SCOBY management

[PhillyBrewer]

I brewed kombucha a few years ago, but took a break after getting frustrated with failures "managing" my SCOBY, specifically between batches. I found that my SCOBY got super thick and the liquid it was sitting in essentially turned to vinegar. Even if I didn't use any of this liquid for a starter in future batches or halved my SCOBY, they became vinegar/too acidic as well.

I have two young children so being able to brew every 7-10 days can be a challenge. What can I do to properly manage/maintain my SCOBY or otherwise continually brew kombucha that doesn't turn to vinegar?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RPh_Guy]

Put it in the fridge. It slows down the microbes.

Most people want the vinegar.
Otherwise it has alcohol... If you want to maintain the alcohol, you need to prevent oxygen from getting in after fermentation begins.
Try reducing the amount of sugar you are using if you don't want high alcohol or vinegar.

BTW, the solid part is called a pellicle.

 

[bigdawg86]

I leave my scoby in the pantry on about 1/2 gallon of booch, and yes it turns into vinegar which helps protect the next batch by dropping the pH... similarly to why with kettle souring beers we use lactic acid to drop pH to 4.5 before adding the cultures. My scoby has been sitting idle for 6 months now. There is no need to continuously brew just to keep scoby going. It will be every bit of good weeks or months after you previously used it.

 

[RPh_Guy]

^ Yes, that too. Forgot to mention