Cleaning Kombucha jar/utensils

[vjekob]

I use a glass jar, stainless steel utensils (eg. spoon/ladel), plastic funnel for Kombucha.
I have found various and conflicting information on how to clean the jar/utensils used.
Would appreciate more details on how this should be done (dishwashing detergent, vinegar, sponges
and their maintenance etc. - so that I understand better the level of cleanliness that is needed.

Also, does the SCOBY need to be washed with tap water before being put into new tea
(I use tap water for Kombucha and saw this need for washing the SCOBY on some webpage) ?

 

[vjekob]

bumpety-bump - can someone please comment ?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Kombucha contains a wild mix of microbes capable of fighting for themselves and preventing growth of other unwanted contaminants. An alcoholic, anaerobic, acidic, nutrient-depleted enviroment is pretty harsh.

The SCOBY pellicle does not need to be washed. That's completely pointless.
Limit oxygen exposure to prevent mold growth.

It's probably not necessary to clean/sanitize your equipment any differently than your usual dishware used for food.

On the other hand, beer brewers use a quality cleaning agent like PBW combined with a no-rinse sanitizer like StarSan. StarSan is cheap. PBW you can buy or make from scratch with sodium percarbonate and sodium metasilicate with a surfactant like EDTA. However, brewering beer requires a much higher level of sanitation. Your call on all that.

Cheers

 

[vjekob]

OK, that's cleared up a lot of things. What about handling the SCOBY if it is needed for some reason eg
dviding it or removing a very old layer - could one do this with clean hands (normally washed hands) or are gloves necessary (I'm always worried about introducing "other materials/substances" like gloves into the picture as they may cause more harm than good) ?

 

[rhoadsrage]

The only time I have gotten mold was in my SCOBY Hotel was in the sunlight. I rinse all bottles and utensils in hot water, to remove crud if any, but that is it. I use filtered water for Kombucha to limit the amount of chlorine, but I have never rinsed my SCOBY.

I found the Big Book of Kombucha to be really helpful when I started out and I still use it for the recipes.

 

[RPh_Guy]

OK, that's cleared up a lot of things. What about handling the SCOBY if it is needed for some reason eg
dviding it or removing a very old layer - could one do this with clean hands (normally washed hands) or are gloves necessary (I'm always worried about introducing "other materials/substances" like gloves into the picture as they may cause more harm than good) ?

Just wash your hands.
Gloves wouldn't hurt but they aren't necessary in my opinion.

Cheers