Re: Fruity Smelling Kombucha Tea

January 3, 2008

Here's the recipe I've been using:

3 green tea bags

2 black tea bags

1.5 c sugar

1.5 c starter

scoby

Enough water to fill a 1 gallon glass jar to about 3-4 inches from the

top.

Dee

January 3, 2008

Hi Dee.....Are you brewing with the same teas and sugar?? Do you brew for

a specific length of time or to taste?

Or...your KT may just have taken this long to give you a really good idea of

its character. It has been said that KT will take on different

characteristics depending on its environment.

A nice KT should be reminiscent of apples or apple cider.

What are the characteristics of the tea you are brewing from? That may

impart something.

I rmember the first time I used Pu Ehr....I could not believe the earthy

scent!

Anyhoo....

I'd certainly not worry if it smells nice and has no mold!

Gayle

WI/USA

Fruity Smelling Kombucha Tea

> I've been making great KT for several weeks now, but my most recent 2

> batches have a fruity undertone both in fragrance and aftertaste.

>

> The new tea I'm brewing from them also have that fruity smell.

>

> Has anyone else encountered this? Is it safe to drink? Everything

> else seems fine-no mold, decent thickness of scoby, except the scoby

> tears easily.

>

> Thanks,

> Dee

January 3, 2008

That's an OK recipe, Dee.

I started out using about that...now I up the tea ....but it's personal

taste.

Gayle

Re: Fruity Smelling Kombucha Tea

> Here's the recipe I've been using:

> 3 green tea bags

> 2 black tea bags

> 1.5 c sugar

> 1.5 c starter

> scoby

> Enough water to fill a 1 gallon glass jar to about 3-4 inches from the

> top.

>

> Dee

>

January 3, 2008

Yes, I'm using everything the same with each batch. Hmmm now that I

think of it, I think that it started after I quit using a little

vinegar in my recipe, b/c I felt the starter was acidic enough. Does

that ring a bell with anyone?

The fruity taste and smell is like overripe fruit, not apple cider,

which is why it gives me pause about drinking it. It doesn't have the

sharp, crisp, clean taste of kombucha that I'm used to.

Even my scoby hotel which is very very acidic, has that smell now,

since I added the scoby that had been in the first batch of fruity

smelling KT before I noticed the smell.

I will have scobies coming shortly from both zoe and mara, so it might

be safer just to discard all the KT and scobies I already have,

sterilize everything and start again.

What do you think?

Dee

January 3, 2008

Hi again Dee....

The final word is always " when in doubt throw it out " ....

Since we cannot see smell or taste what you are...it has to be your

decision. : )

I never use vinegar, so I don't know what changes not using it would have.

Go with your instincts on it....

Good Luck

Gayle

Re: Fruity Smelling Kombucha Tea

> Yes, I'm using everything the same with each batch. Hmmm now that I

> think of it, I think that it started after I quit using a little

> vinegar in my recipe, b/c I felt the starter was acidic enough. Does

> that ring a bell with anyone?

>

> The fruity taste and smell is like overripe fruit, not apple cider,

> which is why it gives me pause about drinking it. It doesn't have the

> sharp, crisp, clean taste of kombucha that I'm used to.

>

> Even my scoby hotel which is very very acidic, has that smell now,

> since I added the scoby that had been in the first batch of fruity

> smelling KT before I noticed the smell.

>

> I will have scobies coming shortly from both zoe and mara, so it might

> be safer just to discard all the KT and scobies I already have,

> sterilize everything and start again.

>

> What do you think?

>

> Dee

>

January 3, 2008

Hi Dee and EveryOne,

It is a matter of taste...lots of people would like a fruity KT.

Whenever I make KT with Oolong tea it adds a fruity quality that is

very pleasing. I also like the combination of Green Tea and Earl Grey.

Try different teas until you get a brew that you like. The kombucha

will adapt to what you feed it.

A lot of us use combinations of Green and Black teas to make Kombucha

but even the brand of tea will change the flavor.

Enjoy discovering the different flavors of Kombucha tea even without

adding special flavorings. Then for fun, you can add hundreds of

different flavors....ginger, elderberry, fruits, herbs etc. The list

is endless and it is fun to try the different tastes.

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

Manna International: Kombucha Information and Resources

Kombucha Drops - Convenient, Safe, Effective, Easy to use.

http://KMI.mannainternational.com

Manna Green & White Tea Extract - Liquid Green & White Tea Extract

http://GTE.mannainternational.com

All products made and bottled in glass

100% Certified Organic, Fair Traded, Ingredients

-

- In kombucha tea , " c0smic_synergy "

<c0smic_synergy@...> wrote:

>

> Yes, I'm using everything the same with each batch. Hmmm now that I

> think of it, I think that it started after I quit using a little

> vinegar in my recipe, b/c I felt the starter was acidic enough. Does

> that ring a bell with anyone?

>

> The fruity taste and smell is like overripe fruit, not apple cider,

> which is why it gives me pause about drinking it. It doesn't have the

> sharp, crisp, clean taste of kombucha that I'm used to.

>

> Even my scoby hotel which is very very acidic, has that smell now,

> since I added the scoby that had been in the first batch of fruity

> smelling KT before I noticed the smell.

