How to preserve the scoby ?
- Thread starter Jokester
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Just leave the SCOBY in some fermented kombucha and it will be fine. Note: it is the fermented kombucha liquid that is more important than the SCOBY (pellicle) for starting new batches. Ideally, you should consider starting a "SCOBY hotel" to save both fermented tea and extra SCOBY's. Google it and you will find lots descriptions.
Scoby Hotel ... didn't Elvis sing about it ?
Will do though.
I was thinking of taking it into a 12" aldi "watermelon container" and putting in the fridge. No ?
Its 12" diameter and 3" tall with locking lid to match and handles. You can also transport a pie in it. Which may have been its original intent. Anyway, will accept my large scobies without having to chop into tiny cubes. But you say no ?? Lets see what google reveals on scoby hotel.
Will do though.
I was thinking of taking it into a 12" aldi "watermelon container" and putting in the fridge. No ?
Its 12" diameter and 3" tall with locking lid to match and handles. You can also transport a pie in it. Which may have been its original intent. Anyway, will accept my large scobies without having to chop into tiny cubes. But you say no ?? Lets see what google reveals on scoby hotel.
The container sounds fine as long as the SCOBY is stored in fermented kombucha.
DO NOT REFRIGERATE IT according to the Big Book of Kombucha.
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Kom...ocphy=9031024&hvtargid=pla-432953320039&psc=1
DO NOT REFRIGERATE IT according to the Big Book of Kombucha.
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Kom...ocphy=9031024&hvtargid=pla-432953320039&psc=1
jerrylotto
Well-Known Member
I seal them in mason jars with fermented kombucha but I have been refrigerating them and this is a surprise to me. Why "do not refrigerate" in caps?
When I want to give some away I make extra sweet tea and put scoby's in a mason jar then pour the tea and let a new scoby grow. I put a plastic cap on after 4 weeks and they keep .....well I have one that's 3 years old and still looks good.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2020
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 36
As others have mentioned, just leave it in some fermented kombucha. I had one at room temp for ~6 months over the summer that I managed to revive easily. As long as it doesn't dry out it should be perfectly fine, you'll know when it's dried out because it will start growing black mold.
As stated, just leave it in tea and it lasts... forever. Well, with a little pick me up every once in a while. I've got a Jun scoby and a regul;ar scoby going quite well for a couple of years. Whenever I think of it, which is about every six months or so, I 'revitalize' them with some freshly brewed tea. I use a quart-size jar and leave it to be in a nice dark place, undisturbed.
Haven't had the need to drink the tea for a while as it's a powerful 'medicine' when needed but I keep it alive 'just in case'. It's awesome stuff in the right hands.
Haven't had the need to drink the tea for a while as it's a powerful 'medicine' when needed but I keep it alive 'just in case'. It's awesome stuff in the right hands.
I don't know why you should not refrigerate, but my recollection is that the Kombucha Bible (aka the Big Book of Kombucha) emphasized that point which is why I Capitalized it.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 313
- Reaction score
- 204
You can refrigerate kombucha and kombucha pellicles. It will do no harm.
I guess I can just leave them all as it is, because the people that asked for it are out of the country almost to the point where they dont know when they're returning. I have 2 massive scobies at this point on in 1 gal and one in the 2.5.
