7a. Kombucha & Heat ???s

[Guest guest]

published reports on kombucha brewing temperatures.

lowest ferment =64F

highest fermentation = 95F

ferment mean range 77-86F

mean temperature =78F 9 days

die off is usually pegged at 103F-115F

around the range of drinking tea or coffee.

an over-heated ferment will show the mushroom as turning

darker brownish. This will be a rapid discoloration over 3-4

days. A slower discoloration happens if evaporation of lack

of fluid develops or over the course of the lifetime of the

mushroom. Additionally a dying mushroom will began flaking

and disincarnate.

each strain of yeasts and bacteria have specific

temperatures where they are active or dormant and depends

upon what you are fermenting. For instance Lactobacillus is

active at 110F

Therefore heat / cold affect your brew by determining what

it is that your are brewing and drinking. By changing the

temperature of your ferment (example bottling and

refrigeration) one predominate yeast goes dormant and a

suppressed yeast becomes dominant. Other factors, like

available food source are critical, and one single factor

should not be taken out of context. All ferments are

subject to the contamination of wild bacteria and yeasts as

well as the possibility of cross contamination.

KT that is pasteurized or heated to kill off all the

microorganisms is believed to still be healthy as proclaimed

by the proponents that believe it is the acids produced by

the ferment that are the benefit and not the probiotics such

as that of kombucha extract with alcohol or colloidal silver

added, or by kombucha capsules.

on shipping in plastic, M.Roussin specifically tested the

brand zip lock and other plastics and found that zip locks,

over a two week period, were OK. But not recommended for

longer periods. Food grade _triangle 2_ was considered safe

and the only plastic recommended overall. I believe Rubber

Maid, which is not graded was considered safe as well.

live free and healthy

Ed Kasper L.Ac. A professional kombuchaist

....................original message ........................

7a. Kombucha & Heat ???s

Posted by: " mmtgr " mmtgr@... mmtgr

Date: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:51 pm (PDT)

Question for all in this summertime heat.

Does anybody know exactly what harm heat does to the

Kombucha tea

and Scoby?

My thought is; if the pasteurized store bottle of KT is

still alive

and as

beneficial as raw KT maybe heat does NOT hurt the KT or

Scoby?

Have there been any lab tests or even home tests about this?

I rec'd a bottle of liquid sent from a few hundred miles

south today and

when I opened the box and got through the bubble wrap and

popcorn,

I could almost not touch the glass bottle, I could not hold

it in my

hand for

any length of time. It was that HOT.

So when we mail Scobies in soft plastic bags and a little

juice, they must

be the equivalent of boiled by the time they reach their

destination and

full of leached " petros " from the bag.

Anybody know?

If no harm is done then we could surely have hot KT in the

cold of winter

right? No whipped cream please.

Best wishes, neb