How can I get my kombucha to taste more like GT's?? - Page 2

[velcromom]

Yep, the new layer is the baby.

I just bought a GT's kombucha yesterday for the first time since they reformulated and.... YUCK! Thank goodness my scoby is a descendant of the old formula, the new one tastes really "beery".

[jake87]

Chances are that fat mother SCOBY you have has a baby attached to it. Most times the Baby forms right on top of the mother and should peel right off. It looks a lot like the mother. Sometimes when the mother sinks a baby will form separate the mother on top of the liquid.

[jake87]

To be honest my fellow Kombucha brewers, I leave comments like I know what I’m doing, I’m a first timer and only know what I read on line but it seems to be pretty consistent. But now I find myself with a question. My SCOBY finally came back to the surface but it appears that there are a lot of bacteria on the bottom of my jar sticking to it. Is this normal, I expected it to grow atop the mother. Also there appears to be darker mater on the bottom with the bacteria that resembles mold. My experiences with mold tell me if that was what it were it would be on the surface. I read that the darker matter is actually the yeast culture, is this so? I am a little paranoid. Perhaps the bacteria on the bottom will rise up and meet the mother now that it is on the surface? I am so excited and would hate to have to start over. I washed my jar really good and rinsed my jar with boiling water so I feel pretty confident that there is no mold, but just to make sure I am looking forward to your comments.

[velcromom]

There always seems to be some "gunk" under the scoby and on the bottom of the jar, I don't worry about it. It seems to be part of the process. I don't find that it ever becomes part of the actual scoby, it just seems to grow under the scoby then it sinks to the bottom.

Usually the new scoby forms on the mother as a new top layer that is attached, but if the mother gets tipped over and submerged then another layer forms independently at the surface of the liquid and that's ok too.

[fancyoats]

jake87, my understanding is that the yeast colony looks brown and a little globby and stringy, and hangs right under the pancake part of the scoby.  the rubbery mushroom pancake part is the bacteria colony.  neither of the two should look like mold.  (no fuzz, not black or green)  and if you have mold, your brew is contaminated and should be thrown out.  sometimes i get a little sediment on the bottom of the jar, and i assume this is yeasts too.  but it does not look moldy, per se, just a little slimy and muddy.

if you post a picture of what you're referring to, that might help decide if it's mold.  but i think you are right, mold contamination would normally be on the top surface of the scoby -- the part that touches the air, not underneath.

and it's ok if the mother is sunk half way down or at the bottom.  the baby will always form at the surface, regardless of where the mother is floating

[jake87]

The growth I was describing is actually on the very bottom of the jar and Is sticking to it. The SCOBY is now appearing to be growing on the surface but the growth on the bottom is still there. It isn’t mold im certain, it looks like bacterial growth I will try to post a photo.

[yippiehippie]

Jake, I cant see it real well, but it looks like the "sludge" that I always get at the bottom. I don't worry about it much bc GTs has that too sometimes.

I DID IT! I made a really yummy, carbonated bottle!! I say bottle bc only one out of the batch has been. I completely started over, let it go 8days for the first ferm and 6 for the second. I used 1gal water to 1c sugar, 3 green tea bags and 3 black (?)--organic tea. I also bought grolsch bottles and put papaya juice and ginger in them.

The batch that's brewing now I put more green that black tea and will add an inch or so of juice on the bottom. I think the second ferment is the real key to the fizzies...HOORAY! Thanks for the help and I'll continue to perfect and post about this new batch.

[velcromom]

Yes, it's the second ferment that develops the fizz, and those Grolsch bottles really help a lot.

Jake your sludge looks normal to me.:)

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by velcromom 

Adding  a source of sugar like juice for the second ferment really helps with the fizziness and keeps it from getting vinegary. But if you do let it go too far, it's not lost! It can still be used. When I have a bottle that gets really sour, I find I can still drink it by adding small amounts to juice or tea or even water. Or, you can let it go completely to vinegar and use it in a vinaigrette. If you have extra, use it for soaking grains.

I agree with using green tea, I like it that way too.

I noticed that the Kombucha Wonder Drink brand adds carbonation to theirs.... cheaters! lol

We use this juice to speed up the flavoring when we do not have time to wait for shaved ginger... good stuff.

http://www.gingerpeople.com/pantry-essentials/ginger-juice.html