Growing Scoby from new GTs?

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ndsgr

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Anyone tried this? I heard they had to change their formula, so I'm curious whether or not the "new" recipe is good for making a Scoby.

I can't get the "adult" (original) version in my area, unfortunately.
 
Im in the process of doing this right now, From what i see so far(its only been 5 days) i have a thin film/scoby starting to form on top. I have done a lot of reading and watched many you tube videos on growing your own scoby, and they all say it takes about 30 days to grow your first scoby. So ill post again in 25 days and let you know how i came out, but as i said so far its looking decent.
 
Thanks for the reply. I'll be starting one this weekend and was just concerned and thought about mail ordering a Scoby.
 
Thanks for the reply. I'll be starting one this weekend and was just concerned and thought about mail ordering a Scoby.

Mail Order works too if you dont want to go through the wait of growing your own, i am just tryin to save some money, 4 dollars on a bottle of GT's is still cheaper than a scoby lol
 
I'll give it a go with the "enlightened." I put an email into GT's to find out if I can score some "classic" anywhere.

Side rant: I just really don't want to search other sites anymore. I'm not a microbiologist, but I can tell most of the Kombucha authors don't know jack about what they are pretending to preach. The information seems to build up the the bottom line, "buy my set up kit!" If HBT turns out to be a fraction as good as it is at homebrew, I found my only resource.
 
I have successfully cultured a scoby from new GT's. Took about 3 weeks (1 gallon batch). I have another one almost done too.
 
That's encouraging Spenghali. I started mine on Friday in a mason jar. I used two bottles of GT's dregs and overall about half a bottle of the liquid with some fresh sweetened tea.

GT's did respond to my email and they only have the "classic" in a couple of states. I find it comical and sad they have to use a liquor distributor to get out the product, but such is life.
 
That's encouraging Spenghali. I started mine on Friday in a mason jar. I used two bottles of GT's dregs and overall about half a bottle of the liquid with some fresh sweetened tea.

GT's did respond to my email and they only have the "classic" in a couple of states. I find it comical and sad they have to use a liquor distributor to get out the product, but such is life.

The Synergy trilogy from GT's works to grow a Scoby(the new formula) i just transferred my thin Scoby last night into some new tea/sugar mix, i am slowly stepping it up just like you would for a cultured yeast from a beer bottle. After 10 days i had a small thin Scoby,But the liquid had cleared and there was no sugar left(quart jar) so fresh tea/sugar and this morning i have foam on top. So i know it works! It however may take three or four step ups to get a nice thick Scoby.


OH on a side note, i did 3 different types of sugar source, Honey,Molasses and white sugar, and in ten days the Molasses has grown the thickest Scoby thus far.
 
I used a whole bottle of GT's, not just the dregs. I read somewhere that use of a whole bottle will create a better environment for the scoby, since it will get the pH closer to where it needs to be.
 
For a 1/2 gallon:

(1) GT's Raw Original Kombucha
(3) Cups boiled tap water
(1.5) Cups classic oolong tea
(1/2) Cup sugar (dissolved in tea or tap water)

Cool everything to room temp, pitch into sanitized jug, swirl gently, cover with rubberbanded cloth.
 
I used a whole bottle of GT's, not just the dregs. I read somewhere that use of a whole bottle will create a better environment for the scoby, since it will get the pH closer to where it needs to be.

Oh i didnt just use dregs, i took a full bottle, shook it up will to mix all the yeasties and bacteria up and split it between 3 quart jars.
 
I have a few jars using different sugars, teas, etc. using the new GT's. Most of them are approaching 30 days, and only one has a baby... I used the original flavour. Maybe I'll try with one of the synergy brews...
 
I have a few jars using different sugars, teas, etc. using the new GT's. Most of them are approaching 30 days, and only one has a baby... I used the original flavour. Maybe I'll try with one of the synergy brews...

Black Strap Molasses seems to work best for growing a Scoby from GT's from what i have seen in my personal brewings.
 
I used GT's multigreen kombucha about two and a half weeks ago. I used an entire bottle plus the dregs from another bottle in a mason jar filled the rest of the way up with sweet oolong tea. the scoby is growing nicely and my house is pretty cold for growing kombucha. house is sitting at about 68.

the only thing I would change is not using the multigreen because they add some algae to it and there seems to be a lot of algae in my starter that I'm going to have to separate somehow.
 
