I'm relatively knew to brewing kombucha - I think I started at some point in July. For the first time, one of my mothers looks 'wrong,' and I wanted a second opinion on it.
So, on the bottom part of the picture, you can see the 'skin' that grows on the surface of the tea. At the top of the picture, the 'skin' from previous batches is sort of dangling down from the new growth, and a bunch of bubbles from the culture have forced part of the SCOBY up and out of the liquid. At that point, the mother appears white, bumpy, and waxy. It doesn't look at all like mold to me - but it does look strange. Is that normal healthy growth, or is it unsafe? How do I tell the difference? Can I keep this batch, or do I have to toss it?
So, on the bottom part of the picture, you can see the 'skin' that grows on the surface of the tea. At the top of the picture, the 'skin' from previous batches is sort of dangling down from the new growth, and a bunch of bubbles from the culture have forced part of the SCOBY up and out of the liquid. At that point, the mother appears white, bumpy, and waxy. It doesn't look at all like mold to me - but it does look strange. Is that normal healthy growth, or is it unsafe? How do I tell the difference? Can I keep this batch, or do I have to toss it?