Kombucha: Troubleshooting

[MamaSong]

Debbiez...just a quick note.  You will need to start over with caffeinated tea.  65 degrees should be okay, but it will take longer than if it was warmer.  When & where the baby appears varies.

[Whiterock]

Bump 
        Anybody?
               I really don't have time to read the 12 plus pages!

You almost never have to read an entire thread to find an answer. I would look on the first few pages and then the last few. Usually, the answer with be in the first few, or someone in the last few will quote or link to the post with info you are looking for in that thread.

Also, the search engine works pretty well most of the time, to find what you are looking for.

WR

[nocturne]

Hey all. I am new to brewing kombucha.  I received a scoby from someone and have sucessfully reprodcuced 3 new scobies.  Everything is going okay with those scobies.  THe issue is I grew a scoby from a bottle of kombucha (lemon or ginger). THis scoby wasn't like the other ones. It  produced a scoby that although clear is kind of grain in texture. It is not discolored or has fuzzy things going on it. It seems fine besides this. I brewed a new batch last night and now I'm thinking of throwing it out with the scoby.

 

Has anyone experienced this or know if my scoby is okay?

[boysmama]

I've had grainy scobies. Sometimes just a little and the new babies grow out fine and others you can tell are weak and unthrifty and need tossed.

I've not had the actual kombucha ruined so you could probably brew this batch being alert for off flavors or mold. If it grows a new, normal baby you can continue, otherwise just use one of your others for propogating new scobies.

[nocturne]

THank you for responding. I wonder what causes the scoby to become grainy.  Perhaps it's the tea or the sugar.   I will take your advice and thanks again 

[boysmama]

I believe the graininess comes from some imbalance in the symbiotic cultures. I've always suspected temperature shifts in mine, but perhaps it was a strong ginger effect in yours.

[smalltown mom]

Okay....I keep killing my kombucha. What am I doing wrong??

I had one very long span of great kombucha....maybe a couple of years or more, I can't remember. Then, it stopped working. The baby looked different--a very uniform thick pink gel-like material on top (no mold ever), but when I drank the tea--didn't matter how long it had brewed-- it had not converted at all.

I had been using the same tea all along:  a mixture of Lipton cranberry pomegranate green tea and Lipton raspberry black tea. I don't know if they changed the tea recipe sometime during that span, but I notice the ingredient list contains things like hibiscus flowers, chamomile flowers, and soy lecithin. Like I said, I've never ever gotten any mold, but I'm wondering about the soy lecithin....possibly GMO? Would that be a problem.

What else...I've always had it brewing in my laundry room covered with a white handkerchief. Temperature stays pretty consistent. I was wondering if maybe the detergent chemicals were somehow affecting it in that small room, but now I don't have any fabric softener in there, and I only have homemade (more natural) laundry detergent. And I use distilled water.

So, now this is my second run at kombucha, and my new scoby worked for maybe two batches and then it died. Just tastes like tea with sugar in it. 

Does anyone else have experience in killing their Scoby?

Thanks!

[smalltown mom]

Okay....I keep killing my kombucha. What am I doing wrong??

I had one very long span of great kombucha....maybe a couple of years or more, I can't remember. Then, it stopped working. The baby looked different--a very uniform thick pink gel-like material on top (no mold ever), but when I drank the tea--didn't matter how long it had brewed-- it had not converted at all.

I had been using the same tea all along:  a mixture of Lipton cranberry pomegranate green tea and Lipton raspberry black tea. I don't know if they changed the tea recipe sometime during that span, but I notice the ingredient list contains things like hibiscus flowers, chamomile flowers, and soy lecithin. Like I said, I've never ever gotten any mold, but I'm wondering about the soy lecithin....possibly GMO? Would that be a problem.

What else...I've always had it brewing in my laundry room covered with a white handkerchief. Temperature stays pretty consistent. I was wondering if maybe the detergent chemicals were somehow affecting it in that small room, but now I don't have any fabric softener in there, and I only have homemade (more natural) laundry detergent. And I use distilled water.

So, now this is my second run at kombucha, and my new scoby worked for maybe two batches and then it died. Just tastes like tea with sugar in it. 

Does anyone else have experience in killing their Scoby?

Thanks!

Bump

Anyone??

[DHW]

It sounds like the scoby needs more black tea.  Maybe try using a strong solution of black tea and sugar to feed the scoby for a few batches, or to refresh the scoby between batches of herbal kombucha.

[smalltown mom]

Thank you for your suggestions!! I am wondering:  Should I throw out everything and get a new scoby? Or is there a chance that the old scoby might still have some potential?

[smalltown mom]

Bump

[DHW]

You can try it with a strong black tea and sugar solution.  If the scoby grows nice and fat then it can be used in your next batch.  The only way to know is to try.   Always throw out scobys that are contaminated with mold.

I am growing a new scoby right now.  I added 1/4 cup sugar to one pint of store-bought kombucha and let it sit on the counter for a week covered with a coffee filter.  (Use a wide-mouth jar.)  The scoby looks great.

[smalltown mom]

Thanks!!

[Kris10]

I just started brewing and my scoby was at the top of the jar the whole time, but when I moved it to try the tea it went to the bottom. The tea was at the acidity I like, so i made a new batch and poured the scoby and cultures into a new jar of tea, but the scobys still at the bottom, is it ok?

[boysmama]

I just started brewing and my scoby was at the top of the jar the whole time, but when I moved it to try the tea it went to the bottom. The tea was at the acidity I like, so i made a new batch and poured the scoby and cultures into a new jar of tea, but the scobys still at the bottom, is it ok?

yup! 

[Kris10]

 Thanks boysmama, that makes me feel better

[Rustaholic]

My babies look just as ugly (maybe uglier) as the mother.  Am I doing something wrong?  I've been using tap water.  Is the chlorine in my water killing my mushrooms?  Can I fix them by switching water?  Which is better, distilled or drinking water from the store?

YES, The Chlorine will kill your SCOBY.
go to http:www.kombuchakamp.com and sign up for her emails.
Boil that chlorine infected city water before letting it touch your SCOBY.
Who knows what is in the water from the store

[Redheadedmama]

I think I will order some in summer when it's warmer in my kitchen.