Guest guest Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Hi group. I haven't posted in a number of months for a variety of reasons. First, I was going through my own health challanges and let the KT sit to long. Then we went on vacation and when we got back. DH (who works out of town) wound up in the hospital and we almost lost him twice. God preserved his life. Long story short is that he is now on short term disability as he recupperates. Last time I posted we were talking about using organinc sugar and tea. Well, I ordered some organic white apple/black/ and green tea from my co-op. I also ordered some organic evaporated cane juice crystals. My first batch of tea worked fine and tasted wonderful. The next batch was covered with mold. My FIRST experience with mold and I had done nothing different. So I threw it ALL out and used some scobies I had in a jar of tea to make a new batch. Low and behold it was covered with mold and I'm out of scobies. I set them on top of my freezer in an anchor hocking jar covered with two unbleached coffee filters secured with a rubber band. I'm afraid to contact Larry for some new scobies and starter tea until I find out WHY? UGH! Any suggestions? I have NO CLUE! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Hi, I am new at making kombucha. From the research I have done, a pH of 4, or below, is prohibitive to the formation of mold. After mixing the tea with starter tea, or vinegar, I test the acidity using pH paper. I would recommend getting narrow range pH paper, since they are more accurate. I find it difficult to tell the colors apart with the ones I have, wide range. I hope this helps. > > Hi group. I haven't posted in a number of months for a variety of > reasons. First, I was going through my own health challanges and let > the KT sit to long. Then we went on vacation and when we got back. DH > (who works out of town) wound up in the hospital and we almost lost > him twice. God preserved his life. Long story short is that he is now > on short term disability as he recupperates. Last time I posted we > were talking about using organinc sugar and tea. Well, I ordered some > organic white apple/black/ and green tea from my co-op. I also ordered > some organic evaporated cane juice crystals. My first batch of tea > worked fine and tasted wonderful. The next batch was covered with > mold. My FIRST experience with mold and I had done nothing different. > So I threw it ALL out and used some scobies I had in a jar of tea to > make a new batch. Low and behold it was covered with mold and I'm out > of scobies. I set them on top of my freezer in an anchor hocking jar > covered with two unbleached coffee filters secured with a rubber band. > I'm afraid to contact Larry for some new scobies and starter tea until > I find out WHY? UGH! Any suggestions? I have NO CLUE! :-) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 >I should add that in my case, now that I think about it the mold >wasn't black. It was blue? It was definately the growth of something >strange Carol, it definitely was fuzzy? Sometimes the SCOBY forms with irregularities that can look like a blue/greenish thing but the surface is still smooth and that is normal. Mold is always fuzzy. --V ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ --A.J. Muste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 I didn't feel it but it looked fuzzy and like another layer on top. DIFFERENT to say the least. I've had plants in my kitchen but recently purchased a new one and wonder if that caused a problem. Carol B > > > >I should add that in my case, now that I think about it the mold > >wasn't black. It was blue? It was definately the growth of something > >strange > > Carol, it definitely was fuzzy? Sometimes the SCOBY forms with > irregularities that can look like a blue/greenish thing but the surface is > still smooth and that is normal. Mold is always fuzzy. > > --V > > > > ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ > --A.J. Muste > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Carol, Many people have plants nearby their brewing stations, as I do. However, everyone agrees that if one has a mold problem, houseplants nearby have to be considered if no other vector is obvious. Having just brought a new houseplant in, I'd say, unfortunately, it's the likely culprit. --V At 05:18 PM 10/23/2006, you wrote: >I didn't feel it but it looked fuzzy and like another layer on top. >DIFFERENT to say the least. I've had plants in my kitchen but recently > purchased a new one and wonder if that caused a problem. Carol B ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ --A.J. Muste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Well, I looked tonight and discovered that one of the two jars I hadn't thrown out. so I looked and it was turning darker in color (like dark green/gray or something) and junk in the jar. Disqusting and I threw it all out. I have a LITTLE kt left in a jar with a lid. Maybe I could remove the plant to a different room and see if I could get a new scoby to grow on the tea. What do you think? If I have to, I'll get rid of the plant or see if it will work outside. My spider plants NEVER caused a problem. It was suggested I add some brewed tea to it (the leftover tea) and see what happens. Carol B > >I didn't feel it but it looked fuzzy and like another layer on top. > >DIFFERENT to say the least. I've had plants in my kitchen but recently > > purchased a new one and wonder if that caused a problem. Carol B > > > > > ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ > --A.J. Muste > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 >Well, I looked tonight and discovered that one of the two jars I >hadn't thrown out. so I looked and it was turning darker in color >(like dark green/gray or something) and junk in the jar. Disqusting >and I threw it all out. I have a LITTLE kt left in a jar with a lid. >Maybe I could remove the plant to a different room and see if I could >get a new scoby to grow on the tea. What do you think? If I have to, >I'll