Re: Re:It came out perfect.

[Guest guest]

I've had bubbles in mine (or a slight rising in the middle ofthe scobie) from

time to time (and the resulting KT has been excellent), but I've never had one 2

inches high.

Dennis

Stott wrote:

speaking of " coming out perfect " , i have a question for any of you

experienced KT brewers (i am brand new at it):

I ordered and received a baby from an online site a few weeks ago and

because of traveling for the holidays, had to keep it in my fridge for about

10 days until i could start a batch with it. i then followed the

instructions and have had the batch brewing for 8 days so far up on my

mantle where the temp averages about 65 deg. i finally got curious and took

the glass jug down to peer in. on top of the liquid is a thinnish,

translucient layer with a large, (almost 2 inches high) blister-like bubble

in the center. is this bubble normal? the stuff definitely smells like all

the KT i've had in the past, but i'm just hoping i didn't do anything wrong

along the way. is it bad to store the babies in the fridge when brewing

isn't possible? and do i need to wait until the new " bubble baby " is thick

and opaque before i remove it and drink the tea?

thanks much, you guys are great by the way.

becca

[Guest guest]

>I ordered and received a baby from an online site a few weeks ago and

>because of traveling for the holidays, had to keep it in my fridge for about

>10 days until i could start a batch with it. i then followed the

>instructions and have had the batch brewing for 8 days so far up on my

>mantle where the temp averages about 65 deg. i finally got curious and took

>the glass jug down to peer in. on top of the liquid is a thinnish,

>translucient layer with a large, (almost 2 inches high) blister-like bubble

>in the center. is this bubble normal?

Yes, bubbles do form-- I've had huge ones-- If it starts forcing the SCOBY

up through the opening of the vessel, you should puncture the bubble as you

don't want the SCOBY in contact with the cloth cover. The bubble may well

return, but will usually be manageable.

At 65 degrees F, your brew will take longer than at higher temps, plus,

you'd had your SCOBY refrigerated which can slow down brews for some people.

>the stuff definitely smells like all

>the KT i've had in the past, but i'm just hoping i didn't do anything wrong

>along the way. is it bad to store the babies in the fridge when brewing

>isn't possible?

It doesn't need refrigeration, and sometimes they don't resuscitate and

brew, as someone recently reported once more on this list. If you're not

going to brew, best is to leave the SCOBY on the counter, floating in

KT. You can set up the " last brew " and just leave it sit. You will need

to check on it from time to time and top up with some sweetened tea (but

not too much sweet tea at a time or it won't have enough acidity to prevent

mold). If you pour in sweetened tea, recommend stirring or swirling the

vessel to mix with the acidic liquid already there.

>and do i need to wait until the new " bubble baby " is thick

>and opaque before i remove it and drink the tea?

No. You drink it when the tea is ready, regardless of the state of the SCOBY.

Based on your next message, the tea isn't ready yet. You're going to have

a hard time transporting the tea, but you can easily mail yourself the

SCOBY you started with plus any other SCOBiferous material (the newer film

and bubble), with a cup or so of the liquid. When it arrives at the new

place, put it in glass, liquid and all, even if you can't brew right away,

and just let it sit on a counter someplace-- let it sit until the liquid is

highly acidic before brewing again. Get it out of the plastic asap. You

can mail it by putting it in a gallon-size ziplock, putting that one in

another ziplock, and then putting that package into a 3rd baggie if you

want. Seal each within the other. Then put that into a Priority Mail box

and fill with packing paper on each end to make sure it doesn't slosh

around in the box.

I agree that trying to take it on the plane is probably not a good idea at

this point-- they will likely require you to throw it away. Let us know

how your new brew goes in FL.

Happy New Year!

Best wishes,

--

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

--A.J. Muste