Bugs in my Kombucha SCOBY and does anyone have one to share?

[Slabobbin]

I have been making Kombucha for a couple of years now and have been using the same SCOBY (or pieces grown from the same mother). I have never had a problem before. But this time when I checked to see if the brew was ready - I found tiny white worm looking things on it! They looked like tiny tape worms. I don't think they were maggots because I thought maggots just got on dead meat? They weren't big enough to be maggots either. Does anyone know what could have happened? I did it like always, using several layers of cheese cloth to go over a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a lid screwed over the cloth to hold it on.

Also, does anyone have a SCOBY that they could share with me? I would pay shipping. I miss my kombucha!

[GoddessKristie]

That's so wierd! Were they moving? Do you have a picture? I have one I can send you. I have been letting my kombucha sit out on the counter in it's jar and one has formed on it. I would be happy to send it to you FFS! You can PM me your info

[kangaroomum25]

like this? http://www.organic-kombucha.com/komb...amination.html

[moondiapers]

They're probably fruit fly maggots. Fruit flies are small enough to get through cheese cloth. I use a coffee filter.

[Slabobbin]

I didn't even think about fruit flies HAVING maggots! It makes sense though. I wonder why I've never gotten them before?

Goddess, I'll PM you with my info. Thank you!

[godusjourney]

Ugh. I just had this happen to me. Fruit flies are CRAZY in my area this year. So 3 weeks of waiting for my scoby to grow (it was almost done!), here's comes delicious fruit fly larvae to make my day.

That's most likely what you got as well.

Coffee filter is not a bad idea! I was wondering what else I could use...

[Slabobbin]

We use a reusable coffee filter so don't have any disposable ones. I wonder what else we could use as well?

[godusjourney]

a paper napkin or towel? very light-weight washable towel? Things along that vein, I suppose.

[dogmom327]

Gross! That has to be really frustrating!

I generally use a tight weave cloth (such as the terry cloth "rags" available in the huge packs at Costco--I use those for everything since I'm trying to walk away from paper towels). Paper coffee filters work well too. The biggest thing though for me is having a really tight rubber band so ants, etc. can't crawl in.