1st brew... weird looking scoby or mold?

[Morkiuz]

Hey guys, it’s been almost a week since I started growing a scoby from scratch (store bought unpasturised kombucha)

It looked and smelled pretty normal before we went away for a few days... we came back yesterday and I found this: (see the attached pic)

What is this? It looks like mould to me but it still smells good...

 

[RPh_Guy]

What is this?

It definitely does not look like mold. Mold is fuzzy or hairy.

The film is called a pellicle. The "snot pancake" that a SCOBY normally produces is also a pellicle.
Obviously there are some microbes in your culture but the balance is off.

Welcome to HBT

 

[Morkiuz]

It definitely does not look like mold. Mold is fuzzy or hairy.

The film is called a pellicle. The "snot pancake" that a SCOBY normally produces is also a pellicle.
Obviously there are some microbes in your culture but the balance is off.

Welcome to HBT

Thank you for the reply. I have more detailed picture from the top! The only thing I’m concerned about is that the top doesn’t look wet. Could this be Kahm Yeast?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Could this be Kahm Yeast?

"Kahm yeast" is a misnomer. It means any something that produces a pellicle; many different types of yeast and bacteria can form a pellicle.

Since the normal microbes in a kombucha SCOBY form a pellicle, it's not surprising that you have one.

If you want some in-depth reading:
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Pellicle

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Mold

 

[Morkiuz]

"Kahm yeast" is a misnomer. It means any something that produces a pellicle; many different types of yeast and bacteria can form a pellicle.

Since the normal microbes in a kombucha SCOBY form a pellicle, it's not surprising that you have one.

If you want some in-depth reading:
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Pellicle

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Mold

Should I get rid of it?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Should I get rid of it?

Is the kombucha this culture made enjoyable to drink?
If you like it then it's perfectly fine to use. My guess is that it won't taste quite right, but just going by appearance would be silly in this case (my opinion). More time may help it develop.