About a week ago I posted that I was attempting to grow my own SCOBY from a bottle of GT Dave's Synergy Kombucha (raspberry flavor). Here's my detailed report on the experiment:
Day 1 -- I poured about 8 ounces of the bottled Kombucha into a clean, quart-size glass measuring cup. It had a nice blob of "stuff" floating in there, about 1" diameter, hanging out close to one side of the cup. I covered the measuring cup with a thin towel, secured with rubber band, and set it in a cupboard.
Day 5 -- I peeked and saw a very thin translucent "film" floating above the darker blob of stuff, and expanding outward by an inch or so. There was also some thin filmy stuff floating along the opposite wall of the measuring cup. The level of liquid in the cup had decreased to about 6 ounces.
Day 8 (Today!) -- I checked tonight and, to my surprise, the entire surface of the measuring cup is already covered with a translucent film in a layer approx. 1/2 inch thick. The level of liquid in the cup has now decreased to about 4 ounces.
It's definitely a SCOBY in there! I'll have to give it a girl name, as it's a lovely pale pink color.
Now what should I do?
I wasn't expecting it to be "born" quite so soon! I feel unprepared!
I raided my cupboards looking for tea, and the only non-herbal tea I could find was five individually wrapped teabags that just say "Lipton 100% Brisk Tea." Is this black tea? I have no idea how old it is... years, probably. Will it still work if it's old tea?
Should I go ahead and make a whole batch of tea as per NT instructions, and put my baby SCOBY in there? Or start with a smaller batch of tea since it's just a delicate baby?
Hi. I really love this thread and have lurked long enough to have started my own scoby. I have a question though... my scoby hasn't been transplanted from it's first small growing jar yet. It's healthy too! It's about 2 weeks old, in a regular 2 cup measuring glass and has about 2/3 cup of liquid. The scoby is nearly 1/2" thick, but it's hard to tell. The reason it hasn't been transferred to a new home where it can spread itself out is that it is *nearly*impossible* to find a glass one gallon wide mouth jar. Lots of quarts out there, but no gallons.
I am going to post on freecycle to see if I can get some that way. But how long can it stay in it's current home? Last night I did see a second option, our local food coop sells a jar wide mouth glass jar (I think it's a gallon) with a screen across the top. Could I use that? I am thinking that it would be ideal for a permanent home for the matriarch scoby? Any suggestions? What have other people out there used for the early part of the brewing process?
figured out I wasn't giving the initial brew enough sugar... now I'm getting a more carbonated second brew. My last raspberry batch was pretty much exactly like a GT's, just with a lot more fruit flavor.
I've got a single bottle of watermelon KT in the fridge, just tasted it this morning... it is yummy! A more delicate flavor than the berries or peach.
: I'm hoarding it, lol.
I think I need to collect a few gallon jars, or else get a continuous brew system. Hm. I'm not satisfied with the amount my half gallon is making, I'd like about twice as much... but not twice the maintenance either.
My Brother in law works in a large summer camp kitchen-- He gives me the nice glass pickle and olive and relish jars and they are the gallon size-- if you were sweet and picked them up promptly I am sure a local restaurant would save you a few-- they can cleaned easily and I use them for most of the stuff in my pantry (had a horrible Indian mealy moth problem
) They work great for keeping my heirloom seed collection safe from those pesky middle of the winter mouse invasions too.
That is what I am planning on putting my two new baby scoby's into next week-- I think that I need to find a nicer place for them to sit-- I just have to keep peeking at them
Instead of putting my new baby scoby into a large one gallon jar I just put it into a 1/2 gallon jar with a 1/2 batch of sweet tea-- after all she is only about 1/8 of an inch thick and I didn't want to overwhelm her. The other one is slower growing so she will be moving to a new home later this week.-- This is so exciting!! I just can't wait to drink my own kombucha!! Whoo Hooo!
Sounds like it's going great! I'm thrilled for you, and can't wait to hear how your first batch of kombucha tastes. I have to say, it is really great to be able to drink it whenever I want -- without paying $4 per bottle.
In Singapore they sell for $18. I am checking the mail every day for the mushrooms I ordered from ebay, and I have 3 very thin babies that have grown - the first batch was too sour so they are in a new batch of tea now. I really hope I have some home made Kombucha soon!
i am thinking that the Sing government puts a $10 tax on every drink with alcohol in it. Normally organic stuff is twice the price but it's ridiculous at $18.
Wow What a price on a bottle of Kombucha!! Now I feel bad about gripeing about the $3.50 a bottle that I paid
Plus I got my 25% discount on the whole order...
And it is only the second day of my little pink scoby being in her new home and she has already covered the top of the new jar and is getting nice and thick-- She must love her new home!!
: Now if only her little sister would stop sulking and get bigger!
Originally Posted by WildIris
Has anyone ever flavored their kombucha with grapes? I have some Concord grapes and am wondering how they would work...
I would do it! I'd just coarsely chop the grapes. I am hoping our grapes will come in well next year (they are only in their second year) and I'll be making some grape KT too. Maybe you can get back to us after you try it and let us know how it went!
