Guest guest Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 My KT has been house-bound since Wed, because of advice from here not to move it from the house to the truck and back again from day to night. A week of that method did not ferment it anyway, because I tasted it Wed and it was still sweet. I tasted my KT again last night and it now bites like vinegar! Just 2 days did that! I think that spring has finally been warm enough during the nights since Wed that it did not cool the house down below fermenting temps. Finally! I have it on a high shelf at the ceiling height so it is about 2 degrees warmer there. Since it bites like vinegar now, taking my breath away when I swallow, should I just leave both jugs be for a few more days before I pour it off to let it get more acidic? Or would you pour it all off except for, say 2 or 3 cups, and put one scoby in that to let that much get really acidic? Or does someone have an even better idea for me? Consider that it just might stay warm here now. We have had so much rain every week for about two months and it always kept the temps too cold in my house. I think it will stay warm now, though, because it rained yesterday and today and the rain did not cool the outside temps down. Most obviously because my brew bites now after these two days. So I might be over the cold hump where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Since it took only two days to develop some " bite, " your kombucha clearly was fermenting some (even if it wasn't obvious), but the difference in temp (and not moving it around) was apparently all it needed to fully develop. Also, could be that when you sampled it earlier, the area where you tested wasn't really integrated w/ the more fermented part. (I don't know enough about specific gravity of sweetened tea vs. fermented kombucha to really speculate a guess, but when I first started making kt, folks said to dip a straw or turkey-baster *below* the halfway point when you sample.) In terms of how to " fix, " all you have to do is add more sweetened tea, and start tasting in 3-5 days. If you add only a small amount of tea, won't take long to ferment. (That's the concept behind " continuous brew. " ) If you add a lot of tea, will take longer to create kombucha you like. If you don't have enough room in your vessel to add the tea, you can divide the kombucha (and scoby) between two vessels, so you have two batches of kombucha going at same time. Some people like using super-strong kombucha in the place of vinegar, BTW, as w/ salad dressings. Good luck! > > My KT has been house-bound since Wed, because of advice from here not to move it from the house to the truck and back again from day to night. A week of that method did not ferment it anyway, because I tasted it Wed and it was still sweet. > > I tasted my KT again last night and it now bites like vinegar! Just 2 days did that! I think that spring has finally been warm enough during the nights since Wed that it did not cool the house down below fermenting temps. Finally! I have it on a high shelf at the ceiling height so it is about 2 degrees warmer there. > > Since it bites like vinegar now, taking my breath away when I swallow, should I just leave both jugs be for a few more days before I pour it off to let it get more acidic? Or would you pour it all off except for, say 2 or 3 cups, and put one scoby in that to let that much get really acidic? Or does someone have an even better idea for me? > > Consider that it just might stay warm here now. We have had so much rain every week for about two months and it always kept the temps too cold in my house. I think it will stay warm now, though, because it rained yesterday and today and the rain did not cool the outside temps down. Most obviously because my brew bites now after these two days. So I might be over the cold hump where I live. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Since it took only two days to develop some " bite, " your kombucha clearly was fermenting some (even if it wasn't obvious), but the difference in temp (and not moving it around) was apparently all it needed to fully develop. Also, could be that when you sampled it earlier, the area where you tested wasn't really integrated w/ the more fermented part. (I don't know enough about specific gravity of sweetened tea vs. fermented kombucha to really speculate a guess, but when I first started making kt, folks said to dip a straw or turkey-baster *below* the halfway point when you sample.) In terms of how to " fix, " all you have to do is add more sweetened tea, and start tasting in 3-5 days. If you add only a small amount of tea, won't take long to ferment. (That's the concept behind " continuous brew. " ) If you add a lot of tea, will take longer to create kombucha you like. If you don't have enough room in your vessel to add the tea, you can divide the kombucha (and scoby) between two vessels, so you have two batches of kombucha going at same time. Some people like using super-strong kombucha in the place of vinegar, BTW, as w/ salad dressings. Good luck! > > My KT has been house-bound since Wed, because of advice from here not to move it from the house to the truck and back again from day to night. A week of that method did not ferment it anyway, because I tasted it Wed and it was still sweet. > > I tasted my KT again last night and it now bites like vinegar! Just 2 days did that! I think that spring has finally been warm enough during the nights since Wed that it did not cool the house down below fermenting temps. Finally! I have it on a high shelf at the ceiling height so it is about 2 degrees warmer there. > > Since it bites like vinegar now, taking my breath away when I swallow, should I just leave both jugs be for a few more days before I pour it off to let it get more acidic? Or would you pour it all off except for, say 2 or 3 cups, and put one scoby in that to let that much get really acidic? Or does someone have an even better idea for me? > > Consider that it just might stay warm here now. We have had so much rain every week for about two months and it always kept the temps too cold in my house. I think it will stay warm now, though, because it rained yesterday and today and the rain did not cool the outside temps down. Most obviously because my brew bites now after these two days. So I might be over the cold hump where I live. