8. Kombucha smell

[Guest guest]

Sheri, do you happen to have pictures of the ferment ?

Please email them to me if you can. Any pictures of the

mushroom. As close as you get as well.

mushrooms will turn successively darker. Plus over time they

begin flaking off pieces and start peeling off or break

apart easily when handled. That would be an old dying

mushroom. This is over successive ferments about 30 or so or

more. It is a gradual decay and noticeable over time.

Sudden dissolving, bad smell, weak baby, is not only a

dying mushroom but a probable infestation of a pathogen.

There is a parasite that eats the mushroom causing it to

decay rapidly. The are very small but are visible. (though I

have never seen one myself) They can be seen on the surface

of the mushroom. They were discovered in the French Wine

Industry around the Napoleon period. They began turning the

wine into vinegar, until Pasteur came along (Napoleon hired

him as a chemist, to find out what was wrong) Pasteur

discovered that if he heated the wine for a short period it

would kill the parasite and the wine would still be very

drinkable, hence the term Pasteurization. note: the

parasites are not considered " harmful " or toxic to people.

IMO, throw out the dying mushroom. Siphon off only the

middle third of the ferment (without disturbing the ferment)

Strain through several layers of cheesecloth, and then heat

to where bubbles first start appearing and maintain that

temperature for 10-15 minutes. Strain through several more

layers of cheesecloth, add fresh sugar and tea, a shot or

two of vodka (one for you) and start another ferment. I

suggest this as an experiment and you should also obtain

another kombucha from a reliable source.

A Mother of Vinegar (MOV) is more a dissolved brown matter,

though they can be solid as well, but will not produce a

" bad smell " will produce a definite vinegar smell.

Production of vinegar a la MOV takes months.

When in doubt throw it out.

Brewing Kombucha Pictures online

what kombucha mold looks like.

http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm

Enjoy Your Health,

Ed Kasper L.Ac.

California Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist

www.HappyHerbalist.com eddy@...

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

8. Kombucha smell

Posted by: " Sheri Spencer " pebbles4757@...

pebbles4757

Date: Sun Sep 3, 2006 3:57 pm (PDT)

Help! I had two batches of Kombucha going and harvested

after 8 days. One of the batches had a " dirty-stagnant

water " like smell. The mother had completly dissolved into

brown matter. The baby looked normal but thinner than the

last batch. I am new at this and don't know if this is

normal or safe. There was no mold growing as far as I could

tell. Neither batch had the " vinegar " smell.