass jar until

needed again (like in a scoby-hotel).

Here you have TWO important conditions for a successful brew:

1) A healthy scoby (that has not been tampered with through drought or

frost)

2) An excellent very acidic starter fluid which was the scoby's natural

home environment, with most of any remaining sugars consumed.

This really provides the optimal conditions for a good Kombucha Tea outcome.

> As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just

> SCOBY or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled

> white vinegar.

Yes, you are right, of course! But why mess with white vinegar

(for me this is only ever an emergency solution!), if you can have really

truly Kombucha vinegar, which also carries the microflora of Yeasts and

Bacteria?

> Stage 5. I'll report back in a few moons.

Yes, , please do! :-)

BTW, I did a Kombucha experiment myself (no frost or drought involved) which

did show that the microflora in the liquid (bacteria) will comtinue to

build a cellular mat on top of the brew (if not wobbled;-) even without

a scoby to start with.

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

Here endeth the minstrelpegg'skombuchology = (knowledge about Kombucha!)!

As ever,

Margret from the very damp UK island;-)

--

+------------------ 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]

.................................................................................\

.................................................................................\

..

Sounds like you have a bit of Mad Scientist in you. Also, In SE USA we call the

shop work area the " workbench " .

From: brainnake <brainnake@...>

Subject: Kombuchology

kombucha tea

Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 5:23 AM

 

We get so many questions about the likelihood of mo(u)ld, the viability of

SCOBY etc. I'm going to try and do a test run.

Stage 1. I had an uncovered bowl of VERY mature starter on the kitchen work-top

(I think most of you probably call it a " Counter " but I don't live in a shop). I

watched and photographed a (mouldless) SCOBY form.

Stage 2. Today I lifted it out, 2-3mm thick (3/16 " ).

Stage 3. I halved it. One half to be dried to a " parchment " consistency, the

other to be refrigerated. Scrub that I'll go the whole hog and freeze it for a

couple of days or so.

Stage 4. Will be trying to brew from them.

As, I think, most of us are aware that one can " Kombooch " with either just SCOBY

or Just starter, I'll use just SCOBY and acidify with Distilled white vinegar.

Stage 5. I'll report back in a few moons.

[Guest guest]

" Sounds like you have a bit of Mad Scientist in you. "

Well, you're half right anyway. Question is ... Which half?

|;¬))

.

(UK)

________________________________

From: Rhonwyn Jennings

Sent: Wed, 31 March, 2010 0:01:03

.................................................................................\

.................................................................................\

..

Sounds like you have a bit of Mad Scientist in you. Also, In SE USA we call the

shop work area the " workbench " .

From: brainnake <brainnake@...>

Subject: Kombuchology

kombucha tea

Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 5:23 AM

We get so many questions about the likelihood of mo(u)ld, the viability of

SCOBY etc. I'm going to try and do a test run.

Stage 1. I had an uncovered bowl of VERY mature starter on the kitchen work-top

(I think most of you probably call it a " Counter " but I don't live in a shop). I

watched and photographed a (mouldless) SCOBY form.

etc.

[Guest guest]

Many, many, moons later ..... There's nary a sign of SCOBY on either, but but

seem to have " turned " (by taste alone) into something resembling KT.

.

(UK)

________________________________

From: Kane <brainnake

Sent: Wed, 31 March, 2010 15:44:28

" Sounds like you have a bit of Mad Scientist in you. "

Well, you're half right anyway. Question is ... Which half?

|;¬))

.

(UK)

________________________________

From: Rhonwyn Jennings

Sent: Wed, 31 March, 2010 0:01:03

.................................................................................\

.................................................................................\

..

Sounds like you have a bit of Mad Scientist in you. Also, In SE USA we call the

shop work area the " workbench " .

From: brainnake <brainnake@...>

Subject: Kombuchology

kombucha tea

Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 5:23 AM

We get so many questions about the likelihood of mo(u)ld, the viability of

SCOBY etc. I'm going to try and do a test run.

Stage 1. I had an uncovered bowl of VERY mature starter on the kitchen work-top

(I think most of you probably call it a " Counter " but I don't live in a shop). I

watched and photographed a (mouldless) SCOBY form.

etc.