Kombucha & Fruit Flies

[LDSmomma]

I've had kombucha brewing for quite some time over here. I've had trouble finding the perfect brewing container, but I finally found a perfect one for us. The brew had been going a little too long, so I decided I'd trash this batch and start over. When I went to do that this morning, and discovered that it wasn't covered as tightly as I'd thought, and a fruit fly flew out when I uncovered it. I then found what may be eggs on the side of this bowl. Not sure, tbh. This has been brewing for a while, so it may just be old bits of the mushroom on the side. Anyway, my SCOBY mother now has a thick baby, so I tossed the mother and am using the baby (which was submerged completely, presumably away from any fruit flies that could have been nearby) for my new batch. Am I wasting my time? Should I just get a new mushroom? I imagine fruit flies couldn't actually live in kombucha because it's so acidic, but am I wrong?

[dogmom327]

Normally what you'd see is eggs laid in the scoby on the top of the jar which would hatch--it's bad. Anyway, I think your odds are probably okay since it sounds like that wouldn't have happened so it's just a matter of watching the batch for any sighs of crawly thing :shudder

[LDSmomma]

I covered the new batch securely with a cloth & rubber band, so if anything hatches, I will see them in there when I open it. How long might it take for anything to hatch? longer than a week?

Another kombucha question: I've heard some people put their extra mushrooms in the garden as fertilizer or something. How does one do this? Dry it out? put it in there wet? chop it up? one piece? bury it? place on top?

[my_baby_love]

Originally Posted by LDSmomma

Another kombucha question: I've heard some people put their extra mushrooms in the garden as fertilizer or something. How does one do this? Dry it out? put it in there wet? chop it up? one piece? bury it? place on top?

I am curious about this too. Also, do I always use the mother scoby and toss the baby? That's mostly what I've been doing, but I just wasn't sure. (Sorry if I slightly thread hijacked ).

[LDSmomma]

Originally Posted by my_baby_love

I am curious about this too. Also, do I always use the mother scoby and toss the baby? That's mostly what I've been doing, but I just wasn't sure. (Sorry if I slightly thread hijacked ).

No problem, I wonder about that, too. So far, I've always had someone to give the baby to. Well, the first few times I brew, the baby is wimpy, so I let it stay in there to mature, I guess. Once it seems thick enough, I give it away. Pretty soon, I'll run out of people to pass it on to, though, that's why I asked about fertilizer.

I just read on the Healthy Home Economist blog that she said you should throw away the mother and use a healthy baby instead once the mother gets brownish from the tannis from the black tea you use.

[dogmom327]

Basically you just compost them so either in the compost pile or bury them would probably be best and not attract pests.

Generally kombucha cultures do get kind of yucky after awhile but I have a few that have been going for 6 months. They aren't pretty but they work fine.