Picked up my first Kombucha scoby ever today: holy MOLY! it's MASSIVE!!!! 1-ft in diameter?

[carito]

Dear ladies,

I picked up my scoby today from a lady in Santa Monica, CA.  She was so busy she didn't have time to answer my questions, but I was really shocked at the size of my new scoby.  

I'm freaked out because I'm not sure how to concoct the proper amount of sugar-tea-water ratio in order to feed something this massive.

I would have been happy with something the size of a hockey puck, which is what one usually observes whilst browsing the internet.

This one is nearly 1 FOOT IN DIAMETER!!!  

And weighs at least 2 pounds!!  About 1.5 inches thick in the thickest area!!!

:(  It's suspended in a plastic sealed bag, which she told me to keep refrigerated- but I'm worried it's going to get sick or weak without a proper sugar/tea habitat, so I need to make it TOMORROW as soon as possible.

Can I slice it in 4 quarters, or no?  Peel half of it off to force a 'mother/baby' separation?

****most importantly:  what should i do for the water/sugar/tea ratio?****

Thank you SO so, so, so very much.

Caro

ps.  Picture attached for reference.  My hand is in the image to provide some comparison- please take into consideration I have *incredibly* long, thin fingers- longer than, or as long as most men twice my size,  this is truly a massive scoby, and I'm a little sad I may be unable to pull off culturing this one.

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3964/massivekombucha.jpg

[deditus]

She must use a big ice tea jar! It's fine, there is no need to change the ratios, just use the same ratio you use for whatever amount of tea your vessel holds. Just fold the scoby up until it fits.

[carito]

Albeit untimely on my part, but thank you for your response, Deditius!  I became very busy, so I had since then stored the scoby in the fridge.  But I took it out today and placed it in a large glass jar with a green tea, sugar, water.  

Anyone ever have such a massive scoby like that before?

And what does size usually account for, with regards to production?  Does it culture slightly quicker?  My hypothesis is that it's not necessarily faster, but it can handle a larger volume of water/tea?

Thank you, if anyone knows!

[Cullens_Girl]

I started off with a hockey-puck sized scoby... but by the time I "harvested" my first batch it had reached the diamater you are speaking of... I used the glass 1 gallon jars from walmart. Basically it will grow across the width of wherever the liquid line is. It does grow fast!

[ambersrose]

You can cut a scoby into peices if need be.  In my experience a larger scoby will ferment faster but the suger/tea ratio should remain the same.  Hope you are enjoying your kombucha! 

[omamasmama]

We've got a massive scoby as well. It's in a glass pickle jar that holds a gallon. It's thick and big. I'd say find what jar you want to keep making kombucha in and cut it to fit. It will grow back. Here's my recipe for kombucha that's tried and true for us.

boil 1.5 quarts water for 10 minutes. 

add four family size tea bags (we use the newman's own organics)

let steep for 10 minutes then remove.

stir in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar

add another quart of cold water and it's usually luke warm and ready to go in the jar with the scoby. always leave at least 2 cups of last batch of kombucha in with the scoby.

we give it a week, bottle it and wait another week because we like it bubbly! :)

Hope that helps and good luck.

(sometimes we do peel the layers and give them away or compost them, but don't put pieces of them down your drain, they can grow there.:). when we do take out our scoby, I wash it in coldl water and lay it on a plate with a little kombucha to cover it while i clean out the jar.)