What Should I Do? (Continued)

[Guest guest]

Below is my original post from yesterday. Thank you for your

responses, but important questions remain:

1) Are my scobys now hybrid scobys? A cross between KT and

vinegar? Do I need to start all over and replace them with a fresh

pure KT scoby?

2) KT metabolizes as alkaline. Will my hybrid brew also metabolize

as alkaline?

Lawrence

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?

[Guest guest]

Perhaps the vinegar was sterilized at the plant when bottled, but

it's apparent that something (air borne?) has gotten into your

vinegar and inoculated it with some kind of bacteria. It appears to

be benign, though, because nothing bad has grown in your kombucha and

you are not sickened by it.

I can't answer your questions but can pose some of my own...

What is kombucha, after all, but bacteria, and do we really know from

where it originally came?

If there are different strains of kombuch (as I've read) with a

variety of bacteria - no standard we can call " pure " kombucha - how

can we define exactly what it is?

Because there is no way to document the pedigree and past treatment

of our particular strain of kombucha, how is anyone to know if

something didn't infiltrate it 1000 kombucha generations ago?

Which is the dominant bacteria, the original kombucha or the mystery

infiltrator?

Which one will win out, or will they co-exist peacefully?

If you are satisfied with the taste then I see no need to throw it

all out. You can use it as is, accepting that kombucha becomes a

product of its environment, ever changing as it goes...or you can

throw it all out and start over. But, with kombucha, can you ever be

sure of what you have? You'd be chasing after something indefinable.

-Patty

>

> Thank you for your

> responses, but important questions remain:

> 1) Are my scobys now hybrid scobys? A cross between KT and

> vinegar? Do I need to start all over and replace them with a fresh

> pure KT scoby?

> 2) KT metabolizes as alkaline. Will my hybrid brew also

metabolize

> as alkaline?

> Lawrence

>

> I have a situation and do not know what to do...my KT is

> contaminated, but is it ok to drink?...

> 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?

>

[Guest guest]

Perhaps the vinegar was sterilized at the plant when bottled, but

it's apparent that something (air borne?) has gotten into your

vinegar and inoculated it with some kind of bacteria. It appears to

be benign, though, because nothing bad has grown in your kombucha and

you are not sickened by it.

I can't answer your questions but can pose some of my own...

What is kombucha, after all, but bacteria, and do we really know from

where it originally came?

If there are different strains of kombuch (as I've read) with a

variety of bacteria - no standard we can call " pure " kombucha - how

can we define exactly what it is?

Because there is no way to document the pedigree and past treatment

of our particular strain of kombucha, how is anyone to know if

something didn't infiltrate it 1000 kombucha generations ago?

Which is the dominant bacteria, the original kombucha or the mystery

infiltrator?

Which one will win out, or will they co-exist peacefully?

If you are satisfied with the taste then I see no need to throw it

all out. You can use it as is, accepting that kombucha becomes a

product of its environment, ever changing as it goes...or you can

throw it all out and start over. But, with kombucha, can you ever be

sure of what you have? You'd be chasing after something indefinable.

-Patty

>

> Thank you for your

> responses, but important questions remain:

> 1) Are my scobys now hybrid scobys? A cross between KT and

> vinegar? Do I need to start all over and replace them with a fresh

> pure KT scoby?

> 2) KT metabolizes as alkaline. Will my hybrid brew also

metabolize

> as alkaline?

> Lawrence

>

> I have a situation and do not know what to do...my KT is

> contaminated, but is it ok to drink?...

> 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?

>

[Guest guest]

Spot on Flower

.

N. England.

From: Patty T <tri4home@...>

kombucha tea

Sent: Saturday, 20 December, 2008 2:07:26

Subject: Re: What Should I Do? (Continued)

Perhaps the vinegar was sterilized at the plant when bottled, but

it's apparent that something (air borne?) has gotten into your

vinegar and inoculated it with some kind of bacteria. It appears to

be benign, though, because nothing bad has grown in your kombucha and you are

not sickened by it.

I can't answer your questions but can pose some of my own...

etc..........................>