Growing My Own Kombucha Scoby - Page 23

[tinyblackdot]

Holey cow, if i had known i could get my own SCOBY from the kambucha i get a the stoer i would have done this ages ago! Ok im going to go get some in the morning....!

[slowfoodie]

Sooo Fascinating!

Thanks so much for sharing! I've been working up the nerve to try doing this myself, and I think today might be the day I get started. I think I'll try making it with white tea. Apparently that's the least processed form of tea.

I'll post pics on my blog: www.mylifeintheslowlane.com

:

[momofbrock]

Good info! I've read the whole conversation so far and looks like I have a ways to go!

Does anyone on here use a continuous brewing system so you never have to remove your Scoby? I'm wondering if anyone has done it and likes it better that way?

I tried my first bottle of Kombucha tea about a week ago and started brewing my own batch 4 days ago. Yes I'm THAT hooked on it already.

Day 4 and although my Scoby is way too big for its container its floating sideways and my baby Scoby is formed on top. They're both looking healthy and thriving.

Well I'll save my continuous brewing questions until I find out if some one does it!!!

Here's the one I just ordered:
http://www.happyherbalist.com/index....ROD&ProdID=261

You have constant tea ready to go, never have to remove the scoby, don't have to clean out jars etc etc etc Sounds good to me!!!

Well I'll keep reading now.

:

~momofbrock~

[momofbrock]

I'm still reading but if you haven't gotten a reply yet.... honey has antibacterial properties... and Kombucha is a bacteria yeast mix. The two do NOT go together!!! I've read on several sites "never use honey!!!" You end up with something that's not a Kombucha.

[lisaannesm]

Originally Posted by momofbrock

Good info! I've read the whole conversation so far and looks like I have a ways to go!

Does anyone on here use a continuous brewing system so you never have to remove your Scoby? I'm wondering if anyone has done it and likes it better that way?

I tried my first bottle of Kombucha tea about a week ago and started brewing my own batch 4 days ago. Yes I'm THAT hooked on it already.

Day 4 and although my Scoby is way too big for its container its floating sideways and my baby Scoby is formed on top. They're both looking healthy and thriving.

Well I'll save my continuous brewing questions until I find out if some one does it!!!

Here's the one I just ordered:
http://www.happyherbalist.com/index....ROD&ProdID=261

You have constant tea ready to go, never have to remove the scoby, don't have to clean out jars etc etc etc Sounds good to me!!!

Well I'll keep reading now.

:

~momofbrock~

Hi Momofbrock,

I am curious how you like the continuous brewing method? I am starting to brew my own kombucha, and I am wondering if I should try this method!

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

[tehrob]

Hello all, I am brand spankin' new here, just came on to join the Kombucha discussion. I have been brewing Kombucha for about 8 weeks now. About 2 and 1/2 cycles through the process. I have gone from 1 to 4 to now 6(combined a few) scobys.

This batch I am trying something a little different. I am brewing a batch of Kombucha(if it can still be called that) with a scoby, some started and about 3/4 a gallon of unpasturized organic apple juice. I made 3 batches in fact, 1 with just tea, one with just juice, and one half and half. They all seem to be growing quite well especially in the recently hotter than usual California climate.

Has anyone else every used anything else other than tea to brew, and is there any technical reason that one should not be able to brew in anything from sugar water to pineapple juice(ummm.. other than the acidity I suppose)

After having done a few batches, I am feeling pretty confident, and after having read about making vinigars, it seems that the big differences are length of time, and source of the vinigaring mother agent. In normal cases it would be the air, in this case it is the air for a much shorter pierios of time, (15 days or so vs 6 months).

Any advice other than "Try it and see?" the anticipation is killing me haha Thanks in advance.

[Pixie26]

I have come along to learn about Kombucha brewing ... Im going to read the entire post and then post questions.... So excited to read up!

Sally

[jgourley]

I have finally acquired my first scoby. Googled how to make kombucha and of COURSE I find a Mothering post. WHY didn't I look here to start with?

WildIris... are you still brewing out there? I followed your posts here... thanks for the info!

[Pixie26]

It really does work! 2 weeks into a GTDaves scoby creation- with success!

[CookiePie]

I am on day 6, I used one bottle of GT Dave's original, unflavored. I have a thin little blob about the size of a quarter, it has legs growing that's about it. My house is about 65 most of the time. I'm expecting it to take about a month or so. In the meantime I'm drinking Dave's brew at $3.99 a pop! I'm saving all the bottles & hoping my SCOBY grows!!!

