Re: different teas

[Guest guest]

In message <0792639C90834A61B302525231403428@KITCHEN> you wrote:

> I know I don't post often, so please forgive me-- but I just wanted to

> pipe in a bit. )

Glad you did, Beth. :-) Welcome!

> .. three gallons ... sat there for.... a long time.

> The top scoby in each jug was 3-4 inches thick. I had to cut

> it some to get it out of the jars!

That's fine! I expect you had some wonderfully acidic starter with the

fat scoby?

> Totally creeped out my 16 yo son-- who had to video it

> with the camera.

Brilliant! I wish my 16-year-old's interest was such. At least he and his

friends drink my KT occasionally and enjoy it. ;-)

I, too, use all the different teas that you mention:

black, green and oolong, which I mostly brew in mixes, with the green teas

predominating. My favourites are Earl Grey green and black and Jasmine

green.

I had the same experience as you had with genmaicha green, which is green tea

with puffed rice mixed in: Yes, it did take longer to come to a good acidity,

and its scobys usually win the beauty contest! ;-)

The lack of fizz does not really matter - Kombucha is efficacious with or

without fizz.

I have a hunch, that during the long 'hanging-on' of your brews, the yeast

part of the Kombucha microflora would have gone a bit dormant and will

take a few brewing rounds to swing back into action. It is the yeast which

produces the fizz in KT as it produces CO2 in the fermentation process.

> 2nd combination-- This one was Hibiscus, Jasmine, and Oolong.

I do Hibiscus (red Kombucha) with proper tea added, like you, but keep the

red scobys separate from the 'pure' tea scobys and liquid.

> other scobies (I left two in there) have both sunk, and there are no

> bubbles around the top.

Sinking or floating of scobys is really neither here nor there.

If the starter scoby sinks, you are more likely to get a good separate

(not stuck the 'mother') scoby. Again, 'no bubbles' on the top indicate

that the yeast is still weak and takes longer to ferment the batch.

> All of these I used the same amount of sugar. So someone help me understand

> why the Gen Mai Cha batch was still so sweet?

You will find that some teas tend to cause quicker fermentation and go acidic

more quickly, but there are no hard and fast rules. Main thing they're

alright in the end.

Blessings from

Margret in the UK :-)

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