A collection of yuck!

January 13, 2006

I recently started making Kombucha Tea about 5 weeks ago.

My first batch came out beautifully!!!!

I was on my 2nd batch using the New (baby) from my 1st batch. My new

baby was very thin and I decided to start my new batch of tea using

both mushrooms (mamma sinks and baby floats).

I pored off the kombucha tea into food grade plastic containers (#1

and #2) to make room for my new batch of tea. After I pored it off

into the the plastic containers, filled up my brewing jar with

freshly made green tea, I tasted the freshly brewed Kombucha tea and

it was still a little sweet. I am assuming I didn't brew long

enough. Is the tea still OK to consume?

Also, I left it out on the counter (new Kombucha tea - in plastic

bottles) for 5 days as Kombucha.org recommended.

Now I have this collection of yuck floating in 2 of the 3 bottles. It

kinda looks like mold - but not like the mold shown on the mushroom

in the pictures I've seen. It is a group of yuck. I have shaken the

bottle to break-up the yuck but it still remains TOGETHER.

Is this still OK to consume? I thoughy I might strain it off and

taste it and see if it still tastes OK.

Any suggestions?????????

January 13, 2006

>I was on my 2nd batch using the New (baby) from my 1st batch. My new

>baby was very thin and I decided to start my new batch of tea using

>both mushrooms (mamma sinks and baby floats).

That's a good idea.

>I pored off the kombucha tea into food grade plastic containers (#1

>and #2) to make room for my new batch of tea. After I pored it off

>into the the plastic containers, filled up my brewing jar with

>freshly made green tea, I tasted the freshly brewed Kombucha tea and

>it was still a little sweet. I am assuming I didn't brew long

>enough. Is the tea still OK to consume?

Yes, unless you have diabetes or another condition in which the monitoring

of sugar intake is essential. As it sits longer in the bottles, the sugars

will continue to ferment and convert. However, if you need to control for

sugar, it is better to let it brew out to the right place before bottling.

>Also, I left it out on the counter (new Kombucha tea - in plastic

>bottles) for 5 days as Kombucha.org recommended.

You can do this, or not. Some put the newly bottled KT directly in the

fridge. If your brew were already completely ready (not sweet and perfect

in flavor) you would want to refrigerate immediately to minimize further

fermentation.

>Now I have this collection of yuck floating in 2 of the 3 bottles. It

>kinda looks like mold - but not like the mold shown on the mushroom

>in the pictures I've seen. It is a group of yuck. I have shaken the

>bottle to break-up the yuck but it still remains TOGETHER.

This is normal. Fementation continues. The brown stuff is yeasts, the

clear gel stuff is bacteria. Don't worry.

>Is this still OK to consume? I thoughy I might strain it off and

>taste it and see if it still tastes OK.

It's totally healthy to consume, I do all the time. My partner filters it

through a bamboo tea strainer as he pours it into the glass. The solid

bits in no way affect the safety of the brew and may in fact be extra good

for you. It's simply evidence that your culture is alive (that's what we

want) and continuing fermentation for home brewers is inevitable.

The commercial brewers (the stuff you buy at store) seem to have some

method of halting further fermentation, or at least any evidence of it, but

that method is not public information. I hypothesize it may involve

filling the top of the bottles with nitrogen, which is a technique for

keeping things fresh.

--V

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

January 13, 2006