Re: Hello and thanks!

[Guest guest]

>I got a culture from her and tried my first batch, but after 13 days at

>room temp (and our house is fairly cool), all that formed was a spotty

>looking thick gelatinous film on the top and I was afraid it had gone

>moldy.

Welcome. This sounds like it was doing just fine. First brews in a new

environment often take much longer. Did you add starter liquid or vinegar

over the top?

>I may have made a mistake - I took the mother culture out and ran it

>under tap water, which I think may have been a no-no now that I've done

>more research. My new culture (5 days old and now on a warming mat)

>isn't doing a thing.

Again, you're back to square one. It takes time to establish in a new

environment. Mold is always fuzzy. Normal kombucha development can

include spotty looking stuff as it knits together, but it will be smooth

and slick, not fuzzy. If you've added liquid starter and/or vinegar, just

leave your brew alone and let it develop.

It's correct that the SCOBY (solid culture) should not be washed with

water, because it destroys the proper pH balance and impedes the SCOBY's

function, but, if you started culturing it again right away it should

recover. It may take it another day's time, however.

Just leave it alone, and as long as you don't have any fuzzy spots (of

mold), don't worry about the time, just let it have its time.

best wishes

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

I used about a half-cup of kombucha tea along with the culture to

get it started. I guess once I've done a completed one, I'll have a

better idea of how long it takes in my own house. Her " mushroom "

really looked big, brown and puffy like a pizza crust :-) Maybe she

just gave me the baby off that culture. I'll have to ask. Her tea

was nice and fizzy too.

I did pop it right back into the tea after the quick rinse. Hope it

survives my ignorance. Thanks for the quick reply.

>

>

> >I got a culture from her and tried my first batch, but after 13

days at

> >room temp (and our house is fairly cool), all that formed was a

spotty

> >looking thick gelatinous film on the top and I was afraid it had

gone

> >moldy.

>

> Welcome. This sounds like it was doing just fine. First brews in

a new

> environment often take much longer. Did you add starter liquid or

vinegar

> over the top?

>

>

> >I may have made a mistake - I took the mother culture out and ran

it

> >under tap water, which I think may have been a no-no now that

I've done

> >more research. My new culture (5 days old and now on a warming

mat)

> >isn't doing a thing.

>

> Again, you're back to square one. It takes time to establish in a

new

> environment. Mold is always fuzzy. Normal kombucha development

can

> include spotty looking stuff as it knits together, but it will be

smooth

> and slick, not fuzzy. If you've added liquid starter and/or

vinegar, just

> leave your brew alone and let it develop.

>

> It's correct that the SCOBY (solid culture) should not be washed

with

> water, because it destroys the proper pH balance and impedes the

SCOBY's

> function, but, if you started culturing it again right away it

should

> recover. It may take it another day's time, however.

>

> Just leave it alone, and as long as you don't have any fuzzy spots

(of

> mold), don't worry about the time, just let it have its time.

>

> best wishes

>

> --V

>

>

>

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

> --A.J. Muste

>

[Guest guest]

>I used about a half-cup of kombucha tea along with the culture to

>get it started.

How big is your vessel? For a gallon-sized vessel, at least a cup of KT is

needed to get it off to a good start. I would add some vinegar to ensure

the brew is acidic. Just a 1/4 cup or less. Apple cider vinegar is the

most healthful, but if it is " live " it will need to be brought to a boil

and cooled before using. Just spoon it over the top without disturbing

anything. Gravity will mix it.

> I guess once I've done a completed one, I'll have a

>better idea of how long it takes in my own house. Her " mushroom "

>really looked big, brown and puffy like a pizza crust :-)

Yes, but SCOBYs can look all different ways, and with early brews the

SCOBYs may be thin, holey, transparent. Be sure to leave your SCOBY

together with the new one when you start the next batch, to build up

strength. The temperature in the brewing environment can affect SCOBY

development, as well as many other factors.

>Maybe she

>just gave me the baby off that culture. I'll have to ask. Her tea

>was nice and fizzy too.

This will all develop as your culture gets established in your place.

happy brewing--

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Sorry, our email servers have been hinky lately to say the least, I just got

this reply :-)

I think it's gallon size jar. I couldn't find a glass sun tea jar in this town

to save my life, so I settled for a sturdy clear glass cookie/cracker jar at

Walmart.

