[Threefold]

Last week I had the most delicious fizzy brew.

I took these SCOBYs and switched both the sugar and tea they were used to. I went from all Red Rose to 2 Red Rose and 2 Green Tea bags and I had been using Trader Joe's Organic Sugar but ran out and thought that regular ole white sugar was better for the brew, so I switched to that. Now, on day 7 the SCOBYs formed are transluscent?
Should I let them go a few extra days to adjust to the changes or is something really screwing going on?

Thanks!

 

[G&B'sMama]

I got a translucent SCOBY when the weather wasn't as warm, but the brew wasn't ready yet either. By the time the brew was ready, the SCOBY was the milky-opaque color. Any chance you encountered a couple days of cool weather?

 

[Threefold]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G&B'sMama I got a translucent SCOBY when the weather wasn't as warm, but the brew wasn't ready yet either. By the time the brew was ready, the SCOBY was the milky-opaque color. Any chance you encountered a couple days of cool weather?

Its been cooler here this week after an unusual heat wave.
Thanks! I'll give it a few more days.

 

[cobluegirl]

yeah I think it just needs to brew longer...I use normal cane sugar..never been a problem. I have experimented with several teas too.....sometimes I get a funny scoby....hehe

 

[craftynsewon]

I use cane sugar and green tea all the time and have found the temperature plays a HUGH part in the Kombucha tea..

One batch was done in 3 days of extremely high temps and had an opaque 1/4 inch thick scoby..

The next batch was at least 8 days with a thin white scoby..

both brews turned out fine but cooler temperatures made the brewing time much longer and a thinner scoby..

 

[Threefold]

I think I will harvest my brew tonight at the end of day 8 as the SCOBYs all look thin, but intact.

So, if the cooler summer temps (my cabinet hovered around 75F last week) have this effect, what will happen in the winter when I'll be lucky to keep it above 65F? Should I find a way to heat the cabinet?

 

[cobluegirl]

you can set it on a heating blanket that has a low temp or you can just leave it longer..my house is pretty cool in the winter too..I just let it brew for 14+ days.

 

[Threefold]

Well I just finished straining my brew and the scobys were thin and almost translucent, though the brew was certainly done, and almost too vinegar-y for my tastes.

The brew is lighter colored than usual and I am assuming that this is the difference of the green tea and plain white sugar, but could the lower temps produce a lighter colored brew as well?

I think my winter plan is to keep the cupboard warm with a heating pad on low, as I much prefer a those brews produced by warm temps!

Thanks!

 

[cobluegirl]

the green tea will definitely produce a lighter color.

 

[craftynsewon]

for some reason my previous message wasn't accepted and I was told I wasn't logged in but I was.UGH Let's try this again

I saved a lot of information off of a website pertaining to problems with Kombucha and I've actually started a binder for my kombucha & kefir tips and recipes..

there is a whole section at the following web site on what you need to do for your thin scoby..

A thin scoby with a sour ferment needs to have the yeast to bacteria ratio decreased.. this web page is a wealth of information so you might want to save some of it for future reference.. after all web sites go down and in my case I often can't relocate what I had read..LOL

http://www.geocities.com/kombucha_balance/

 

[cobluegirl]

thanks bunches...mine is thin this time around too