>

> I will have scobies coming shortly from both zoe and mara, so it might

> be safer just to discard all the KT and scobies I already have,

> sterilize everything and start again.

>

> What do you think?

>

> Dee

>

January 3, 2008

Bev,

Thanks for the memory-jog...I DID change brands of teas. I was using

decaf and switched to regular, and a different brand, so now what I'm

using is:

Salada Original Blend Black Tea (orange pekoe and pekoe cut black teas)

Salada 100% green tea

I'm pretty sure I was using Red Rose or Lipton black tea before I got

the Salada, after I switched from decaf.

Thanks again,

Dee

January 3, 2008

I read in the HappyHerbalist:

Smells Fruity or like glue, or nail polish remover, relates to Ethyl

Acetate, an ester derived from ethanol and acetic acid. Present in

most ferments but at too high concentrations, as typically occurs when

wine is exposed to air for a prolonged period may be very unpleasant

but not harmful. May also be from a decaffeinated tea, which uses

Ethyl Acetate as a solvent.... These smells---though awful are not

toxic. Thankfully, most of the time is is only one batch that goes off

and the next batch are back to winning awards. If not, toss it and

start over. Sunny

>

> Yes, I'm using everything the same with each batch. Hmmm now that I

> think of it, I think that it started after I quit using a little

> vinegar in my recipe, b/c I felt the starter was acidic enough. Does

> that ring a bell with anyone?

>

> The fruity taste and smell is like overripe fruit, not apple cider,

> which is why it gives me pause about drinking it. It doesn't have the

> sharp, crisp, clean taste of kombucha that I'm used to.

>

> Even my scoby hotel which is very very acidic, has that smell now,

> since I added the scoby that had been in the first batch of fruity

> smelling KT before I noticed the smell.

>

> I will have scobies coming shortly from both zoe and mara, so it might

> be safer just to discard all the KT and scobies I already have,

> sterilize everything and start again.

>

> What do you think?

>

> Dee

>

January 3, 2008

Sunny,

That's very reassuring-thank you!

Since I originally started brewing with decaf, it must have just taken

time to build up, and by the time I switched to regular tea, it had

reached the critical point.

I have about 2 gallons of KT that smells fruity, so I'll just add some

ginger slices and drink 'em up!

Meanwhile, the funniest thing happened...the mail lady dropped off a

package that I wasn't expecting-it was a surprise gift from Kathy,

who's the owner of the MSN group, WigSupport (I'm the assistant mgr).

Guess what was in it? Black Tea! LOL! She doesn't even know I'm

brewing KT, so it must be a case of cosmic synergy. <grin>

Dee

>

> I read in the HappyHerbalist:

>

> Smells Fruity or like glue, or nail polish remover, relates to Ethyl

> Acetate, an ester derived from ethanol and acetic acid. Present in

> most ferments but at too high concentrations, as typically occurs when

> wine is exposed to air for a prolonged period may be very unpleasant

> but not harmful. May also be from a decaffeinated tea, which uses

> Ethyl Acetate as a solvent.... These smells---though awful are not

> toxic.

January 3, 2008

Sunny,

That's very reassuring-thank you!

Since I originally started brewing with decaf, it must have just taken

time to build up, and by the time I switched to regular tea, it had

reached the critical point.

I have about 2 gallons of KT that smells fruity, so I'll just add some

ginger slices and drink 'em up!

Meanwhile, the funniest thing happened...the mail lady dropped off a

package that I wasn't expecting-it was a surprise gift from Kathy,

who's the owner of the MSN group, WigSupport (I'm the assistant mgr).

Guess what was in it? Black Tea! LOL! She doesn't even know I'm

brewing KT, so it must be a case of cosmic synergy. <grin>

Dee

>

> I read in the HappyHerbalist:

>

> Smells Fruity or like glue, or nail polish remover, relates to Ethyl

> Acetate, an ester derived from ethanol and acetic acid. Present in

> most ferments but at too high concentrations, as typically occurs when

> wine is exposed to air for a prolonged period may be very unpleasant

> but not harmful. May also be from a decaffeinated tea, which uses

> Ethyl Acetate as a solvent.... These smells---though awful are not

> toxic.

January 3, 2008

I am concerned with my starter. I placed it in a gallon container, but only

used 1 cup of sugar to the distilled water. I have a Waterwise reverse osmossis

(my spelling, but you get the jist) distiller. It takes all the impurities out

of the water..... was surprised how much junk was in my tap water from the city.

Mercy....quite a lot though. My little baby broke apart when I handled it. Is

is suppose to do that? I started it on the 17th of Dec. So I figured it was

time to do something with it today. The K-tea isn't vinegary or anything like

that. Fact is, it tastes pretty good. This is the first time I have ever had

this stuff and was surprised at the taste. If some directions say to add 1 1/2

cups of sugar to a gallon and I don't do it, just a cup will eveything be

alright? Maybe this is why the baby kinda split. I don't know. I'm hoping I

haven't done something to the baby and it won't reproduce again. Any help you

can give me I would greatly appreciate.

This is a wonderful group to be in. Everybody knows so much and I'm just

starting.......thankyou again..... will wait for response from somebody before I

start my next batch...... cindy012055@...

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Ya..............cindy

January 3, 2008