Warning, total Noob question: how warm is " too warm " ? I bought a reptile mat

that you plug in, and I stuck it on the bottom of an old corningware cutting

board, then set the jar with scoby and new tea culture on that. I started that

one on Tuesday, 10-16.

I checked it 4 days ago. Clear as a bell and the scoby appeared to be

disintegrating somewhat, no new film on the surface. So, I unplugged the

warmer. Now today, at very cool room temp (that room stays about 70*-72*F) a

new film has appeared on the surface and the smell is changing to more of a KT

smell.

I did what you suggested and added a .25 cup of ACV to it the same day I turned

the warmer off.

Does anyone else use a warmer? And how about strings and shreds of " something "

hanging off the scoby? Ok, not ok?

Re: Re: Hello and thanks!

>I used about a half-cup of kombucha tea along with the culture to

>get it started.

How big is your vessel? For a gallon-sized vessel, at least a cup of KT is

needed to get it off to a good start. I would add some vinegar to ensure

the brew is acidic. Just a 1/4 cup or less. Apple cider vinegar is the

most healthful, but if it is " live " it will need to be brought to a boil

and cooled before using. Just spoon it over the top without disturbing

anything. Gravity will mix it.

> I guess once I've done a completed one, I'll have a

>better idea of how long it takes in my own house. Her " mushroom "

>really looked big, brown and puffy like a pizza crust :-)

Yes, but SCOBYs can look all different ways, and with early brews the

SCOBYs may be thin, holey, transparent. Be sure to leave your SCOBY

together with the new one when you start the next batch, to build up

strength. The temperature in the brewing environment can affect SCOBY

development, as well as many other factors.

>Maybe she

>just gave me the baby off that culture. I'll have to ask. Her tea

>was nice and fizzy too.

This will all develop as your culture gets established in your place.

happy brewing--

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

> Does anyone else use a warmer? And how about strings and shreds of

" something " hanging off the scoby? Ok, not ok?

>

Strings are ok. If they are green and wave at you when you look or

taste, don't worry . They are the yeasts and tea tannins and stuff.

Sometimes they group together to form a large beasty looking cloud

. The warming mat I don't know about, I let mine go natural and

just wait them out. Someone will probably try to help you with it soon.

3jsmom31

[Guest guest]

> Does anyone else use a warmer? And how about strings and shreds of

" something " hanging off the scoby? Ok, not ok?

>

Strings are ok. If they are green and wave at you when you look or

taste, don't worry . They are the yeasts and tea tannins and stuff.

Sometimes they group together to form a large beasty looking cloud

. The warming mat I don't know about, I let mine go natural and

just wait them out. Someone will probably try to help you with it soon.

3jsmom31

[Guest guest]

>I checked it 4 days ago. Clear as a bell and the scoby appeared to be

>disintegrating somewhat, no new film on the surface. So, I unplugged the

>warmer. Now today, at very cool room temp (that room stays about

>70*-72*F) a new film has appeared on the surface and the smell is changing

>to more of a KT smell.

Definitely sounds like the culture was uncomfortably warm. 70 to 72 is a

great temp for brewing KT. The hanging bits are yeasts, perfectly

normal. I drink them, my partner strains.

I don't use a warmer. My winter temps last year were 62-62F mostly, with

some forays up to 67 or maybe 68. My brews took 21+ days, and they were

very sweet and smooth even though they were fully brewed, because lower

temps favor the bacteria and that yields a very smooth brew.

>I did what you suggested and added a .25 cup of ACV to it the same day I

>turned the warmer off.

Very good.

Based on last winter's experiences, I recently doubled my brewing capacity

in order to keep better supplied. Folks who want to maintain their current

supply level and whose brewing environments are on the chilly side may want

to add capacity now.

I've got 6 gallons of supply brewing at a time now, in four 2.25-gal

vessels, those Anchor Hocking cookie jars.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Apparently they were ok.

I guess I can say I've officially completed my first batch of KT - woo hoo!

I was away for a week and returning this weekend, I peeked at my jar to find a

lovely little baby scoby covering the surface of the tea, and I rebottled it

yesterday. It's a bit more vinegary than I might like, but has a nice fizz to

it! I was so excited :-D

I drank about 4 oz and lived to tell about it, so I guess I did it all right.

Now I suppose I will have to buy a lizard to use that warming pad for. My

culture did fine without it even in our slightly chilly home.