get rid of the plant or see if it will work outside. My spider >plants NEVER caused a problem. It was suggested I add some brewed tea >to it (the leftover tea) and see what happens. Carol B Before you start a new brew, I would strongly recommend, yes, moving the plant to another room. Then, the room in which your brewing is happening, use the sanitizing protocol that I posted on as much of the surfaces as you can in order to kill off the mold spores that will be present in greater numbers because of the fruiting body (the mold) that erupted. Reducing the number of spores in the environment will really help. Also, only add the same amount of sweetened tea as you have KT so that you have a 50% starter ratio, and even, add a tablespoon of vinegar (not live). Be sure to use a clean cloth cover. The rubber band or anything else that was connected to the moldy batches should be thoroughly cleaned with the sanitizing protocol before reuse. And, leave the jar with the remaining KT in another room while you do the cleaning, then sanitize the outside of the container, and rinse with water, before opening. The idea is to minimize any mold spore contact. The sanitizing protocol is: Have separate spray bottles containing hydrogen peroxide and distilled white vinegar. Spray first with one solution, then the other, and wipe clean. Totally nontoxic (and edible) and it kills EVERYTHING, including antibiotic resistant staph, mold, e-coli, pseudomonas (sp?), listeria, etc. It works better than chlorine, betadine, etc. --V ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ --A.J. Muste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 In message <ehk74t+in0teGroups> you wrote: > Well, I looked tonight and discovered that one of the two jars I > hadn't thrown out. so I looked and it was turning darker in color > (like dark green/gray or something) and junk in the jar. Disqusting > and I threw it all out. Hi Carol, I have been following the 'mold' saga from afar, thinking about it and evaluating what I read. I have been getting more and more convinced that the 'disgusting stuff' that you had in your brew is the same kind of 'disgusting stuff' that is floating regularly in some of my brews (depending on tea) and is completely harmless: an oogliness of flotsam of tea-leavy bits and extra yeast cells from the culture. Yes, it does look a bit like quatermass, a green/blue/grey gelatinous concoction of the culture's own making, mainly redundant debris. Strange thing I have noticed is that those particular ooglified brews seem to be particularly delicious ...this has been mentioned by others, too. So, I guess, you'll have to start again and just not to be afraid of the oogly monster if it comes ....whooooooooooo ;-) But, as said, fuzziness gives the mold away! http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm There are some very good pictures of healthy and moldy cultures on this site which might help to clarify the issue for you. With best wishes, kombuchaly, Margret:-) (England-UK) -- +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Minstrel@... <)))<>< http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk <)))<>< http://www.AnswersInGenesis.com http://www.lamblion.com/ +---------------------------------------------------------------+ God keeps His eye upon you as you come and go, and always guards you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 portland or > Where are you? > > > > > i just bought my first kit and culture to make tea. im 6 days in and > > i have mold spots on my new culture. can anyone part with a part of > > their culture as i cannot afford to buy a new one? ii would of > course > > pay for shipping. > > > > thanks > > > > eric ( first timer) > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 portland or > Where are you? > > > > > i just bought my first kit and culture to make tea. im 6 days in and > > i have mold spots on my new culture. can anyone part with a part of > > their culture as i cannot afford to buy a new one? ii would of > course > > pay for shipping. > > > > thanks > > > > eric ( first timer) > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 , I'm sorry to hear that. Where did you buy your kit and what do you think went wrong? I also will be starting my 1st batch very soon and am trying to read up. Thanks, > > i just bought my first kit and culture to make tea. im 6 days in and > i have mold spots on my new culture. can anyone part with a part of > their culture as i cannot afford to buy a new one? ii would of course > pay for shipping. > > > thanks > > eric ( first timer) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 , I'm sorry to hear that. Where did you buy your kit and what do you think went wrong? I also will be starting my 1st batch very soon and am trying to read up. Thanks, > > i just bought my first kit and culture to make tea. im 6 days in and > i have mold spots on my new culture. can anyone part with a part of > their culture as i cannot afford to buy a new one? ii would of course > pay for shipping. > > > thanks > > eric ( first timer) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 For those that have had mold in your brews, did it SMELL any different? Did it smell mildewy or did it smell like your regular brew? I do have to say that up until today, I couldn't stomach the way that my brew smelled...the entire brewed container smelled like that yucky, just came out of the packaged glass jar smell, like when I first opened the jar and took a whiff. Today, most of that stench is gone and it smells better...maybe a smidge more vinegary?? Hard to tell since this is my first batch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Thanks! Even though some parts of mine look questionable to a newbie like me, I tasted it yesterday and it didn't taste moldy at all. :-) > > > > > > For those that have had mold in your brews, did it SMELL any > > different? Did it smell mildewy or did it smell like your regular brew? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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