does this first fermentation kamchucha batch have mold?

[mcfaler]

as title says. I am not sure if this discolosation is necessarily mold, there isn't a foul odor. should I toss this batch?

 

[Jetpack_Maniac]

No, there's nothing from the pictures that looks like mold. It looks to me like loose tea matter that got pour in there and is on top of the pellicle. Did you use loose tea leaves and pour them in?

 

[mcfaler]

Yes I used loose leaf. Should I get better filtering methods for the finer particles? I've made a few batches and just found this discoloration odd but it wasn't fuzzy or circular like bread or cheese mold. I filter my brews after my second fermentation when i drink it just because I have a lot of pulp and often another pellicle formation anyway

 

[Jetpack_Maniac]

I use loose but then strain them out. It's not strictly required. One thing to note is that including the tea leaves will have them extract more of the astrigent compounds in them. The steep times given for normal tea brewing gets the overwhelming majority of the positive flavor compounds and doesn't extract much of the negative/off flavors.

I do also do hot steeping since it helps with mold and gets the most flavor out of the leaves.

 

[IslandLizard]

The problem with using a jug is that it will be difficult to get the scoby out, you'll probably have to cut it.
For next time, a wide-mouth jar would be better suited for making Kombucha.