What Should I Do?

[Guest guest]

I have a situation and do not know what to do. This is what

happened:

I use Heinz distilled white vinegar when I make KT. I put a

plastic atomizer in the bottle and spray all of the utensils and jars

I use (after washing them first) as insurance against mold. After I

pour in the cup of starter, I also put one shot of vinegar spray on

top before I cover with a coffee filter.

Today I just finished decanting my latest batch of KT and noticed

a small clear jelly fish attached to the shank of the atomizer. Upon

closer examination, I found a larger thicker jelly fish about the

size of a half dollar at the bottom of the vinegar bottle. I

intentionally use distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider

vinegar because I thought white vinegar is not biologially active. I

do not boil the white vinegar I use. I called the Heinz consumer

hotline and was told that their distilled white vinegar is

pasteurized. I thought using a pasteurized product was safe.

Judging from the size of the jelly fish, I have been using this

contamimated vinegar for a good number of brews. Yes, my KT is

contaminated, but is it ok to drink? I have noticed that I cannot

drink as much KT as I usually do. The flavor is ok but I seem to be

satisfied with much less. Do I throw out all of the KT I just

decanted? Do I throw out the scobys I used for this batch as well as

all of the scobys in my scoby hotel? Throw out everything and start

all over from scratch?

What should I do?

Lawrence Tenzer