Is it dead?

[Guest guest]

Questions from a first time brewer.

So, I've heard that the duration ranges from 5 days to a month. During

my first batch, I left a lid on the container for 2 weeks, was told my

mistake by a friend, and took it off. THen the culture started

forming, so I assumed it wasn't dead. I left it in for a month afte

that, and it was unbearably vinegary, so I started over.

This second batch tastes mildly vinegary and somewhat sweet after a

week and a half, but there isn't an obvious culture growing on the

top. The mother is kind of folded up and deformed since it is in a

smaller container than it grew in, so I'm not sure if I killed it with

water too warm, or if ...or what.

I'm not sure what to look for in taste, duration, culture formation,

but so far its not what it looked like in the picutres online.

-thanx

[Guest guest]

>Questions from a first time brewer.

>So, I've heard that the duration ranges from 5 days to a month. During

>my first batch, I left a lid on the container for 2 weeks, was told my

>mistake by a friend, and took it off. THen the culture started

>forming, so I assumed it wasn't dead. I left it in for a month afte

>that, and it was unbearably vinegary, so I started over.

>This second batch tastes mildly vinegary and somewhat sweet after a

>week and a half, but there isn't an obvious culture growing on the

>top. The mother is kind of folded up and deformed since it is in a

>smaller container than it grew in, so I'm not sure if I killed it with

>water too warm, or if ...or what.

>I'm not sure what to look for in taste, duration, culture formation,

>but so far its not what it looked like in the picutres online.

It seems from what you've said that your first batch did grow a new

SCOBY? If so, I don't know why the difference. It does happen in new

brewing situations that a SCOBY doesn't grow, it may take a couple more

cycles. Probably there is some culture there on the surface. If you have

a glass vessel you can look from below the surface up towards the surface

and probably see a film forming. Check your brew as per normal, which is,

every day or two when it is near ready and since you don't know what your

normal rhythm will be yet. Decant and drink when ready.

Use all the the SCOBYferous material in the next batch, the original SCOBY

plus any gelatinous material present. A SCOBY should begin to form within

a few cycles.

The pictures on the web are usually ideal pictures of SCOBYs specially

created for the picture. The perfect SCOBYs form when a vessel of KT is

allowed to just sit completely undisturbed for at least 2 weeks until the

SCOBY is the thickness desired. No disturbing to taste or anything. By

using already fermented KT, there is no sugar so the yeasts aren't very

active, which also seems to affect the SCOBY. Active yeasts make bubbles

which cause irregularities. All of these things are just inevitable with

working SCOBYs and are nothing to worry about.

How long it takes is completely dependent on your individual

environment. You should taste by day 9 for sure the first time, certainly

do not allow 2 weeks to go by without tasting. It's up to you to determine

when it is ready, so you have to monitor the brew closely. Eventually

you'll get more of a feel for it and won't have to monitor so much.

Ready is when it tastes good to you. The flavor called " ice tea with

lemon " is about the minimal taste requirement. Many of us feel that it is

best to drink it when it tastes good to you and that way you'll be getting

the health benefits you need at the time. Tastes in KT definitely change

over time.

If I haven't answered all your questions, just repost them.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste