Re: Kombucha / water

[Guest guest]

Wonder if it might be the tap water. I was making kombucha with reverse-osmosis

filtered water, and it always worked great. Didn't make it for awhile, and now

the last two batches have failed, after I started using Brita-pitcher-filtered

water... Crap, I might have wasted all that money on that big box of pitcher

filters at Costco; if it's not even " pure " enough to brew kombucha, I probably

don't want to be drinking it.

Joy

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> Can anyone please help with some informatin.  I have been unable to make

kombucha.  I have tried 3 times. 

> each time I have bought a mushroom in liquid from the health food store.  I

made the tea in a metal container, let it cool.  I was told to take off my rings

when I do this and I have.  Is this really necessary?  Once I let the tea steep

longer than 15 minutes.  i didn't hear the timer, so it was a lot longer than 15

minutes.  Does this matter?  When it is cooled I put the tea and the mushroom in

one of my crock pots, cover with a cloth.  I check it after 10 days and usually

nothing If I let it sit a few more days it just gets a green miold and no baby. 

That's when I throw it out.  I was told it's done when the baby forms.  I have

been using tap water for the tea.  Is this OK?  Anyone have any insite into what

I may be doing wrong?

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> Gayle

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[Guest guest]

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> One thing I'm wondering now is if I'm not letting it steep long enough.  ... I

have been keeping it covered during the process with a clean dish towel.  ... I

have been waiting 10 days before checking it because I'm afraid of contaminating

the culture.  When I check, there is no baby and if I wait longer it just

eventually develops a green mold on the water.

I don't think steep time is important; the TEA doesn't feed the scoby (the SUGAR

does!). Also, the " baby " can grow underneath (attached to) the " mother " scoby if

it's floating on top of your brew. FYI.

More suggestions:

+ Use well water, distilled water, or preboiled water to avoid contaminants in

drinking water.

+ Totally dissolve the sugar in the water before taking the water off the heat,

adding tea, and letting it steep. (BTW, are you using plain white sugar or

evaporated cane juice? I've heard that less refined products don't work as well.

I use OG evaporated cane juice or turbinado.)

+ Don't forget to add starter tea (or vinegar)!

+ Brew kombucha in a glass jar (easy to check on its progress, too).

+ Cover your fermenting tea jar with a layer of cheesecloth, attached with a

rubber band.

+ Keep the fermenting tea warmish (70s?) and where it won't be invaded by lots

of foreign bugs. (I keep my brewing jar on a seedling starter mat, cheesecloth

on top, all covered with a cardboard box (to keep the heat in) and a towel on

top. So far, no mold!)

+ Check out Microbial Nutrition

(nutrition/) or info on The Happy

Herbalist (http://www.happyherbalist.com/kombucha_brewing_guide.htm) for

instructions, tips, tricks, and photos.

Pam

[Guest guest]

Tap water can kill cultures. Our local water makes crappy sourdough, and

inhibits the rise in yeasted breads a bit too.

Depending on what chlorinating agent your local water company uses, some

of the chlorine compounds evaporate upon sitting overnight, so the water

can then be used for bread or culturing, if one is too poor for bottled

water, or too weak to haul around gallons, etc. AFAIK you can call your

local water company to find out which one it uses and google whether it

evaporates.

Desh

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