Re: Milk and water kefir vs. kombucha--is kombucha harder? and mold...

[Guest guest]

It sounds fine Kim. SCOBYs can look different - bubbles can rise up and

form in the scoby - color will vary too - darker teas (higher amounts of

black tea) will make darker scoby's. I typically leave mine alone for at

least 7 days before I start taste testing - but I like mine really tart - I

let mine go a long time - sometimes up to 30 days before bottling. Oh the

beard are the yeasts - so it sounds like it is developing well.

Jaxi

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:05 PM, kimanjome <kimanjo@...> wrote:

> I've been doing really well with my milk and water kefir. They each

> thrive. So naturally I went on to try Kombucha. I got my healthy scoby in

> the mail and cut it (plastic knife) to fit my jar, and reduced other ratios

> accordingly.

>

> Now it is day 4 and my scoby looks weird. I don't think it is growing

> mold, per se, but on one side (near where it touches the jar) it is light

> brownish-grey, bubbly, kind of like caviar! Not flat and furry like mold on

> bread at all. The rest of the scoby looks okay and is growing a tremendous

> beard. I've compared it to hundred of scoby photos on the web and I can't

> see anything like it.

>

> This is so different than milk kefir, which I once let sit too long and it

> grew a pink color, which looked so strange I knew it was not good. The

> water kefir grains seem to be quite happy no matter what, they aren't very

> picky. They bounce around in the jar and seem to have a life of their own.

>

> Thanks for any info.

>

> Kim

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

I just had to laugh! People who have no idea what all this culturing and

fermenting is all about reading these posts must think we are absolutely crazy

putting this stuff into our bodies. ...hehehe, you want to drink what? ...that

was in there? with that smell?...hehe

Al

Re: Milk and water kefir vs. kombucha--is kombucha

harder? and mold...

It sounds fine Kim. SCOBYs can look different - bubbles can rise up and

form in the scoby - color will vary too - darker teas (higher amounts of

black tea) will make darker scoby's. I typically leave mine alone for at

least 7 days before I start taste testing - but I like mine really tart - I

let mine go a long time - sometimes up to 30 days before bottling. Oh the

beard are the yeasts - so it sounds like it is developing well.

Jaxi

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:05 PM, kimanjome <kimanjo@...> wrote:

> I've been doing really well with my milk and water kefir. They each

> thrive. So naturally I went on to try Kombucha. I got my healthy scoby in

> the mail and cut it (plastic knife) to fit my jar, and reduced other ratios

> accordingly.

>

> Now it is day 4 and my scoby looks weird. I don't think it is growing

> mold, per se, but on one side (near where it touches the jar) it is light

> brownish-grey, bubbly, kind of like caviar! Not flat and furry like mold on

> bread at all. The rest of the scoby looks okay and is growing a tremendous

> beard. I've compared it to hundred of scoby photos on the web and I can't

> see anything like it.

>

> This is so different than milk kefir, which I once let sit too long and it

> grew a pink color, which looked so strange I knew it was not good. The

> water kefir grains seem to be quite happy no matter what, they aren't very

> picky. They bounce around in the jar and seem to have a life of their own.

>

> Thanks for any info.

>

> Kim

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

i get a LOT of emails and study LOTS about food...

sometimes i start reading one of the kefir emails,

not realizing 'grains' are kefir grains, thinking that

we are discussing wheat, rice, barley, etc...

and the comment sounds very strange in that

context. LOL " i think i killed my grains.... " haha

Love,

http://www.Robinett.com

http://www.Auntie.com

On Feb 8, 2012, at 2:38 PM, ouched63188@... wrote:

> I just had to laugh! People who have no idea what all this culturing and

fermenting is all about reading these posts must think we are absolutely crazy

putting this stuff into our bodies. ...hehehe, you want to drink what? ...that

was in there? with that smell?...hehe

>

> Al

>

> Re: Milk and water kefir vs. kombucha--is

kombucha harder? and mold...

>

> It sounds fine Kim. SCOBYs can look different - bubbles can rise up and

>

> form in the scoby - color will vary too - darker teas (higher amounts of

>

> black tea) will make darker scoby's. I typically leave mine alone for at

>

> least 7 days before I start taste testing - but I like mine really tart - I

>

> let mine go a long time - sometimes up to 30 days before bottling. Oh the

>

> beard are the yeasts - so it sounds like it is developing well.

>

> Jaxi

>

> On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:05 PM, kimanjome <kimanjo@...> wrote:

>

> > I've been doing really well with my milk and water kefir. They each

>

> > thrive. So naturally I went on to try Kombucha. I got my healthy scoby in

>

> > the mail and cut it (plastic knife) to fit my jar, and reduced other ratios

>

> > accordingly.

>

> >

>

> > Now it is day 4 and my scoby looks weird. I don't think it is growing

>

> > mold, per se, but on one side (near where it touches the jar) it is light

>

> > brownish-grey, bubbly, kind of like caviar! Not flat and furry like mold on

>

> > bread at all. The rest of the scoby looks okay and is growing a tremendous

>

> > beard. I've compared it to hundred of scoby photos on the web and I can't

>

> > see anything like it.

>

> >

>

> > This is so different than milk kefir, which I once let sit too long and it

>

> > grew a pink color, which looked so strange I knew it was not good. The

>

> > water kefir grains seem to be quite happy no matter what, they aren't very

>

> > picky. They bounce around in the jar and seem to have a life of their own.

>

> >

>

> > Thanks for any info.

>

> >

>

> > Kim

>

> >

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > ------------------------------------

>

> >

>

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi, all. OP here regarding the kombucha and scoby situation. I have been

using green tea so it is very light. I posted 5 photos--2 of the little

scoby, that has what appears to be brown threads running through it, and 3

of the big scoby, with the walnut-sized greenish-brown " mass " growing from

the side. What do you think? The big scoby creeps me out. This is so

much more difficult than water kefir!

scoby photos <http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i380/kimanjome/> on

photobucket

Kim

[Guest guest]

Those are just yeasts - totally normal - nothing wrong with it. You need

those yeasts - they have a job to do. All good.

I actually find kombucha to be easier - sweet tea, scoby, top with kombucha

from last batch and wait - no egg shells, or lemon peels or whatever all

else people add in for water kefir.

Jaxi

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 10:15 PM, Kim <kimanjo@...> wrote:

> Hi, all. OP here regarding the kombucha and scoby situation. I have been

> using green tea so it is very light. I posted 5 photos--2 of the little

> scoby, that has what appears to be brown threads running through it, and 3

> of the big scoby, with the walnut-sized greenish-brown " mass " growing from

> the side. What do you think? The big scoby creeps me out. This is so

> much more difficult than water kefir!

>

> scoby photos <http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i380/kimanjome/> on

> photobucket

>

> Kim

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Looks like normal yeast activity to me

Roy

817-909-0741

On Feb 11, 2012 5:28 PM, " Kim " <kimanjo@...> wrote:

>

>

>

> Hi, all. OP here regarding the kombucha and scoby situation. I have been

> using green tea so it is very light. I posted 5 photos--2 of the little

> scoby, that has what appears to be brown threads running through it, and 3

> of the big scoby, with the walnut-sized greenish-brown " mass " growing from

> the side. What do you think? The big scoby creeps me out. This is so

> much more difficult than water kefir!

>

> scoby photos <http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i380/kimanjome/> on

> photobucket

>

> Kim

>

>