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*Farmgirl Barter™:  keep ruining my scoby  |
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samsmom03
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
daniele
Ozark
MO
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 04 2012 : 05:31:01 AM
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Hi, I would appreciate any help I can get. I grew my own scoby and am trying to brew kombucha tea. I had to throw away my first batch, because when I checked it there was mold all over the top of it. So I rinsed my scoby clean and started over, according to the directions in the magazine. It's been about four days and now the scoby is floating at the top and weird little brown floaty things are at the top also. I'm afraid it's going to turn into mold again. I sanitized everything I used in a hot dishwasher before beginning and wore gloves. Please advise, I really want to try this stuff. Thanks!! |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2012 : 08:25:24 AM
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I was told to rinse everything in vinegar before starting.
If your water has lots of chlorine in it you should use bottled water.
Brew tea very dark add a cup of reg white sugar stir make sure you new tea is room temp add to scoby.
Cover with a paper towel and I use the lid just not tight it will explode as it ferments.
I brew a batch of tea every day and add to the scobys as i drink it they do look weird and the stringy thing are new scobys forming.
i love mine
good luck
Oh and no metal at all around it not even to stir the sugar in and only glass containers.
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
Edited by - gramadinah on Apr 04 2012 08:27:12 AM |
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urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2012 : 5:06:41 PM
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Daniele, some random thought for you:
Are you SURE it was mold? The forming SCOBY can look like mold when you are first starting. It is very hard to get mold growing in kombucha! The key is to look for fuzzies: mold will form spores that stand up in hair like formations, while the growing SCOBY will make the top look cloudy, possibly with a greyish tint at first. Many folks starting with kombucha will incorrectly think they have mold when the SCOBY first starts to grow.
If indeed it IS fuzzy mold, washing the SCOBY will most likely NOT work, you need to sterilize all your equipment and start with a new SCOBY. True mold can get into the SCOBY and it isn't safe, health wise, to try to wash it and use it again.
As for those brown floaty things: it sounds like spent yeast that gets brown with tea stain, much like one would dye muslin with tea :) That is just a by-product of the fermentation process and is actually a good sign! You might also get some brownish sediment at the bottom, especially if you do a continuous brew. All is good!
As for the SCOBY floating.....they can do any number of things. Floating to the top is the most common, but they can sink or even float mid-way as well. Location of the mother SCOBY doesn't matter. The important thing is whether or not the new baby SCOBY is forming on the top of the liquid. That new SCOBY is a sign of the fermentation, as it is a cellulose by=product of the metabolic processes occurring inside the tea itself. Mamma can do all sorts of things, but baby needs to be on top! Baby is what protects the tea from outside influences (such as mold) until it is tart enough (that is, the ph low enough) to hold its own. That baby SCOBY that forms also helps regulate temperature and will house different strains of yeast and bacteria at different "layers" as it forms.
Catherine
Farmgirl #1370
City Girl By Birth,
Suburbanite By Location,
Farmgirl at Heart
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Acelady02
True Blue Farmgirl
1266 Posts
Penny
Washington
GA
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2012 : 5:41:14 PM
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Catherine is right, mold is fuzzy...it is hard to get mold...but do rinse every thing with vinegar. I rinse everything even after washing it...and best not to use antibacterial soap...I put a handkerchief with a rubberband on the top to be sure nothing gets in it...I hope everything is ok...here is a great website http://www.kombuchakamp.com/
(((((Hugs All)))))Penny
Farmgirl Sister #3343
God gives Miracles to those who Believe, Courage to those with Faith, Hope to those who Dream, Love to those who Accept, & Forgiveness to those who Ask...
My blog: http://ourgeorgiafarm.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pgmcgee/# |
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Lexi Lavender
True Blue Farmgirl
92 Posts
Lexi
Bangor
Maine
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2012 : 4:36:50 PM
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[ http://www.kombuchakamp.com/
Penny, thank you for the great website... we just have our first kambucha started, today is day 7... Silverweed [ |
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Leilaht
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Elizabeth
Highland
MI
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2012 : 02:24:43 AM
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If you need a new SCOBY I have some. Just let me know.
Liz
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25 |
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Acelady02
True Blue Farmgirl
1266 Posts
Penny
Washington
GA
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2012 : 05:41:18 AM
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Silverweed, you are so welcome...I love that site...it has been very helpful to me...she is also on Facebook
(((((Hugs All)))))Penny
Farmgirl Sister #3343
God gives Miracles to those who Believe, Courage to those with Faith, Hope to those who Dream, Love to those who Accept, & Forgiveness to those who Ask...
My blog: http://ourgeorgiafarm.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pgmcgee/# |
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*Farmgirl Barter™: keep ruining my scoby |
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keep ruining my scoby
