Re: what is my scoby supposed to look like after a week?

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the feedback Margaret. I just want to make sure that I am

understanding you. The film on the top of my tea is about saran thickness. Are

you saying that I should use that tiny bit of scoby plu some of the tea to brew

another batch? The photos that I have seen on the internet and the videos I have

seen on Youtube all show a much thicker scoby after the first attempt at making

a scoby from scratch though. I was expecting at least a quarter inch scoby from

my starter.

Also, most of the posts say that the first batch that you make from

scratch should not be bottled, because of the potentially high acidity.  

 

The taste of my tea is quite acidic and yes, it is way out of ph balance, and

there is a lot of yeast on the bottom.  

 

So the film on the top and the first few inches of tea are full of bacteria and

will be used for my next batch? I hear that you should use about 10% of the KT

from the last batch in your new batch? Should my next batch of tea yield a more

thick scoby? I hope so.

 

How about continuing the first brew by adding more sweetened tea to it? Will

that re-start the fermentation process and balance out the acidity, and help the

original scoby grow thicker? I really do not intend to bottle the first batch,

so that would seems like a better idea than starting a new batch with such a

measily scoby.  

 

 

________________________________

To: original_kombucha

Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 1:16 AM

Subject: Re: what is my scoby supposed to look like after a week?

In message <jb45hd+cgfseGroups> you wrote:

>... Its now been about 9 days and there is a thin coat across the top of

> my jar, but all of the fermenting seems to have stopped; there are no more

> bubbles coming up and there is a lot of sediment on the bottom.

Hi, ,

Considering all the brewing indicators you mention in your posts, I think

that your brew may be more than ready to be bottled.

Most importantly, have you tried your brew yet?

It may even be that it's already very acidic, to judge by the strong yeast

sediment on the bottom. There will be no more bubbles, if there is no more

sugar to ferment, which means that the fermentation process has come to

a standstill - no more food for the yeasts.

The yeasts may be out-balancing the bacteria in your brew, which would

explain the thin scoby on top. Not a catastrophe at all!!

This is something that can be rectified by patiently tweaking the brew

towards the bacteria side:

First, to take the starter for your next batch together with the thin scoby

plus KT scooped from the TOP of the brew which is bacteria rich.

Pouring the rest of the liquid off as carefully as possible as not to

disturb the yeast sediment too much, before bottling. The yeast can either

be used in baking or discarded.

(Yeast gets everywhere ;-)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/29/marmite-spill-m1

This happens to be part of our staple diet! LOL

Too much of this yeast in your bottles will give you a very yeasty-bitter-

beery brew, which some folks like. But if you tend towards the wine-lovers,

you will prefer a more bacterial brew, which will have a much more refined

flavour.

> No mold though.

:-) Probably because of good acidity!!

> Is my scoby dead,

Definitely not, I would say!

I would have thought that 2/3 cup (about 150 grams) sugar would be too

generous. I have used about 1/2 cup of sugar per litre (quart) for about

30 years. Some people use even less.

Quantities are not written in stone. There can be quite wide variations

in recipes.

The thing is YOU have to find the recipe that works for you.

Too much sugar in the beginning could stimulate the yeasts too much and

give you a very sour brew.

Never despise the sour brew, though - it makes a good starter and

mold buster.

Diluted with water/juice it still imparts Kombucha goodness to your body.

Let us know how you are faring, .

Happy continued brewing,

Margret in Derby/England, an old-timer ;-)

or am I just being too impatient?

>

> My orignal recipe was

>

> 1qt water

> 2/3 Cup of sugar

> about 3 black tea bags and 3 green tea bags (loose Jasmine and green tea)

> 1 bottle of raw Gts Kombucha

>

> thanks ahead of time for the feedback.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

When I have started like you did that is my same result. Just put the paper

thin skin and about 2 cups of the liquid in the next batch and then it usually

grows a full scoby. Sounds like you are on the right track.

>

> >... Its now been about 9 days and there is a thin coat across the top of

> > my jar, but all of the fermenting seems to have stopped; there are no more

> > bubbles coming up and there is a lot of sediment on the bottom.

>

> Hi, ,

> Considering all the brewing indicators you mention in your posts, I think

> that your brew may be more than ready to be bottled.

>

> Most importantly, have you tried your brew yet?

>

> It may even be that it's already very acidic, to judge by the strong yeast

> sediment on the bottom. There will be no more bubbles, if there is no more

> sugar to ferment, which means that the fermentation process has come to

> a standstill - no more food for the yeasts.

>

> The yeasts may be out-balancing the bacteria in your brew, which would

> explain the thin scoby on top. Not a catastrophe at all!!

> This is something that can be rectified by patiently tweaking the brew

> towards the bacteria side:

>

> First, to take the starter for your next batch together with the thin scoby

> plus KT scooped from the TOP of the brew which is bacteria rich.

> Pouring the rest of the liquid off as carefully as possible as not to

> disturb the yeast sediment too much, before bottling. The yeast can either

> be used in baking or discarded.

>

> (Yeast gets everywhere ;-)

> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/29/marmite-spill-m1

> This happens to be part of our staple diet! LOL

>

> Too much of this yeast in your bottles will give you a very yeasty-bitter-

> beery brew, which some folks like. But if you tend towards the wine-lovers,

> you will prefer a more bacterial brew, which will have a much more refined

> flavour.

>

> > No mold though.

> :-) Probably because of good acidity!!

>

> > Is my scoby dead,

> Definitely not, I would say!

> I would have thought that 2/3 cup (about 150 grams) sugar would be too

> generous. I have used about 1/2 cup of sugar per litre (quart) for about

> 30 years. Some people use even less.

>

> Quantities are not written in stone. There can be quite wide variations

> in recipes.

>

> The thing is YOU have to find the recipe that works for you.

> Too much sugar in the beginning could stimulate the yeasts too much and

> give you a very sour brew.

>

> Never despise the sour brew, though - it makes a good starter and

> mold buster.

> Diluted with water/juice it still imparts Kombucha goodness to your body.

>

> Let us know how you are faring, .

>

> Happy continued brewing,

>

> Margret in Derby/England, an old-timer ;-)

>

> or am I just being too impatient?

> >

> > My orignal recipe was

> >

> > 1qt water

> > 2/3 Cup of sugar

> > about 3 black tea bags and 3 green tea bags (loose Jasmine and green tea)

> > 1 bottle of raw Gts Kombucha

> >

> > thanks ahead of time for the feedback.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >