Guest guest Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 I know I have read that it isn't good to have kombucha and kefir close together because of the potential for cross-contamination. Could someone go into more detail on that? Exactly what happens if kefir spores get into kombucha and vice versa? How far apart to they need to be? I have been brewing both for a while and so far haven't noticed any problems. My space is very limited. I have 4 gallon jars for kombucha in one corner of the kitchen counter. The farthest other counter where I handle the kefir is only about 10-12 feet from the jars. Since I read the warnings I have put plastic bags loosely over the jars which also have paper towels held with rubber bands. I know the kefir spores get in the air because I can smell it when I am straining out the grains and bottling the kefir. Then the utensils go into the sink about 6 feet from the KT jars. When I handle the kombucha in the kitchen the kefir jar is in another room. Are my precautions enough? I appreciate the info and enjoy reading the spirited exchanges. in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 Hi It sounds to me like you should be fine with what you are doing now. I do my kt and kefir pretty close together sometimes and I've never noticed anything out of the ordinary with either. Maybe someone will speak up who has, but I really wonder if there would be any adverse affects if it did happen to exchange some bacteria strains. (I don't like " cross-contamination " ) :-) I just had an idea! Why not innuculate an experimental batch of kt with a little bit of kefir and innoculate an experimental batch of kefir with a little kt? I'm gonna try it right now if the cows don't need fed again. No need to be ignorant any longer than neccesary! I'll let you know what happens. Rodrick in PA Kombucha and kefir I know I have read that it isn't good to have kombucha and kefir close together because of the potential for cross-contamination. Could someone go into more detail on that? Exactly what happens if kefir spores get into kombucha and vice versa? How far apart to they need to be? I have been brewing both for a while and so far haven't noticed any problems. My space is very limited. I have 4 gallon jars for kombucha in one corner of the kitchen counter. The farthest other counter where I handle the kefir is only about 10-12 feet from the jars. Since I read the warnings I have put plastic bags loosely over the jars which also have paper towels held with rubber bands. I know the kefir spores get in the air because I can smell it when I am straining out the grains and bottling the kefir. Then the utensils go into the sink about 6 feet from the KT jars. When I handle the kombucha in the kitchen the kefir jar is in another room. Are my precautions enough? I appreciate the info and enjoy reading the spirited exchanges. in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 You would be suprised how resistant the strains can be. However, I did notice that my kefir grains lost their gooiness and now are more like little clumps. I was using a shared strainer and even though I washed it with bleach and hot water I think it did affect my kefir grains. I never had a problem until I started using the strainer to strain out the raisins I had in it. I use raisins to fatten my scoby up. Kombucha and kefir I know I have read that it isn't good to have kombucha and kefir close together because of the potential for cross-contamination . Could someone go into more detail on that? Exactly what happens if kefir spores get into kombucha and vice versa? How far apart to they need to be? I have been brewing both for a while and so far haven't noticed any problems. My space is very limited. I have 4 gallon jars for kombucha in one corner of the kitchen counter. The farthest other counter where I handle the kefir is only about 10-12 feet from the jars. Since I read the warnings I have put plastic bags loosely over the jars which also have paper towels held with rubber bands. I know the kefir spores get in the air because I can smell it when I am straining out the grains and bottling the kefir. Then the utensils go into the sink about 6 feet from the KT jars. When I handle the kombucha in the kitchen the kefir jar is in another room. Are my precautions enough? I appreciate the info and enjoy reading the spirited exchanges. in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 I asked the same question about 1 month ago on the group. Per Marilyn KefirLady, she has both her kefir and KT going in close proximity, BUT she has a dedicated strainer for each and has no problems this way. From: melody martynowicz <melody2968@...> Subject: Re: Kombucha and kefir kombucha tea Date: Monday, September 29, 2008, 5:17 PM You would be suprised how resistant the strains can be. However, I did notice that my kefir grains lost their gooiness and now are more like little clumps. I was using a shared strainer and even though I washed it with bleach and hot water I think it did affect my kefir grains. I never had a problem until I started using the strainer to strain out the raisins I had in it. I use raisins to fatten my scoby up. Kombucha and kefir I know I have read that it isn't good to have kombucha and kefir close together because of the potential for cross-contamination . Could someone go into more detail on that? Exactly what happens if kefir spores get into kombucha and vice versa? How far apart to they need to be? I have been brewing both for a while and so far haven't noticed any problems. My space is very limited. I have 4 gallon jars for kombucha in one corner of the kitchen counter. The farthest other counter where I handle the kefir is only about 10-12 feet from the jars. Since I read the warnings I have put plastic bags loosely over the jars which also have paper towels held with rubber bands. I know the kefir spores get in the air because I can smell it when I am straining out the grains and bottling the kefir. Then the utensils go into the sink about 6 feet from the KT jars. When I handle the kombucha in the kitchen the kefir jar is in another room. Are my precautions enough? I appreciate the info and enjoy reading the spirited exchanges. in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Hi and EveryOne, Cultures travel! I just threw out some milk that was in my refrigerator with an open container of buttermilk and the regular milk was turning to buttermilk....I threw it away because it was past date not because it was turning to buttermilk...I've been using the buttermilk for bread baking...and drinking. I used to have water kefir cultures growing in the kitchen and Kombucha in the dining room next to the kitchen, and after many months the water kefir developed what looked exactly like a Kombucha colony on top of the kefir grains and kefir. Right now I have sourdough on the counter in the kitchen and so far it has not effected the Kombucha or vice versa but you never know... Has anyone else had this kind of cross cultural interaction? Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev -- In kombucha tea , " nunn_chris " <nunn_chris@...> wrote: > > I know I have read that it isn't good to have kombucha and kefir close > together because of the potential for cross-contamination. Could > someone go into more detail on that? Exactly what happens if kefir > spores get into kombucha and vice versa? How far apart to they need > to be? > > I have been brewing both for a while and so far haven't noticed any > problems. My space is very limited. I have 4 gallon jars for kombucha > in one corner of the kitchen counter. The farthest other counter > where I handle the kefir is only about 10-12 feet from the jars. > Since I read the warnings I have put plastic bags loosely over the > jars which also have paper towels held with rubber bands. I know the > kefir spores get in the air because I can smell it when I am straining > out the grains and bottling the kefir. Then the utensils go into the > sink about 6 feet from the KT jars. When I handle the kombucha in the > kitchen the kefir jar is in another room. > > Are my precautions enough? I appreciate the info and enjoy reading > the spirited exchanges. > in Texas > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Bev, Water kefir can actually form a SCOBY, especially if you leave it out for a while. Sometimes I don't have room in my fridge for the secondary ferment and leave it on the table for several days. They always develop a SCOBY on top. This happened before I ever had Kombucha so it's not cross contamination. I think you can also find something about it on Dom's site or in the kefir group. Patty > > Hi and EveryOne, > I used to have water kefir cultures growing in the kitchen and > Kombucha in the dining room next to the kitchen, and after many months > the water kefir developed what looked exactly like a Kombucha colony > on top of the kefir grains and kefir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 this is in reply to one of the first replies about a kefir kombucha hybrid and vise versa..i actually saw this on the site listed below..it is about starting kefir with a scoby instead of kefir grains..it is quite interesting.. http://www.instructables.com/id/Kefir-Kombucha-Hybrid/ and now in reply to the yerba mate...im a yerba mate adict (lol not really but i drink it from the gourd and like it strong) and tried mixing it in with the tea (brewed it with the tea bags and strained it out) and it made a very overwhelming kt..i could handle it it was grose and way too vinegary..i even pulled a batch out early so it wsas still sweet and the vinegar was still too overwhelming and the taste was just off..i tried different kinds of yerba too (strong smokey ones, mild smooth ones and even a grapefruit flavored one and all taste the same after brewing.. -- In kombucha tea , " Patty " <mellowsong@...> wrote: > > Bev, > Water kefir can actually form a SCOBY, especially if you leave it out > for a while. Sometimes I don't have room in my fridge for the > secondary ferment and leave it on the table for several days. They > always develop a SCOBY on top. This happened before I ever had > Kombucha so it's not cross contamination. I think you can also find > something about it on Dom's site or in the kefir group. > Patty > > > > > Hi and EveryOne, > > I used to have water kefir cultures growing in the kitchen and > > Kombucha in the dining room next to the kitchen, and after many months > > the water kefir developed what looked exactly like a Kombucha colony > > on top of the kefir grains and kefir. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 Hi Patti, Thank you, I didn't know that....had the water kefir for a long time and no SCOBY ever developed so when it did, I thought it was a Kombucha SCOBY forming. Now I know better! Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev > > > > Hi and EveryOne, > > I used to have water kefir cultures growing in the kitchen and > > Kombucha in the dining room next to the kitchen, and after many months > > the water kefir developed what looked exactly like a Kombucha colony > > on top of the kefir grains and kefir. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 Hi Bev, Patty and all.... The only time I ever had something like this happen is when I purposely added some Kombucha to a water kefir ferment to see what would happen. From then on those particular water kefir crystals did form a SCOBY on top of the successive brews, even though I never added another drop of KT. In the end I tossed the " experiment " as it was neither one nor the other....water kefir or Kombucha. I would wonder whether those water kefir crystals might have gotten crossed with KT somewhere along the line, perhaps even before you received them.. I have left water kefir out in bottles for a week or more with no such SCOBY type growth on top, nothing even close to one. I would just wonder.... Gayle Re: Kombucha and kefir > Hi Patti, > > Thank you, I didn't know that....had the water kefir for a long time > and no SCOBY ever developed so when it did, I thought it was a > Kombucha SCOBY forming. Now I know better! > > Peace, Love and Harmony, > Bev > > >> > >> > Hi and EveryOne, >> > I used to have water kefir cultures growing in the kitchen and >> > Kombucha in the dining room next to the kitchen, and after many months >> > the water kefir developed what looked exactly like a Kombucha colony >> > on top of the kefir grains and kefir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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