New Kombucha caretaker with some questions

[Guest guest]

Hello! I bought a starter kit from happyherbalist.com and started my

first batch last week. Now I just need a little reassurance and a

couple questions answered if noone minds.

The instructions sent were to make a 3 quart solution of tea and

sugar and then to add the SCOBY and the starter tea sent with it

(abbreviated instructions obviously). I did this adding ALL the

starter tea the SCOBY was shipped in. Problem is the starter tea was

definitely in the extreme vinegar stage and I think adding all of it

was too much. Today is the fifth day and it still smells and tastes

STRONGLY of vinegar. Is it possible this vinegar smell/taste will

lessen or is this batch doomed to the sole purpose of creating a

back-up SCOBY and a bottle of fresh vinegar?

When I start my second 1 gallon batch, how much of this first batch

should I add to it? 1 cup??? Will it taste and smell like vinegar

too or will it be okay?

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

>The instructions sent were to make a 3 quart solution of tea and

>sugar and then to add the SCOBY and the starter tea sent with it

>(abbreviated instructions obviously). I did this adding ALL the

>starter tea the SCOBY was shipped in. Problem is the starter tea was

>definitely in the extreme vinegar stage and I think adding all of it

>was too much. Today is the fifth day and it still smells and tastes

>STRONGLY of vinegar. Is it possible this vinegar smell/taste will

>lessen or is this batch doomed to the sole purpose of creating a

>back-up SCOBY and a bottle of fresh vinegar?

>

>When I start my second 1 gallon batch, how much of this first batch

>should I add to it? 1 cup??? Will it taste and smell like vinegar

>too or will it be okay?

KT has a vinegary whiff to it, that's normal. Your brew will get *more*

vinegary over time, not less. Have you tried KT before from another

source? It may be that the normal taste/smell is a new and intense thing

for you. Try diluting your KT with a little water and/or fruit juice if

it's too intense.

Yes, the minimum amount of starter to use for a gal-size batch is 1 cup. I

always use 2 cups.

-V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

> If your brewing environment is quite warm, you could have finished

KT in

> 4-5 days. So, continuing to brew is unnecessary, and yes, the

longer it

> brews the more acidic it gets and more like vinegar. You can use

the

> vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as salad dressings, and

as a

> skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes wonderful salad dressings and

> marinades. So don't throw it away!

I won't throw it away. This weekend I'm going to hunt for lots of

recipes using vinegar. No sense letting it go to waste!

THanks, V!

[Guest guest]

some of mine has turned to vinegar. what is the standard for hair rinse again?

just pour it on and rinse off before shampoo and conditioner or between or

after? would a conditioner be necessary if we use kt as a rinse?

" R. " wrote: > If your brewing

environment is quite warm, you could have finished

KT in

> 4-5 days. So, continuing to brew is unnecessary, and yes, the

longer it

> brews the more acidic it gets and more like vinegar. You can use

the

> vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as salad dressings, and

as a

> skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes wonderful salad dressings and

> marinades. So don't throw it away!

I won't throw it away. This weekend I'm going to hunt for lots of

recipes using vinegar. No sense letting it go to waste!

THanks, V!

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

> You can use the vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as

> salad dressings, and as a skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes

> wonderful salad dressings and marinades. So don't throw it away!

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

You can make vinegar with the over-fermented brew. I have a

1 gallon jar with about 3/4ths full of the vinegary brew, and to

my surprise, it also is making me new Scobys. When they are

about 1 inch thick I take them out and either use them or give

them away. Then the vinegar gets busy and starts filming over

the top of the sour liquid, and goes on and on and on. I do add

some over sour ferment now and then to keep it topped off.

I also keep a cloth cover over it. And now and then I take some

of the liquid off to make salad dressing. With garlic and blue

cheese fighting for flavor dominance, it is a good dressing for

strong veggies of many kinds, with just a touch of Stevia.

Pat in CA

[Guest guest]

My mouth is watering! I'd love to try it this weekend. Do I have to

wait a real long time before I use the vinegar (let it set for a

couple weeks?) or can I use it as soon it tastes like vinegar?

I know, I'm such a noob! Sorry!

Thanks!

> Sounds good, I tried a recipe a while back that is

absolutely

> wonderful, consisting of a coleslaw with a vinegar (I used KT

vinegar)

> dressing as a base, with a broiled piece of fish on top, that had

been

> marinated for 15 minutes in the same spicy dressing. Really

> superb. (Rusty, I almost posted this recipe when you asked about

recipes

> on TYH a while back, but never did. You might enjoy this, if you

ever eat

> fish.)

[Guest guest]

A noob is another term for newbie. Someone new to something.

How do you know when vinegar is ready to be used for things such as

preserving food?

> lol... not sure what a noob is, but it's natural to ask questions

and

> that's what we're here for For culinary use, if it tastes

like

> vinegar, it's sufficient. That of course is not true if one were

using the

> vinegar to preserve food, but for something like a marinade or

salad

> dressing, it's to taste anyway.

>

> have fun!

>

> --V

>

>

>

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

> --A.J. Muste

>

[Guest guest]

>A noob is another term for newbie. Someone new to something.

heh. duh! And, again, that's why we're here, is to answer questions and

learn together.

>How do you know when vinegar is ready to be used for things such as

>preserving food?

KT vinegar should not be used for preserving food. Unless someone is very

very certain about the chemistry involved, homemade vinegars are highly not

recommended for preserving food. The acidity is critical and homemade

vinegars are generally not tested or reliable. I am a longtime canner, and

I do not use homemade vinegar for preserving food.

I did use KT vinegar as a flavoring agent in salsa I canned one year, but

that was a noncritical use of vinegar, in that the tomatoes were

sufficiently acid to do the preserving.

So bottom line, please don't use KT vinegar for preserving food.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

> So bottom line, please don't use KT vinegar for preserving food.

That's easy enough to do since I don't can anything. I told my co-

workers they'd all end up with bottles of KT vinegar for Christmas if

I couldn't get my KT to come out right. Just in case that happens, I

want to make sure I give good instructions for its use. Of course, I

have my fingers and toes crossed this doesn't happen. In fact, I'm

channeling good thoughts to my SCOBY Doo and SCOBY Snack (that's what

I named them - the main jar is the Mystery Machine). The next batch is

going to be yummy...one way or another.

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Pat (and V for her dressing recipe).

I hope your family members remain safe.

> I just made some darn good tea with some Celestial Seasonings non

caffeine

> berry zinger flavor, and it turned out lovely. I immediately

bottled it and

> will keep it till my son returns from Germany, where he is working

in a

> hospital with the National Guard. God willing, he will not be

working with

> my only grandson, who is due this month to return from Iraq from

his

> second tour of duty. I still have to turn him on to Kombucha, but

it will

> happen sooner or later. I got my first start from my son, who

thinks it

> is better for him than sodas. And I agree.

>

> Pat in CA