RE: First Brew!

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your assistance. So my first brew starting with GT's

Raw Kombucha is ok. I was sure when I saw the brown stuff floating on top

it had been contaminated. The " scoby " is very thin but covers the top of

the quart mason jar and still has a number of bubbles. I followed your

directions completely on May 2. It's been brewing for 8 days (yes I did

move it and removed the brown stuff) so it's time to taste it?

Would I make a new batch using your original recipe and gentle transfer the

transparent " scoby " with my fingers to a new quart mason jar and wait

another 5-7 days (this time not moving or messing with it) and then start a

gallon size jar?

Sorry for all the questions; just don't want to contaminate my KT or baby

scoby. I think it's exciting that we can brew our own KT without having to

purchase a scoby - I was tempted yesterday.

Thanks for your patience,

Rosie

_____

From: original_kombucha

[mailto:original_kombucha ] On Behalf Of Baker

Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:20 AM

To: original_kombucha

Subject: RE: First Brew!

>So seeing brown stuff (felt jelly like) is normal and ok and not the

dreaded

>mold?

The brown stuff is bits of yeast and not only is normal, is

required. Sometimes those brown bits get caught in the matrix of the

SCOBY, and look like discolorations and can be alarming. However, they

will always feel smooth. Mold is ALWAYS fuzzy. No fuzz, no mold. period.

>So once I have a real scoby it will be ready?

No. The presence of the new SCOBY isn't really an indicator of readiness,

because for a variety of reasons SCOBY can be very thin and the brew can be

ready. Depending on the temperature in your brewing room, you should

probably taste it at 5-7 days.

First brews often don't produce a thick SCOBY. First brews often take a

bit longer overall than subsequent ones.

>Concerning apple cider vinegar; is it ok to use raw organic Bragg's apple

>cider vinegar or must it be boiled?

It is perfectly ok to use this type of vinegar. However, yes, it must be

brought to a boil and cooled before adding to your brew. The bacteria are

killed at temperatures well below boiling, so there is no need to keep it

on the heat beyond the first boil.

--V

[Guest guest]

>Thank you for your assistance. So my first brew starting with GT's

>Raw Kombucha is ok. I was sure when I saw the brown stuff floating on top

>it had been contaminated. The " scoby " is very thin but covers the top of

>the quart mason jar and still has a number of bubbles. I followed your

>directions completely on May 2. It's been brewing for 8 days (yes I did

>move it and removed the brown stuff) so it's time to taste it?

Actually, no. Since the object here is to produce a starter culture, I

would say just leave it alone for another week. There's no need to taste

it (I think I was confused in my first response and didn't remember you

were starting from scratch) since you are not brewing for drinking but to

create a strong culture with which to brew.

I should think you would be safe starting a gallon brew with the results of

this first culturing, after another week. Remember that starting this way

is a little less certain than starting with a SCOBY and liquid starter, and

the longer you let it brew the more acidic it will become, which is the

object. When you do start your gallon brew, would recommend setting up

your sweetened tea and then gently transferring any SCOBY material and all

of the acidic starter you are now working on. Don't stir, to allow the

acidic stuff to stay at the top more. Gravity will mix them anyway, but

this way you get an acidic top layer.

>Sorry for all the questions; just don't want to contaminate my KT or baby

>scoby.

The best protection for the culture is the culture itself. That's why one

should use hot water and possibly vinegar to clean vessels and utensils

with (I wash/rinse my utensils normally but always rinse them in filtered

water before I use them with a brew). Using soap or any other germicidal or

antimicrobial chemical on your vessels is an invitation to

contamination. If I feel the need to clean a vessel, I just use hot water

and vinegar.

So as long as you remember that to the culture itself, the culture is

always clean, it will help you think about the best ways to handle it. I

have some old KT that is extremely acidic that I use as a culinary vinegar,

but this KT-vinegar is also the very best substance to use to clean your

vessels with, or to wipe the outsides and inside rim to clean up any

dribbles of sweet tea that might be sticky. If you clean your KT with KT,

you'll minimize any trouble you might experience, because you'll be

reinforcing the protective bioactivity rather than forcing the culture to

reinstate its protections.

--V

>I think it's exciting that we can brew our own KT without having to

>purchase a scoby - I was tempted yesterday.

