I like carbonation so I've been bottling and let sit for 2 or 3 days at room temp, burping once a day. Within the first day I get a clear scoby jellyfish growing in the bottles. In some I added tsp. fresh shredded ginger, would this have caused increased activity? What are other factors that could contribute to this? I dont mind it so much since the health benefits but id prefer not to have them I give bottles to friends and gross them out.
How to minimize scoby growth in bottles?
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The recycled tea bottles I'm using arnt completely air tight. More oxygen = more growth? Gt synergy bottles have a good sealing lid, and the growth seems to be less in those bottles. The brew is fizzy enough straight from the vessel, I might just move straight to the fridge until I get better bottles.
kyt
Well-Known Member
First off lets just say, your friends are a bunch of cry babies ;Þ
Kombucha is a natural product, and the result of a natural product is additional growth.
To stop this growth, you'd need to kill the microbes causing it. If you do that, it almost defeats the purpose.
One way to do this is to pasteurize the Kombucha Tea, either before bottling, or after. But if you do that, you'll kill the yeasts that make the CO2. So since you like the bubbles, you'd have to force carb instead. There are aerobic (with air) and anaerobic (without air) bacteria in KT. Both are capable of producing pellicle (SCOBY), but the aerobic varieties do it much faster.
Ginger seems to boost carbonation (yeast), and kill bacteria. I don't use ginger, so other than what I just said, I have no further empirical evidence for you.
2¢ - Instead of crying about it, maybe your friends should consider themselves grateful that you can provide them such a beneficial and "living" product. They should instead be concerned if there was no growth.
Kombucha is a natural product, and the result of a natural product is additional growth.
To stop this growth, you'd need to kill the microbes causing it. If you do that, it almost defeats the purpose.
One way to do this is to pasteurize the Kombucha Tea, either before bottling, or after. But if you do that, you'll kill the yeasts that make the CO2. So since you like the bubbles, you'd have to force carb instead. There are aerobic (with air) and anaerobic (without air) bacteria in KT. Both are capable of producing pellicle (SCOBY), but the aerobic varieties do it much faster.
Ginger seems to boost carbonation (yeast), and kill bacteria. I don't use ginger, so other than what I just said, I have no further empirical evidence for you.
2¢ - Instead of crying about it, maybe your friends should consider themselves grateful that you can provide them such a beneficial and "living" product. They should instead be concerned if there was no growth.
I don't bother trying to limit the "stuff" in the brew. Mainly because I have lots of chopped ginger in the bottle, so what's a little more? If I can't manage to pour it off w/o dumping pieces in (which I can frequently do depending on scoby formation and how the pieces are floating or sinking)...I'll just pour it through a strainer like this: http://www.koboscoffee.com/site/assets/INFUS-CONICAL.jpg
chrismcnally
Member
I suggest you get a fizz gizz. it is a small co2 charger, uses disposable co2 cartridges. You can re-use a poland spring water bottle. Just run your KB through a strainer in a funnel to the Poland Spring bottle. Stick it in the fridge to chill and then use the fizz gizz to carbonate it. You won't have any growth or strange things floating in your KB.
I usually strain mine into a glass with ice. I don't like drinking the mini scoby.
I think the fizz gizz might be sold on Amazon now, but otherwise the guy has a website and you tube videos.
I usually strain mine into a glass with ice. I don't like drinking the mini scoby.
I think the fizz gizz might be sold on Amazon now, but otherwise the guy has a website and you tube videos.
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