Weak scoby, add more tea+sugar, wait?

Hello everyone, this is my first attempt to make kombucha. I got a small scoby from amazon. I started my 1 gallon brew 10 days ago; I can now see a new thin scoby forming on the top of my solution but it seems very thin to me since I read it would have usually taken only about 8 days to develop a way thicker scoby.
Should I wait more ?
Should I add more tea+sugar solution to my brew (to feed my thin scoby and hopefully make it thicker) ?
My concern here is not the actual quality of my kombucha since this is my first batch ever, what I really want is to develop a stronger scoby that I can use for the future (hopefully many brews).
Thanks in advance !

Hal0 said:

Hello everyone, this is my first attempt to make kombucha. I got a small scoby from amazon. I started my 1 gallon brew 10 days ago; I can now see a new thin scoby forming on the top of my solution but it seems very thin to me since I read it would have usually taken only about 8 days to develop a way thicker scoby.
Should I wait more ?
Should I add more tea+sugar solution to my brew (to feed my thin scoby and hopefully make it thicker) ?
My concern here is not the actual quality of my kombucha since this is my first batch ever, what I really want is to develop a stronger scoby that I can use for the future (hopefully many brews).
Thanks in advance !

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Use a straw to sample the solution about halfway down the side of the container. If it is sweet, you don't need any more sugar (at least for now).
The sugar feeds the yeast, they produce the alcohol that feeds the bacteria. The bacteria make the cellulose scoby. If you add too much sugar, you'll make the yeast sleepy. Look up the Crabtree Effect.
It's like if you ate WAY too much at thanksgiving, the yeast will get sleepy.

What is the temperature of your solution?

I'm fairly new to Kombucha, but I wouldn't be particularily worried. Your scoby will thicken with subsequent ferments. I cultured my scoby from raw kombucha, and did two brews in a gallon container. The scoby was much thicker after the second. Then, I transfered it into a sun tea pitcher for a continuous brew technique. This container has a much larger surface area, and the scoby that formed is very thin.

Each time, I have produced good kombucha.

I wouldn't add more tea mix to boost the scoby because it will raise the PH and increase your risk on contamination.

I'd just be patient. When the kombucha gets to where you want it, I'd pour off about half and drink it and top off the scoby with more tea mix. The scoby should thicken

Thnaks for advice kyt and Listen_Up_Sonny.

kyt, I tasted the solution and it tastes sweet so I wont be adding any more sugar. I used a regular cooking thermometer and my solution reads 62°F, is it too cold for the bacteria ?.

Listen_Up_Sonny, thanks for your input and advice, hopefully I will be able to develop a thick scoby if I wait or even for the next batch as you did.

Hal0 said:

Thnaks for advice kyt and Listen_Up_Sonny.

kyt, I tasted the solution and it tastes sweet so I wont be adding any more sugar. I used a regular cooking thermometer and my solution reads 62°F, is it too cold for the bacteria ?.

Listen_Up_Sonny, thanks for your input and advice, hopefully I will be able to develop a thick scoby if I wait or even for the next batch as you did.

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Yes that's definitely too cool. The yeast should still work in that area, but the bacteria will be slowed quite a bit.
So you're kind of just making tea beer.. ew lol
You want to be in the 70-80℉ range.
You can use this range to subtly control the balance of the ferment.
Think of it like the thermostat in your car.

More yeast/less bacteria 70℉ - - - - - - - - - 80℉ more bacteria/less yeast
Use for incomplete ferments (sweet) Use for complete ferments
with strong vinegar taste (acetic acid) with no vinegar taste

Temps outside this range will produce a more drastic effect. Under 70 things start to hibernate, over 80 they start to cook (die). You could also allow other strains you don't wish to grow, to take over. This statement is heavily diluted, others may use temps outside the 70-80 range for specific purposes, which we won't get into here. (flame disclaimer)

If you overdo it, and the batch is very vinegary, don't toss it!
You can use it as you would any vinegar, or it makes a perfect starter solution for the next batch!

See the attached image for my solution.

That is a really smart solution, I don't have a fish tank or whatever that is to keep my container but I'm doing something similar with a pot with some water and putting a towel over it to keep the heat from escaping too fast. I will post info about the progress of my brew later on. Thanks for the help kyt !

Hal0 said:

That is a really smart solution, I don't have a fish tank or whatever that is to keep my container but I'm doing something similar with a pot with some water and putting a towel over it to keep the heat from escaping too fast. I will post info about the progress of my brew later on. Thanks for the help kyt !

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No problem!
If you're using a pot, you could put it on one of those electric warmer plates. If you should have one. I'm all about using what you got before buying stuff.

I've seen people use crock-pots with manual temp control (off-low-high) for keeping jars warm. They use a separate controller with a temp probe and an outlet. You plug the crock into the outlet on the unit, and the unit turns the power on and off when it needs to. You can get things like that from pet stores for reptile tanks or hydroponics shops.

For my first rig I was using a medium sized plastic cooler. Put my 3 jars down in it and I'd warm up kitchen towels and stuff around jars a few times a day. This wasn't very productive though. Also, you'd need to keep the lid shut to keep the heat in, which keeps fresh air out, and CO2 in as well.
I added an aquarium air pump I had as an extra to the cooler. I put it in the bottom of the cooler with the hose going out. Since CO2 is heavier than air, the pump would dump the CO2 outside the cooler instead of it pooling inside.
This kept my air good, but the pump didn't generate enough heat to warm the cooler at all; as I was hoping it would provide as a secondary benefit.
I was going to add a night light to the cooler, but in the process of searching for it, I found my aquarium and it's heater. Decided to go that route instead.
I do still use the cooler though. That's where I put my bottles after I've filled them to sit for a 2nd ferment. If one pops, it's contained in the cooler.

Grab a couple beers and start digging around your place. With a little ingenuity and liquid courage, you might surprise yourself with what you can come up with!