Is my kombucha doing well?

[HobokenNL]

Hello everyone,

I'm still a beginner at making kombucha (third batch), and even though I read a lot about it, I'm not sure whether my scoby is doing fine or not.

Right now, the PH number is 3.6 and didn't change for 5 days. It doesn't smell bad, just like strong vinegar.

Here's what the other side of the scoby looks like (I reversed it upside down thinking it could help).

Thank you!

 

[Kombuchinism]

It's hard to tell from the picture if it's mould or not. I'll advice not to move and definitely not reverse scoby when you are not sure it's mould. Hope your kombucha is stil good.

 

[HobokenNL]

Thanks for your answer Kombuchinism! I was getting desperate.

I had already reversed it when I wrote the opening post. I still have no idea if my kombucha is safe to bottle or not. The top of the scoby looks good and the smell is not bad. The Ph is still not moving though..

I'm not sure if I should bottle and drink it after the 1st picture I posted.

 

[KombuchaJim]

I found my first batch looking similar to your first scoby. The surface had a bluish grey hue to it. I was concerned about mold and sent photos to several people and generally received the ok to use. The scoby appears to have gone through a phase in its growth that gave it this appearance. I am thinking it came from using a smaller scoby for a larger batch. The upper layer took a long time to firm up and went through several color changes.

I am new to kombucha and can only share my brief experience. By the dates on this thread you are already beyond this....

I am curious about and update.

 

[HobokenNL]

Hi Jim,

Even if the upper part of the scoby looked "alright", I ended up throwing it away and started a new batch with the baby. I've been making kombucha with that same baby since then and it turns out good every time. It doesn't get that grey hue to it anymore.

I guess it would have been ok to keep using the mother but I'm only brewing one batch at a time so it didn't make much sense to keep the "worst" part of the scoby.

 

[ericbw]

That booch looks fine! It's ok that you threw out the mother, but you didn't need to. Your SCOBY should make a new layer each batch (or sometimes after 2 batches). Eventually, you'll want to peel them apart and toss the older part.

Just be sure to use an adequate amount of old booch for each new batch - that's more important than the mother/baby. The SCOBY is actually living in the booch. I have not heard a lot of solid opinions on why it forms the cap, but I suspect it helps to regulate oxygen and protect the culture.