I used to brew kombucha years ago when I was a teenager. It always worked quite well. The last couple of years ive been trying to brew again but it never seems to work quite right. I received a scoby and tried to make several batches. With it. Each batch tasted awful and was susceptible to mold. It just kept getting worse and I had to throw it all out. Now ive started again. Fresh scoby from a new and reliable source. All seemed to go well. The brew is now in a bottle fermenting and tastes the way it should. But again the new scoby that formed on the surface appears to have two small dime size patches of what looks like mold. Little green spots of it. They are on the tough outer surface. They washed away quite easily with pure vinegar. Its now soaking in pure vinegar in fridge while I prepare the next batch. Im not quite sure what im doing wrong and is this little bit of green anything to worry about ?
Heres my process:
Sterilize 2 gallon glass jar with boiling vinegar.
Add the freshly cooled tea and sugar mix.
Starter liquid from last batch. A little extra vinegar to up the PH and help prevent mold.
Rinse kombucha with pure vinegar and place in the mix.
Cover with a layer of cotton cloth thats been boiled in vinegar and is still damp.
Thats tied tight.
Everything in my work area is sterilized with vinegar and boiling water.
Hands washed with soap, rinsed and sterilized with vinegar.
The culture seems clean and it grows nicely everything seems ok.
By the time its ready to put in bottles I find quite a bit of mold on top of the cloth lid... Which is odd because the lid is dry...
Also the lid is always getting attacked by fruitflies.
This time not so bad because I now cover the cloth lid loosely with a glass lid.
Perhaps thats making it moist enough for mold ?
My thought is that mold spores are getting through the fabric ?
Ive tried doubling the material up but that doesnt help.
This is at two different homes different locations completely. So idk if its environmental.
Im really not sure what to think... Is it bad ?
Heres my process:
Sterilize 2 gallon glass jar with boiling vinegar.
Add the freshly cooled tea and sugar mix.
Starter liquid from last batch. A little extra vinegar to up the PH and help prevent mold.
Rinse kombucha with pure vinegar and place in the mix.
Cover with a layer of cotton cloth thats been boiled in vinegar and is still damp.
Thats tied tight.
Everything in my work area is sterilized with vinegar and boiling water.
Hands washed with soap, rinsed and sterilized with vinegar.
The culture seems clean and it grows nicely everything seems ok.
By the time its ready to put in bottles I find quite a bit of mold on top of the cloth lid... Which is odd because the lid is dry...
Also the lid is always getting attacked by fruitflies.
This time not so bad because I now cover the cloth lid loosely with a glass lid.
Perhaps thats making it moist enough for mold ?
My thought is that mold spores are getting through the fabric ?
Ive tried doubling the material up but that doesnt help.
This is at two different homes different locations completely. So idk if its environmental.
Im really not sure what to think... Is it bad ?
