First time making Kombucha - did it go bad? Please help

Hi guys,

This is my first time brewing kombucha. It has been 3 days and this is what it looks like now. Did it go bad?

No, it looks all good. You need to keep it covered with a breathable material of course and not move it for about 7 days. This will allow the pellicle forming on the top to completely grow and seal out competing bacteria and yeast. I think of it as an umbrella while the real action of converting your sweetened tea into kombucha happens unseen underneath.

Temperature is important too, don't let it get too cold or too hot, between 75 and 80 seems to work well.

Good luck!

As long as there is no mold growing, it's good. The bubbles mean it's working/fermenting. Some SCOBYs are smooth and white, and some are brown and stringy.

Only a taste-test will tell.

My scobys are are smooth and uniform and clean looking, I was quite shocked by how absolutely funky the top of my first batch looked when I took off the lids and first looked at them. I will admit I put that taste test off the first time

If they smell fairly neutral or lightly vinegary, it is also a good sign .... obvious mold and/or weird/bad smells ... not so much.