Cecilia

Recipes 

This is a picture of my scoby after 6 says of fermenting in the tea. I followed the directions I was given and on the third or fourth day, the scoby was covered in little black spots. Is this normal? Please advise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariepoling/4883360997

vacax

Recipes 

I'm confused as to what exactly I am looking at. But are you sure the flecks are not bits of tea leaf?

Cecilia

Recipes 

It does look very much like flecks of tea. You are looking at the top of the scoby. Here's another picture that probably makes more sense.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariepoling/4883737313/

Anyway, the lady who gave me the scoby found dark spots on one of hers and threw it away because it isn't something she'd seen before. She offered to bring another one by to replace this one, but I'd like to figure out if there's something truly wrong with it before it dispose of it. So I guess the question is, if it's not tea, than is it a normal? I did use loose leaf tea (but strained it out), so that's what I'd assume if the person who gave it to me wasn't having the same problem.

juvinious

Recipes 

Have you tasted it? You can re-culture it from the dregs, tossing the old mother out. I'd start it in a pint jar and then gradually step it up. This is how I grew mine up from a bottle of raw kombucha which had no mother.

__________________
Primary: None
Conditioning: None
Kegged: Nut Brown Ale
Bottled: Pyment | Strawberry Melomel

vacax

Recipes 

If they are specks of tea leaves it is fine. If it is not tea leaves I would toss that culture.

Cecilia

Recipes 

Thanks for the feedback. I compared some of the unused tea to the black spots in the SCOBY and they look exactly the same. So my bet is that it's the tea. Hopefully, I don't die after I drink the stuff! : )