Second Fermentation Scoby

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howierocks

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I used blueberries for my second fermentation and there is a baby scoby in the bottle. Is it safe to rinse the scoby and to use it now? My first batch was very strong. Thanks!
 
When you say "second fermentation" are you talking about a small (maybe 1/2" to 1" or 12mm to 25mm) scoby that formed up in the neck of a flip-top bottle during (sealed) secondary fermentation? Or do you mean it's your second time making Kombucha and you used blueberries in the primary ferment?
 
Leave it. It's part of being a "raw" product. You can ingest it, it will not harm you. I call them kombucha jellyfish, you can imagine why lol sometimes they have the yeast strings too.

If you really wanted to, yes you could carefully rinse that tiny SCOBY and use it with a substantial amount of starter solution to make another batch. But you'd have to use the same amount of starter with or without the tiny SCOBY (~2cups/gallon). If you had a good viable large SCOBY, you'd need ~1cup/gallon. So there really isn't much benefit to saving him. If you pitched that single tiny SCOBY in a gallon of team all by itself, it would probably mold.

Additionally, since you used something to flavor the second ferment, you'll end up with that flavor in your first ferment of the next batch. Ideally, you want to use fluid from the very top of the 1F once it is finished. Pulling from the bottom will get more yeast and sludge, less bacteria. The 1F would also be a plain, neutral flavor providing a blank canvas to build a 2F from. Also, if your 2F was anaerobic, you may have lost some or all of your aerobic bacteria, or they could be hibernating. You don't want to start off your next batch with your organisms asleep do you?
They will wake back up, if they are not dead. Do expect it to take longer to ferment though.
 
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