Metal contamination...and newbieism :)

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks!

New to this board and KT.I live in the Philippines,but returned from the US in

Sept with 2 scobies and 2 cups of tea.My first brewing took almost 2 weeks to

complete...perhaps because they were kept in the fridge for 2 weeks in ziplock

bags,and perhaps because they had been raised on green tea and honey,and we went

to black tea and sugar.I then immediately set out to brew another batch.I was in

a hurry and cooled the brewed tea in cold water in the sink.I then (this part

is the dumb part)....I took a metal commercial thermometer to take the temp of

the previously brewed KT.In my mind,I was going to take the temp of each

assuring that the brewed tea was not to hot for the already brewed tea.The

thermometer was in the tea for a good 3 minutes before I realized what I had

done.

The questions are these:

Is my tea now somehow contaminated?

Should I start anew? I still have the second scoby that has been kept in the

fridge in a ziplock,but there is very little tea with it,as I used most in my

first batch.(maybe an ounce or 2 is all)

Could I brew a half gallon (or less?) and use the reserved scoby and the limited

tea and just let it brew until it catches up?I have some Raw unfiltered Apple

Cider Vinegar,could I use some of that to " stretch " the " inoculated tea " for

this one batch?

I have friends coming from the US next month.Should I just ask them to bring a

couple of commercially bottled KT and then brew up a new culture?

One question just right after another.Must be a newbie

Thanks for any and all help.