Newby: black tenrtacles normal?

[Pyriand3r]

Hello there,
I am fairly new to kombucha, it is my first try. I got the scoby from a friend and set it up with green tea (gunpowder) yesterday. Today the scoby has a black tentacle like thing growing out of one side.

Is this normal or do I have to do something like removing it and starting from scratch? Or is my scoby now kind of infected and I have to throw it away? Sorry, I am really new to this kind of thing

Can anyone help me on this? Thank you in advanced...

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I'll state up front that I've never made kombucha. However, based on the articles I've read and the photos I've seen, no, this is bad.

Never should have any black mold in anything. Not trying to be a PITA, just trying to be helpful. IMO, seems something infected the kombucha. How does it smell?

 

[Pyriand3r]

It smells a bit like vinegar. Afaik that is normal and good. I have attached a second picture from the side.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I am very sorry to write, but based on the data sounds to me like

Acetic (Sour) Detected In: Aroma, flavor.
Described As: Acidic, cidery, lingering sourness,sharp sourness,sour, sour apples, tangy, tart, vinegary.
Typical Origins:
Microbial contamination.
Typical Concentrations in Beer: 30 - 200 mg/l.
Perception Threshold: 130 mg/l . Beer Flavor Wheel Number: 0910.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Normally, black or pink mold is very bad. This applies to our houses/living places too.

 

[stout12]

It smells a bit like vinegar. Afaik that is normal and good. I have attached a second picture from the side.

I can’t be certain but it looks like yeast to me which is perfectly normal. Mold doesn’t grow below the surface of liquid. Also mold growth is dry and fuzzy.

I am very sorry to write, but based on the data sounds to me like

Acetic (Sour) Detected In: Aroma, flavor.
Described As: Acidic, cidery, lingering sourness,sharp sourness,sour, sour apples, tangy, tart, vinegary.
Typical Origins:
Microbial contamination.
Typical Concentrations in Beer: 30 - 200 mg/l.
Perception Threshold: 130 mg/l . Beer Flavor Wheel Number: 0910.

The OP is making Kombucha, not beer. It is suppose to have an acetic / vinegar aroma as the microbes are infact acetobacter creating acetic acid.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I can’t be certain but it looks like yeast to me which is perfectly normal. Mold doesn’t grow below the surface of liquid. Also mold growth is dry and fuzzy.



The OP is making Kombucha, not beer. It is suppose to have an acetic / vinegar aroma as the microbes are infact acetobacter creating acetic acid.

Nothing in kombucha fermentation is black mold.

 

[Pyriand3r]

Thanks for your opinions. Based on this article I have found (http://kombuchahome.com/how-to-tell-if-kombucha-scoby-has-mold-or-not/) and @stout12's response I think it is not mold. Time will show I will keep it and see how it develop.

I write an update in a few days. Thanks!

 

[stout12]

Nothing in kombucha fermentation is black mold.

But mold doesn’t grow below the surface of liquid. The second picture shows most of the growth is in the liquid.

Also some example pictures of yeast growth:

https://www.kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-brewing-pictures/normal-kombucha-yeast-liquid-under-scoby

Dark Yeast growth:

https://www.kombuchakamp.com/wp-con...on-the-side-of-the-brew-below-the-surface.jpg

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Well, then I stand corrected. I guess the articles I read avoided showing the black "glob" so as to not scare away newbies. Articles described the scoby and showed scoby pictures, but none looked like the one's in the links posted by stout12.

 

[Rayman99]

So have we decided this is normal? Cause Im on day 9 of my first 2 gallons and one of my gallons looks very similar except my scoby is much smaller. What I find odd is my second gallon was prepped and brewed exactly the same way as the first gallon and it is growing slowly but looks beautiful... what do you all think?

Im assuming the size issue after 9 days is due to the cold weather so Yesterday (8 Days since start) I bought a heat belt yesterday (8 days since start).

 

[Scientific hippie]

Well, then I stand corrected. I guess the articles I read avoided showing the black "glob" so as to not scare away newbies. Articles described the scoby and showed scoby pictures, but none looked like the one's in the links posted by stout12.

From the side, it looks like yeast.

 

[Scientific hippie]

View attachment 612097 View attachment 612098 View attachment 612099 View attachment 612100 So have we decided this is normal? Cause Im on day 9 of my first 2 gallons and one of my gallons looks very similar except my scoby is much smaller. What I find odd is my second gallon was prepped and brewed exactly the same way as the first gallon and it is growing slowly but looks beautiful... what do you all think?

Im assuming the size issue after 9 days is due to the cold weather so Yesterday (8 Days since start) I bought a heat belt yesterday (8 days since start).

Those look like older (top two) and younger (bottom two) scobies.

 

[Pyriand3r]

Hello,
sorry for the late update. I have just "harvested" my Kombucha. It developed normally, tastes and smells good. Everything went fine

From the pictures i would say, too, that the growth in the left gallon is yeast, similar to mine only different color. The other i can't say, looks odd but by what i have seen in pictures from scobies it seems okay. You can check the page i have posted earlier and the page @stout12 has posted for scobies with mold and without.

I have attached a picture of my scoby now after the first brew.

Greetings,
pyriand3r

 

[Rayman99]

Those look like older (top two) and younger (bottom two) scobies.

Thats what so strange, they are both 9 days old and from the same brand starter kits (Oregon Kombucha).