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Since it took only two days to develop some " bite, " your kombucha clearly was fermenting some (even if it wasn't obvious), but the difference in temp (and not moving it around) was apparently all it needed to fully develop. Also, could be that when you sampled it earlier, the area where you tested wasn't really integrated w/ the more fermented part. (I don't know enough about specific gravity of sweetened tea vs. fermented kombucha to really speculate a guess, but when I first started making kt, folks said to dip a straw or turkey-baster *below* the halfway point when you sample.) In terms of how to " fix, " all you have to do is add more sweetened tea, and start tasting in 3-5 days. If you add only a small amount of tea, won't take long to ferment. (That's the concept behind " continuous brew. " ) If you add a lot of tea, will take longer to create kombucha you like. If you don't have enough room in your vessel to add the tea, you can divide the kombucha (and scoby) between two vessels, so you have two batches of kombucha going at same time. Some people like using super-strong kombucha in the place of vinegar, BTW, as w/ salad dressings. Good luck! > > My KT has been house-bound since Wed, because of advice from here not to move it from the house to the truck and back again from day to night. A week of that method did not ferment it anyway, because I tasted it Wed and it was still sweet. > > I tasted my KT again last night and it now bites like vinegar! Just 2 days did that! I think that spring has finally been warm enough during the nights since Wed that it did not cool the house down below fermenting temps. Finally! I have it on a high shelf at the ceiling height so it is about 2 degrees warmer there. > > Since it bites like vinegar now, taking my breath away when I swallow, should I just leave both jugs be for a few more days before I pour it off to let it get more acidic? Or would you pour it all off except for, say 2 or 3 cups, and put one scoby in that to let that much get really acidic? Or does someone have an even better idea for me? > > Consider that it just might stay warm here now. We have had so much rain every week for about two months and it always kept the temps too cold in my house. I think it will stay warm now, though, because it rained yesterday and today and the rain did not cool the outside temps down. Most obviously because my brew bites now after these two days. So I might be over the cold hump where I live. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 I missed the earlier part of your posts, did not realize you have been struggling with this for 4-6 weeks! Not sure where you live, but clearly the cold environment in the beginning of your ferment had something to do with the long wait. I would not expect bottling to change the quality of this batch. Might give it a good stir, then start from scratch, using some of this kombucha as starter liquid. (If possible, also add some raw kombucha from another source. If you cannot get any, substitute *distilled* vinegar, either white or cider.) It's not that kombucha doesn't like *you*; it wasn't happy where you were " growing " it... sometimes it takes a while to get attuned to another being's needs! Just like moving a plant to a sunnier spot, or giving it appropriate fertilizer... You WILL get there if you keep trying! Good luck, Vicki > > You are NOT going to believe me when I say this, because I almost don't. But > after I tasted it yesterday for the second time and it took my breath away with > the bite, I just kept it on the kitchen table (did not put it back on the shelf > at ceiling height) and now it is sweet again. KOMBUCHA JUST DOES NOT LIKE ME. It > does not have ANY of the bite it had Friday and Sat. > > I'm just gonna bottle it and see what it does anyway. It's been four to six > weeks now for both jugs. I just don't know what it wants. The house temp was > well within fermenting temps again in the last 24 hours, so I don't have any > explanation as to why this is doing this to me. My third scoby is really solid, > so that grew. My second scoby did something, but it shrank away from the sides. > It looks like there is more of it hanging down in the jug. > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > Thank you, thank you ,THANK YOU. > > Sometimes I just need help to think through my journey full of dilemmas. This > one has been very trying for me. > > That makes sense, what you said about the two different times I tasted it a few > days apart. I was kind of thinking the same way because how else could it have > gotten so very much of a bite if it hadn't already been fermenting down farther > in the jar? I just have thought that the more acidic tea would be at the top at > the scoby. I actually called my Dad and told him to try his with a straw because > > his is taking a long time, too. He is learning right along-side of me. > > Thanks for the fixer upper idea, too. I will do that. I can just take some out > and use it other ways and make room for more sweet tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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