Checking in on First Batch Progress

[AlexKay]

Here’s what I have so far:

I steeped 45 g of loose (decaf Ceylon) tea in a gallon of RO water at 190 F. Dissolved 200 g table sugar. Cooled to 80 F and added the Big Momma Kombucha Starter from Fermentaholics. The package had a SCOBY and a far amount of liquid; I added both. The SCOBY sank like a rock and has not been seen since. The pH immediately afterwards was 3.86. Little Big Mouth Bubbler, with cloth over the top (and a rubber band.)

It’s been sitting at 74 F for two weeks, and looks like this:

It still tastes pretty much like sweet tea, with a slight acid tang/burn. Too sweet.

I'm inclined to let it sit for at least another 2 weeks, mostly because I can't think of anything to do that would actually be productive. Is there something I'm missing? Maybe try another batch, using this one for SCOBY and starter (and dumping the rest?)

 

[AlexKay]

So it’s been two weeks, and now it looks like this:

Still a little sweeter than I’d like, but less so. It’s more sour, though I feel that much more as a burn in the throat than in the taste.

I’m going to mix it with some concentrated juice. I’m torn between trying to bottle condition it and putting it in a mini keg and force carbonating. The keg certainly seems safer, but I don’t like introducing bugs into my draft beer equipment.

 

[brewdon]

It’s crazy, because the growth you have going on looks so much cleaner but you are having issues with the sugar not being consumed, while my pellicile growth looks horrendous but is turning sweetness into vinegary very quick, 2 weeks I was left with pretty much apple cider vinegar no sweetness, but no where near a solid pellicile like you have. Very weird, still trying to understand why. Best of luck in your journey fellow newcomer!

 

[RudeBooch]

Well your first problem was using decaf tea. The bacteria in the scoby needs the caffeine to chew off of.