Trying to grow scoby first time, can you help me?

[GrowingScobyforFirstTime]

I’m trying to grow a scoby for first time and now there’s something under my starter liquid(?) but isn’t normally scoby flat, and these are like fuzzy balls so is this mold or scoby or something else?

 

[rushpapers]

Hard to tell from your photo...
How does it smell?
What was your process?

 

[Sophist73]

I’ve not heard of growing a scoby without a mother culture - not seeing one in the picture so not sure what I’m seeing. The word fuzzy usually is not a good thing... did you follow a standard tea recipe for kombucha?

 

[hottpeper13]

I see you still have the lid attached to the vessel. Are you using a cloth ( I use a neckerchief) and not closing the lid? the tea needs air in the beginning. a side shot would be more helpful.

 

[Ogilthorpe2]

I’ve not heard of growing a scoby without a mother culture - not seeing one in the picture so not sure what I’m seeing. The word fuzzy usually is not a good thing... did you follow a standard tea recipe for kombucha?

I have propagated scobys from bottles of plain commercially produced kombucha in the past. It’s not hard.

 

[rushpapers]

You MUST get your pH below 4.2 to start a kombucha culture.

The lower the pH, the more acidic it is.

If above 4.2, there is a very good chance your batch will get infected, or fail.

I start mine in the 3.7 range. The photo is after 5 days of fermentation.

You need testing paper, or digital meter.

 

[frank10]

Mold would be at the surface