[CookiePie]

Well after my last post I decided to slip my whole jar into a cloth bag, it is an eco-bag produce/flour bag. That way I'm not constantly touching the jar & peeking inside. Also it will keep it a little darker. Today is day 10, and there is a little bit of a film beginning! I think my mother is-a-growin' It is killing me to wait I've looked at various sites as well as ebay because I want a mother so badly I was considering purchasing one. My Kombucha habit is costing me too much $ so I really can't wait to make my own! Luckily I think I'm on my way & I won't have to order one!!!

[Chris_in_Canada]

Thick Scoby

I know my answer may be here already but can anyone tell me how long it takes to get the scoby thick. I was given a scoby in a jar at a raw cooking class. The culture was very thin but I have been very successful making three fizzy ginger and black tea batches. My scoby is still very thin like is was in the beginning only wider because I put it in a huge jar. If I just leave it will it get thicker? How long do I leave it? I have been bottling my batches after 12 days. I would appreciate any advice.

Chris....in Canada

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Chris_in_Canada

I know my answer may be here already but can anyone tell me how long it takes to get the scoby thick. I was given a scoby in a jar at a raw cooking class. The culture was very thin but I have been very successful making three fizzy ginger and black tea batches. My scoby is still very thin like is was in the beginning only wider because I put it in a huge jar. If I just leave it will it get thicker? How long do I leave it? I have been bottling my batches after 12 days. I would appreciate any advice.

Chris....in Canada

If left undisturbed (so the scoby doesn't separate from the top of the jar) it will continue to grow. It generally takes about 2 weeks for them to be about 1/4 inch thick and so on. By 30 days, they are generally very thick. At 12 days they are still quite thin--they are still very much scobies and will work just fine for culturing, but they are thin.

The other thing that might happen is often the baby scoby will attach/fuse to the mother basically giving you a thicker scoby.

[Toolip]

[RasJane]

I've started to read this thread a few times. But with the new year, and new commitments to health and all that, I've finally started my own scoby!
We can't do tea around here, and I had read somewhere you could use rooibos tea. I made up a batch with some sugar and poured a 1/2 bottle of GT Daves in. A week or so later, I have a beautiful thin scoby! I'm so excited to add this to my list of bubbling pots.
I'll be checking in to remind myself how to get to the final product state. I just wanted to post my use of an "alternate" growing liquid in case anyone is interested.
Oh, and given how ancient Kombucha is, you'd think that there are other sweeteners that would feed it well, right? It's not like refined sugar has always been around.

[Chris_in_Canada]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

If left undisturbed (so the scoby doesn't separate from the top of the jar) it will continue to grow. It generally takes about 2 weeks for them to be about 1/4 inch thick and so on. By 30 days, they are generally very thick. At 12 days they are still quite thin--they are still very much scobies and will work just fine for culturing, but they are thin.

The other thing that might happen is often the baby scoby will attach/fuse to the mother basically giving you a thicker scoby.

Thank you Dogmom. I am going to a market in Toronto where I will be able to purchase a thick scoby and a kombucha book. I read somewhere in this thread that people are making fantastic flavours like pomegranate and I can't wait to try and make my own.

[Jojo F.]

Just putting this out there....

I never remove my scoby from the bowl/jar. When it's done fermenting I take a plastic measuring cup, scoop out the tea leaving some as starter and bottle it. Then I add my cooled sweet to the bowl and cover. I did however remove it last week to remove some bottom layers- like Dogmom said, each layer is a new scoby and can get fused to the mother. The old layers went into the compost- I can't find anyone local willing to take a scoby, go figure!!!

Also, the thinner the scoby the longer the ferment and the thicker the faster. Just like with temps, higher=faster, lower=slower;D

RasJane- I too have been wondering what type of sweetner was used long ago. Honey *may* have been used but, it has antibacterial properties. The scoby is bacteria and yeasts so I'd think over time the honey would either kill the scoby or put it into some sort of an imbalance. Or maybe they used some type of juice? I just don't know but, I sure would love to find out!!

[RasJane]

I'm watching Botany of Desire on Netflix right now. I just learned that apples were traded on the Silk Road. Maybe I'll try apple juice in a batch once I have a few scobys to experiment with.

[Chris_in_Canada]

Containers for Kombucha

I was looking at buying a ceramic container for making kombucha in Toronto, spcifically China Town and had no luck. You can buy them online but you were always looking at $100 or more. One day I was in the Great Canadian Superstore and found a 10 litre glass container with a tap, a rubber gasket and a metal lid. I was so excited when I found it was on sale from $44.95 to $19.95 that I bought a bunch of them. I now have two of them on the go in my pantry and have also managed to grow my own scoby, nice and thick from using a commercial kombucha for a starter. Now I am looking for some fresh tumeric to add to my recipe. Are there any other Canadians on this site who are into Kombucha?

[Ms. B. Sprout]

I need to read this whole thread, & thought I would give it a bump.