Ok, just to let you all know, strawberry kombucha is
:
:!!! I opened my second bottle today to a fountain of carbonation (thank goodness I was near the sink) and it was actually still a little sweeter than I wanted it, but so fruity and bubbly! I used strawberry puree, but next time I'll chop the berries instead. It had a thicker consistency with the puree, I think I prefer it thin like it turns out when I leave the fruit in chunks or slices.
Originally Posted by velcromom
I would do it! I'd just coarsely chop the grapes. I am hoping our grapes will come in well next year (they are only in their second year) and I'll be making some grape KT too. Maybe you can get back to us after you try it and let us know how it went!
Ok, just to let you all know, strawberry kombucha is
:
:!!! I opened my second bottle today to a fountain of carbonation (thank goodness I was near the sink) and it was actually still a little sweeter than I wanted it, but so fruity and bubbly! I used strawberry puree, but next time I'll chop the berries instead. It had a thicker consistency with the puree, I think I prefer it thin like it turns out when I leave the fruit in chunks or slices.
what fun I can't wait to make my first batch. Could you clarify - we put the fruit in during the first bottling? or do you brew it with fruit?
When I pour the kombucha out of the big brewing jar into bottles for the second ferment, I add the fruit to the bottles, then cap it and leave it out at room temp for two days.
velcromom and WildIris, what kind of bottles are you using? I got some swing-top bottles, but I didn't get any fizz. I've only used them once (and some had t least a week for the second ferment) so I might have done something wrong.
Originally Posted by velcromom
When I pour the kombucha out of the big brewing jar into bottles for the second ferment, I add the fruit to the bottles, then cap it and leave it out at room temp for two days.
:
I put mine into bottles, with fruit or juice or whatever flavoring, and they sit out at room temp for anywhere from two days to over a week. I just put them in the fridge two at a time, as I plan to use them. The bottles that sit out longer at room temp get fizzier but also tend to be more sour.
Originally Posted by Feb2003
velcromom and WildIris, what kind of bottles are you using? I got some swing-top bottles, but I didn't get any fizz. I've only used them once (and some had t least a week for the second ferment) so I might have done something wrong.
I'm also unsure how to clean them. Boil?
I use Grolsch bottles and also some tall swing-top bottles that originally contained Lorina lemonade. Keep trying. If you use the swing-top bottles, you should be getting some fizz...not sure why you're not. How long did the batch of kombucha brew before you bottled it? And what did you put in the bottles with it? How full did you fill them?
As for cleaning, I just clean my bottles in super hot or boiling water.
Originally Posted by WildIris
I use Grolsch bottles and also some tall swing-top bottles that originally contained Lorina lemonade. Keep trying. If you use the swing-top bottles, you should be getting some fizz...not sure why you're not. How long did the batch of kombucha brew before you bottled it? And what did you put in the bottles with it? How full did you fill them?
As for cleaning, I just clean my bottles in super hot or boiling water.
I like it more sour so I let the brew go for a while...maybe bottling when ti's sweeter would help with the fizz?
I added ginger (grated on the microplane) to all of the bottles and also star anise (pulverized with a mortar and pestle) to a few. The star anise gave a strong, almost licorice flavor. Maybe the fruit sugars help to feed the brew and make the fizz?
A quick note on cleaning those bottles-- my Lorina bottle had some schmutz in the bottom and I just put in about 1/2 cup of crushed ice and a couple of pinches salt and swished it around-- took all that stuff right off the bottom, then I put some hot water and vinegar in capped it for a day and then rinsed it right out.. nice and clean-- now to go and find some nice Grolsch bottles( I may just have to bite the bullet and drink some grolsch to get them
) I'll bet tho that I have a few in a box in the basement-- now to get hubby down there to find them!! These old Michigan basements are a scary nightmare!! full of spiders ya know!
Originally Posted by Feb2003
I like it more sour so I let the brew go for a while...maybe bottling when ti's sweeter would help with the fizz?
I think this is correct. I got more fizz once I started using more sugar in the first brew - this would leave more for fermenting action in the second brew.
Originally Posted by WildIris
If you've ever thought of trying Apricot Kombucha... don't.
Blech.
bummer! I really like peach though, you'd think they'd be quite similar.
Hey, I'd brave the basement and a few spiders for some good bottles! Right now I'm just reusing GT bottles and it's working fine, I like the wider mouth for putting in the fruit, so I'm in no hurry to use Grolsch or anything similar.
I think I killed my scoby.
Every Sunday I fill my gallon jar with sweet tea, and my scoby and about 12 oz. of kombucha and we're good to go. After 7 days it's ready to bottle.
Well, last Sunday I may or may not have added some kombucha to it (I just can't remember). Usually by thursday/friday the scoby is floating on top and the tea is bubbling away. Today, however, I noticed it is still on the bottom of the jar and nothing is happening.
What did I do? Am I just not patient, did I use too much sugar?
Anyone have this happen? Should I toss all and start again and add a bottle of storebought kombucha?
Thanks for your input!
Girlgeek-- I have only just made my first batch of kombucha and it is great tasting, and now I have to wait for the second ferment with the ginger and lemon-- But I have been googling about kombucha for a while now and I have seen many different sites that say that sometimes the older mother will sink and to wait and it should form a new scoby on top-- one site even said that if you don't have premade kombucha to put in with your mother/scoby than to add about 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the batch to keep the bad bacteria from forming before the new mother can make it acid enuf. I hope that helps a bit..
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