Mine is growing and pretty thick. The only issue is that I'm not sure if there is mold on top. Here's a picture. Normal?
2012-03-15_20-43-16_443.jpg
 
I tried this, and even after 10 days or so the Scoby was barely there. THEN, I thought to add some sugar, and Voila! So this works, just make sure to add some organic cane sugar and you should have a nice scoby in 7 - 10 days.
 
Hello!

So I was worried about getting a SCOBY here in Portland. I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of different GT's, a some Kombucha Wonder Drink India and an unknown one that is called Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver.

In order of effectiveness:

If I get going with some more, does anyone want some?

Flavors are:
GTs Classic Kombucha's Cosmic Cranberry -> 21+
GTs Classic Kombucha's Gingerberry -> 21+
GTs Enlightened Kombucha™ Original (any age-> typically grocery store available)
Kombucha Wonder Drink India

Worst that didn't even grow:
Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver 21+

To grow mine I did the following: I didn't use extra tea or any additives. Just the kombucha as is.

Pour each into a widemouth mason jar as is and cover with unbleached muslin.
Place a space heater and maintained temp at 80F
Took about 1 week to grow a 1/2" scoby on all of them (except Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver 21+)


I then put each into 1/2 gallon mason jars with tea filled to top and 1/2 cup white sugar and built a quick incubator that was super easy with plywood and clip on halogen lamp-> 43 watts did amazing and effective even heat with less electric consumption.


I wish I had taken before and after photos for the growing SCOBYs but didn't (sorry).
Here is a pic of the incubator. Very makeshift but works great! Took 3 days to finish the Kombi. Kept the box at 86F.
Today bottled in 12oz beer bottles carbonating with 1/2 tsp each and then did a side by side test to ensure safe carbonation with a 12oz Ocean Spray Cranberry bottle (plastic) to see when it gets hard so I can chill to stop carbonation. Still researching that part.

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IMG_20140204_163121751_HDR.jpg


IMG_20140204_163204080_HDR.jpg
 
I tried probably a dozen different flavors of GT and Synergy and all of them grew a SCOBY. the mystic mango was very fast and I used it in subsequent batches and contrary to what I had been told, I did not taste mango in any other batches. I went up to having 6 full size SCOBY's going batches and then backed off to 2 continuous brews now. I was actuall surprised just how easy it was if I was patient. Oh... That's the hard part btw.


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I used it in subsequent batches and contrary to what I had been told, I did not taste mango in any other batches
Do you think the mango flavor fermented out, or wasn't strong enough to persist?

I was actuall surprised just how easy it was if I was patient. Oh... That's the hard part btw.

+1 I continue to struggle with this too. Lol

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Do you think the mango flavor fermented out, or wasn't strong enough to persist?



+1 I continue to struggle with this too. Lol

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I'm not sure how it would work but I never really tasted a hint of Mango.


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This is what I just read and am going to try since I have some of the cider on hand.
You can start your own SCOBY by making a 1 qt jar of sweet tea and adding 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with the mother to the jar, Braggs works well. Then just put your cloth secured on top and let it grow 1 week or 2 until you see the SCOBY on top of the tea. If you will be using a 1 gallon jar to make future batches then put the quart of the tea with apple cider vinegar in the jar and cover with cloth secured by a rubber band. The longer you let the tea ferment the thicker your SCOBY will become.
 
Don't forget the yeast. Store bought cider will be pasteurized, so no yeast in it. Remember what SCOBY stands for, with out the yeast part all you're making is vinegar and an acetobacter pellicle. If the cider is pasteurized, and doesn't contain any ethanol, I bet all you grow is mold.
It certainly won't be kombucha.

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Do you think the mango flavor fermented out, or wasn't strong enough to persist?



+1 I continue to struggle with this too. Lol

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I've had the same issue happen. Did some research. Turns out the Scobys will take on the flavor of the tea. So basically your scoby is tasting more like the tea and less like the original GT correct? I've solved it by adding a bottle of that same GT every 3 batches to keep the flavor. Let me know if that works for you :D
 
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