Re: Help--How to get a SCOBY to grow?

[Guest guest]

Sounds like you are moving your jar to much......Best scobys come from no

movement.....I know its hard to do...You are probably like a mother hen

watching her eggs...but you got to stick it in a corner, and let your mother

scoby

raise her baby.....and if it isn't as thick the first time....let mom and baby

make another batch...or just rest in some kombucha (starter) for a few days

and it will thicken up.....Soon you will have scobys coming out of your

ears......Always remember we are not raising the new scoby, The Mother is, and

she

knows exactly what to do.....nuttin you can do will help but to leave her

alone, and keep her at the right temp. Your brew will taste better

also.....Ron and vivian in leander tx

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[Guest guest]

>Hi! I need a sure-fire way to get some new Scobies! I have had 4 gallons

>brewing off and on for some time now and my Scobies are very floppy now.

>The brew tastes fine, but there is no film on top or on the mother etc. I

>even placed a cup on top of mother to see if there would be a film forming

>on top of brew and still nothing! I use the heating pad for 8 days.

>Switched from coffee filters to handkerchiefs, thinking that might allow

>more air in and that didn't help either. Anyone, have any suggestions? I

>have used all kinds of tea--most of the time green tea--other times a

>mixture of green, black & white. Thanks for your help!

, I'm not sure. As mentioned, moving the vessels or disturbing the

SCOBY interferes with SCOBY production. Another thought is that if your

heating pad is bringing the temperature up too high it might be interfering

in the bacterial action. The bacteria make the SCOBY. What temperature is

your brewing environment, without the heater?

Occasionally we have had people on this list whose SCOBYs don't

reproduce. I had a problem with my SCOBYs thinning out and becoming less

active, and it was because I was using a sweetener that can't be used

without mixing in some other sweetener (agave), and it was affecting the

bacteria.

So to my mind the approach to thinking about this problem is, are the

bacteria inhibited in some way? Do your brews get tart, so that you know

you have bacterial action?

What sweetener are you using? What is your water source?

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

Hi --My 4 gallons are inside of a cardboard box that is not tightly

sealed (big gaps) on heating pad. (Because it's kind of cool in this room

where I have them) Not sure of temp. I use Wholesome Evaporated Cane Juice

Organic sugar with spring water. They are not moved at all. Also, between

brews, I let the 4 gallons sit with 2 cups starter with Scoby at room temp.

for about 18 days and still no new growth. Yes, my brews seem tart, so I

know they are consuming the sugar. Any other ideas? I might try not

putting the brews inside the cardboard box next time. Other than that, I

don't know what else to do. I am hoping I don't have to resort to buying

another Scoby. Thanks again,

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[Guest guest]

In message you wrote:

.. Other than that, I

> don't know what else to do. I am hoping I don't have to resort to buying

> another Scoby.

, it might be interesting for you to do an experiment, and I do

the following procedure all the time:

Choose a glass vessel with the diameter you'd like your scoby to be,

and fill it up 1/2 to 3/4 with ready brewed KT. Cover it well with

cloth and out it out of the way in a place where it won't get disturbed

at all for about a fortnight. It doesn't matter at all whether it is a

darkish or light place.

After a fortnight look and see what you can see.

Don't put any old scoby in with it...just the liquid.... and wait!

Report back and share what you find.

Expectantly,

Margret:-)

P.S. The scoby is actually only the cellular by-product the bacteria

build during the fermentation process. The scoby AND the liquid KT

comprise the whole culture, as in both are present bacteria and

yeasts specific to Kombucha. Scoby-building is one of the in-built

abilities of the Kombucha, defining it as zoogloea ....

(sounds like a zoo for jelly-blobs) ! ;-)

http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszS\

zcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_z_01zPzhtm

In the winter months scobys tend to be naturally thinner and less

substantial. That does NOT mean that the culture itself is less efficacious.

--

+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

<)))<>< http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk <)))<><

http://www.AnswersInGenesis.com

+----------------- http://www.Gotquestions.org ------------------+

Nobody feels loving all the time,

but we can always do the loving thing if we so choose

[Guest guest]

In message you wrote:

.. Other than that, I

> don't know what else to do. I am hoping I don't have to resort to buying

> another Scoby.