>

>

>

>Thanks for your patience,

>

>Rosie

>

> _____

>

>From: original_kombucha

>[mailto:original_kombucha ] On Behalf Of Baker

>Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:20 AM

>To: original_kombucha

>Subject: RE: First Brew!

>

>

>

>

> >So seeing brown stuff (felt jelly like) is normal and ok and not the

>dreaded

> >mold?

>

>The brown stuff is bits of yeast and not only is normal, is

>required. Sometimes those brown bits get caught in the matrix of the

>SCOBY, and look like discolorations and can be alarming. However, they

>will always feel smooth. Mold is ALWAYS fuzzy. No fuzz, no mold. period.

>

> >So once I have a real scoby it will be ready?

>

>No. The presence of the new SCOBY isn't really an indicator of readiness,

>because for a variety of reasons SCOBY can be very thin and the brew can be

>ready. Depending on the temperature in your brewing room, you should

>probably taste it at 5-7 days.

>

>First brews often don't produce a thick SCOBY. First brews often take a

>bit longer overall than subsequent ones.

>

> >Concerning apple cider vinegar; is it ok to use raw organic Bragg's apple

> >cider vinegar or must it be boiled?

>

>It is perfectly ok to use this type of vinegar. However, yes, it must be

>brought to a boil and cooled before adding to your brew. The bacteria are

>killed at temperatures well below boiling, so there is no need to keep it

>on the heat beyond the first boil.

>

>--V

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry for not responding sooner . My Mom (am only child) was

hospitalized.

My first brew didn't turn out---the scoby never really got past the tiny

jelly transparent stage. I believe I moved it too much and also skimmed off

the brown stuff which I thought was mold. Thanks to you I know better.

However I'm doing happy dance. I tried another bottle of GT Raw Kombucha

and followed your original recipe exactly. The tea has been brewing since

Sunday and I'm actually growing what looks like a real scoby. So excited.

I'll leave it in there until at least Sunday and then make a real brew.

Is it ok to drink what I'm brewing in the quart mason jar with exception of

saving the top 1 cup?

Thanks so much for your initial help. I'll actually have my own Kombucha

soon.

Rosie

_____

From: original_kombucha

[mailto:original_kombucha ] On Behalf Of Baker

Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 6:35 PM

>Thank you for your assistance. So my first brew starting with

GT's

>Raw Kombucha is ok. I was sure when I saw the brown stuff floating on top

>it had been contaminated. The " scoby " is very thin but covers the top of

>the quart mason jar and still has a number of bubbles. I followed your

>directions completely on May 2. It's been brewing for 8 days (yes I did

>move it and removed the brown stuff) so it's time to taste it?

Actually, no. Since the object here is to produce a starter culture, I

would say just leave it alone for another week. There's no need to taste

it (I think I was confused in my first response and didn't remember you

were starting from scratch) since you are not brewing for drinking but to

create a strong culture with which to brew.

I should think you would be safe starting a gallon brew with the results of

this first culturing, after another week. Remember that starting this way

is a little less certain than starting with a SCOBY and liquid starter, and

the longer you let it brew the more acidic it will become, which is the

object. When you do start your gallon brew, would recommend setting up

your sweetened tea and then gently transferring any SCOBY material and all

of the acidic starter you are now working on. Don't stir, to allow the

acidic stuff to stay at the top more. Gravity will mix them anyway, but

this way you get an acidic top layer.

>Sorry for all the questions; just don't want to contaminate my KT or baby

>scoby.

The best protection for the culture is the culture itself. That's why one

should use hot water and possibly vinegar to clean vessels and utensils

with (I wash/rinse my utensils normally but always rinse them in filtered

water before I use them with a brew). Using soap or any other germicidal or

antimicrobial chemical on your vessels is an invitation to

contamination. If I feel the need to clean a vessel, I just use hot water

and vinegar.

So as long as you remember that to the culture itself, the culture is

always clean, it will help you think about the best ways to handle it. I

have some old KT that is extremely acidic that I use as a culinary vinegar,

but this KT-vinegar is also the very best substance to use to clean your

vessels with, or to wipe the outsides and inside rim to clean up any

dribbles of sweet tea that might be sticky. If you clean your KT with KT,

you'll minimize any trouble you might experience, because you'll be

reinforcing the protective bioactivity rather than forcing the culture to

reinstate its protections.

--V