Re: Hello and thanks!

> Does anyone else use a warmer? And how about strings and shreds of

" something " hanging off the scoby? Ok, not ok?

>

Strings are ok. If they are green and wave at you when you look or

taste, don't worry . They are the yeasts and tea tannins and stuff.

Sometimes they group together to form a large beasty looking cloud

. The warming mat I don't know about, I let mine go natural and

just wait them out. Someone will probably try to help you with it soon.

3jsmom31

[Guest guest]

Yes, it seemed to be happy and get down to business with the warmer off. I

think the ACV added a bit more tang than I prefer for drinking, but I'm just

pleased that a new scoby (and a nice fizz) formed.

So now, I did put the two older scobys plus the new baby in the new tea culture.

That's ok right?

I will probably get another of those jars and start a second culture going as

soon as these 2 have matured and split them up. That's the idea, isn't it?

Re: Re: Hello and thanks!

>I checked it 4 days ago. Clear as a bell and the scoby appeared to be

>disintegrating somewhat, no new film on the surface. So, I unplugged the

>warmer. Now today, at very cool room temp (that room stays about

>70*-72*F) a new film has appeared on the surface and the smell is changing

>to more of a KT smell.

Definitely sounds like the culture was uncomfortably warm. 70 to 72 is a

great temp for brewing KT. The hanging bits are yeasts, perfectly

normal. I drink them, my partner strains.

I don't use a warmer. My winter temps last year were 62-62F mostly, with

some forays up to 67 or maybe 68. My brews took 21+ days, and they were

very sweet and smooth even though they were fully brewed, because lower

temps favor the bacteria and that yields a very smooth brew.

>I did what you suggested and added a .25 cup of ACV to it the same day I

>turned the warmer off.

Very good.

Based on last winter's experiences, I recently doubled my brewing capacity

in order to keep better supplied. Folks who want to maintain their current

supply level and whose brewing environments are on the chilly side may want

to add capacity now.

I've got 6 gallons of supply brewing at a time now, in four 2.25-gal

vessels, those Anchor Hocking cookie jars.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Yes, it seemed to be happy and get down to business with the warmer off. I

think the ACV added a bit more tang than I prefer for drinking, but I'm just

pleased that a new scoby (and a nice fizz) formed.

So now, I did put the two older scobys plus the new baby in the new tea culture.

That's ok right?

I will probably get another of those jars and start a second culture going as

soon as these 2 have matured and split them up. That's the idea, isn't it?

Re: Re: Hello and thanks!

>I checked it 4 days ago. Clear as a bell and the scoby appeared to be

>disintegrating somewhat, no new film on the surface. So, I unplugged the

>warmer. Now today, at very cool room temp (that room stays about

>70*-72*F) a new film has appeared on the surface and the smell is changing

>to more of a KT smell.

Definitely sounds like the culture was uncomfortably warm. 70 to 72 is a

great temp for brewing KT. The hanging bits are yeasts, perfectly

normal. I drink them, my partner strains.

I don't use a warmer. My winter temps last year were 62-62F mostly, with

some forays up to 67 or maybe 68. My brews took 21+ days, and they were

very sweet and smooth even though they were fully brewed, because lower

temps favor the bacteria and that yields a very smooth brew.

>I did what you suggested and added a .25 cup of ACV to it the same day I

>turned the warmer off.

Very good.

Based on last winter's experiences, I recently doubled my brewing capacity

in order to keep better supplied. Folks who want to maintain their current

supply level and whose brewing environments are on the chilly side may want

to add capacity now.

I've got 6 gallons of supply brewing at a time now, in four 2.25-gal

vessels, those Anchor Hocking cookie jars.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>I drank about 4 oz and lived to tell about it, so I guess I did it all

>right.

The only thing that really can be a problem is mold, it's not like the

brew goes through a toxic period or anything. Good going!

>Now I suppose I will have to buy a lizard to use that warming pad for. My

>culture did fine without it even in our slightly chilly home.

That's what I've found, it does just fine. Nice not to have to use the

extra energy resources.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>So now, I did put the two older scobys plus the new baby in the new tea

>culture. That's ok right?

Yes

>I will probably get another of those jars and start a second culture going

>as soon as these 2 have matured and split them up. That's the idea, isn't it?

Yes indeed

--V

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

--A.J. Muste