First batch problems / scoby growth really slow

[Chos5555]

Hello guys and girls,

lately I've gotten into stuff like meat curing, pickling and wanted to also dip into fermenting. So I thought the best way to start would be kombucha as it didn't too complicated, but I've ran into a couple problems. First off I think I actually made a mistake by starting a pretty big batch (a 4,25 l bottle to be exact, so slightly more than a gallon).
It's been just about 2 weeks since I started the batch in which I aim to grow a full SCOBY to use in my next batches. I thought that I would see like a thin disc after these 2 weeks, but the only thing I see is barely a half moon around haf of the jar.
I'm pretty sure I did the mixture fine, as it is clearly fermenting, but I thought it would be a bit faster, also there is a good amount of sediment on the bottom, is that normal? Should I just wait, because I made such a huge batch to grow a SCOBY or should I perhaps take out some of the liquid to make the fermentation faster, therefore hopefully make it grow faster?

Thank you for any help and tips to help me get started on this fermentation journey
Chos

Edit #1: BTW I made sure the kombucha I added to it was unpasturized and unfiltered, probably not the greatest quality of tea, but that shouldn't matter that much if I'm correct

 

[Owly055]

patience......... Please describe how you started the kombucha in some detail. Did you start it from a starter culture, or someone else's scoby, commercial kombucha..... what was your procedure?

I've begun from scratch several times. I like to mix equal parts commercial kombucha like GTs and sweet tea, then when it sours, double it again, and so on until I get the quantity I want.

Personally I believe in a strong culture...... give the microbes you want a head start, and never begin with just a scoby and a tiny amount of starter as most folks do. I like continuous brew for this reason, and seldom pull off more than 50% for secondary, using a spigot container such as an ice tea jug or brew bucket. I simply dump the replacement sweet tea over the scoby, which tumbles it around sinking it and giving it a good bath in sour kombucha to help prevent mold. It always refloats. I never handle it at all except to throw it out when it gets inconveniently thick.... the scoby doesn't make kombucha, it's actually a by product.

H.W.

 

[Chos5555]

Thanks for the tips!

I started with commercial booch, as I said in the edit, made sure it was unfiltered and unpasturized (not from the US, so it wasn't GT), then mixed it 1:1 with sweet tea (recipe for which I took from a video from It's alive on Bon appetit, per 1 liter of water 70 grams of sugar and 7 grams of tea, felt like that was the most trustworthy source ), also I let the sweet tea cool overnight cause I brew it really late in the night and had to go to sleep before it cooled down, no starter cultures or bought scoby, wanted to start from zero

So, if it is already sour right now would you suggest replacing let's say half of the liquid with new sweet tea?

Thanks,
Chos

 

[Owly055]

Thanks for the tips!

I started with commercial booch, as I said in the edit, made sure it was unfiltered and unpasturized (not from the US, so it wasn't GT), then mixed it 1:1 with sweet tea (recipe for which I took from a video from It's alive on Bon appetit, per 1 liter of water 70 grams of sugar and 7 grams of tea, felt like that was the most trustworthy source ), also I let the sweet tea cool overnight cause I brew it really late in the night and had to go to sleep before it cooled down, no starter cultures or bought scoby, wanted to start from zero

So, if it is already sour right now would you suggest replacing let's say half of the liquid with new sweet tea?

Thanks,
Chos

Yes... the scoby will get thicker with each batch. Often times the first go has just a thin film.......

 

[Chos5555]

Yes... the scoby will get thicker with each batch. Often times the first go has just a thin film.......

Perfect, gonna do it today, thank you very much

Chos