Scoby Mold?

[CMarieC]

Hi! I just started brewing kombucha for the very first time and started to see these little tan dots appearing on my scoby is this mold?

 

[hottpeper13]

Not seen that before. Are you using apple cider vinegar for any of your process?

 

[CMarieC]

Not seen that before. Are you using apple cider vinegar for any of your process?

I have not used apple cider vinegar for anything.

 

[IslandLizard]

Mold is usually fuzzy and floats, doesn't look or start out like dozens of little specs in clusters.
Don't want to worry you, but they look like some sort of eggs. There are a few clinging to the mouth of the jar too.
How long has the Kombucha/scoby been in that jar?

BTW, that looks like a good size scoby, have you used it before or did you get it like that?

 

[CMarieC]

Mold is usually fuzzy and floats, doesn't look or start out like dozens of little specs in clusters.
Don't want to worry you, but they look like some sort of eggs. There are a few clinging to the mouth of the jar too.
How long has the Kombucha/scoby been in that jar?

BTW, that looks like a good size scoby, have you used it before or did you get it like that?

Omg. You’re totally right. I looked more closely and one of the white specs was walking. I have no idea what kind of bug is that tiny. Fruit fly? Boo. Start again.

 

[IslandLizard]

Could very well be fruit fly larvae. I've never seen their eggs.
Fruit flies love sweet and vinegary things, that's how you trap them, using a funnel on top of a mason jar with some apple cider vinegar in the bottom.

I think you can safely reuse that scoby, after she gets cleaned well first, especially the top part.

 

[Craiginthecorn]

The brown patches are just drying SCOBY cellulose. No problem with that. Fruit flies aren't good, which is why keeping it covered with a fine cloth (NOT cheesecloth) is important. If your SCOBY is mature enough to have multiple layers, just rip off the top layer. I periodically remove that top layer because the brown does eventually start to bother me and it's not doing anything anyway.

 

[hottpeper13]

The top layer is the new one and the one I repitch.

 

[rushpapers]

Throw that fu#$ing pellicle away.

Filter out a quantity of starter that will equal 20-25% of a new batch, and start over.