, it might be interesting for you to do an experiment, and I do

the following procedure all the time:

Choose a glass vessel with the diameter you'd like your scoby to be,

and fill it up 1/2 to 3/4 with ready brewed KT. Cover it well with

cloth and out it out of the way in a place where it won't get disturbed

at all for about a fortnight. It doesn't matter at all whether it is a

darkish or light place.

After a fortnight look and see what you can see.

Don't put any old scoby in with it...just the liquid.... and wait!

Report back and share what you find.

Expectantly,

Margret:-)

P.S. The scoby is actually only the cellular by-product the bacteria

build during the fermentation process. The scoby AND the liquid KT

comprise the whole culture, as in both are present bacteria and

yeasts specific to Kombucha. Scoby-building is one of the in-built

abilities of the Kombucha, defining it as zoogloea ....

(sounds like a zoo for jelly-blobs) ! ;-)

http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszS\

zcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_z_01zPzhtm

In the winter months scobys tend to be naturally thinner and less

substantial. That does NOT mean that the culture itself is less efficacious.

--

+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

<)))<>< http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk <)))<><

http://www.AnswersInGenesis.com

+----------------- http://www.Gotquestions.org ------------------+

Nobody feels loving all the time,

but we can always do the loving thing if we so choose

[Guest guest]

>Hi --My 4 gallons are inside of a cardboard box that is not tightly

>sealed (big gaps) on heating pad. (Because it's kind of cool in this room

>where I have them) Not sure of temp. I use Wholesome Evaporated Cane Juice

>Organic sugar with spring water. They are not moved at all. Also, between

>brews, I let the 4 gallons sit with 2 cups starter with Scoby at room temp.

>for about 18 days and still no new growth. Yes, my brews seem tart, so I

>know they are consuming the sugar. Any other ideas? I might try not

>putting the brews inside the cardboard box next time. Other than that, I

>don't know what else to do. I am hoping I don't have to resort to buying

>another Scoby. Thanks again,

Because you now have the resource of this list, you won't have to buy a

SCOBY, I'm sure there is someone near you who can ship you a SCOBY just for

cost of shipping.

The only thing I can think of is try NOT using the heating pad, and not

using the cardboard box. My house is in the low 60F temps most of the

winter, with occasional higher temps up to 67 or 68, and sometimes lower

temps into the 50s. My brews are great. So lower temps do not inhibit the

brew.

Various people here in the group have also felt that if someone's house is

heavily mold infested, that might inhibit SCOBY development because the

culture is fighting off mold spores constantly. This is theoretical, but

it does speak to the potential for chemical or biological presences which

might inhibit development.

There are also thoughts that electro-magnetic forces might

interfere. That's another reason for getting rid of the heating pad for a

couple rounds.

If you decide you ought to try a new culture, let us know where you are so

someone nearby can help you out.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>

Hi ,

Have you checked the temperature of your fermenting KT? Is it possible

your heating pad is too hot for them?

If you have some finished KT you can set some aside in a jar and keep

it at room temperature for about two weeks...it should create a new

Kombucha Colony SCOBY, in the jar....then you can use it to make more

kombucha.

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

Hi! I need a sure-fire way to get some new Scobies! I have had 4

gallons

> brewing off and on for some time now and my Scobies are very floppy

now.

> The brew tastes fine, but there is no film on top or on the mother

etc. I

> even placed a cup on top of mother to see if there would be a film

forming

> on top of brew and still nothing! I use the heating pad for 8 days.

> Switched from coffee filters to handkerchiefs, thinking that might

allow

> more air in and that didn't help either. Anyone, have any

suggestions? I

> have used all kinds of tea--most of the time green tea--other times a

> mixture of green, black & white. Thanks for your help!

>

> _________________________________________________________________

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01

>

[Guest guest]

I have a Shaklee Air Source 3000, it uses Photohydroionization &

Electron Generation, has no edverse effect on my KT. Yet keeps our

air pure!

~Connie~

>

>

> >

> >Every time I have had problems with scoby growth, or mold it has

been

> >because of air cleaners believe it or not. The electorstatic

filters

> >as well as the photocatalytic oxidation ones for sure will kill the

> >scoby-anything creating ozone. Even a strong hepa filter in the

same

> >room affected my brews. Have not had problems since. Hope this

helps.

> >joe

>

> We had another person on this list at one time who said her brews

had

> suffered with an air filter in the room.

>

> --V

>

>

>

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

> --A.J. Muste

>