Whats wrong with my booch?

[technobandit96]

Hey all, I would like some feedback on my recent brew. I started this and I dont know what is wrong with it. Any guesses?

 

[pvpeacock]

What exactly are you concerned about? The SCOBY being submerged? If that is your concern, don't worry about it. The old SCOBY can float, sink to the bottom, turn sideways.... It really doesn't matter. What is important is that a new SCOBY form across the top of the liquid over time. By the way, why so little liquid? Why not a full gallon? Is this because of how much starter tea you had available?

 

[technobandit96]

I'm not really sure. I'm mostly concerned about contaminants in my brew. I was asking about if there was any mold in this. It has been a while since I checked on it.
Would you know what steps I need to do next?

 

[pvpeacock]

I can't tell from the photo if you have mold. If there is any, it would form on the top of the liquid. Search for mold in kombucha on this site and you will see what it looks like.

Walk me through what you have done so far and maybe I can help.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

There doesn’t appear to be mold in the picture. Have you tasted it? SCOBY is pretty thick, like you’ve been doing this a while.

 

[technobandit96]

I have brewed the tea and made the scoby. I have also let it fermented for a while and this is the process I got.
I havent yet tasted it, but willing to after I get the ok.

 

[Karlosjeje]

Sorry about the ignorance, im not familiarized with the term booch and scooby ... what do you mean when say that ?

 

[rsquared]

Sorry about the ignorance, im not familiarized with the term booch and scooby ... what do you mean when say that ?

booch = kombucha
scoby = symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (the thing floating in middle of the liquid in the picture)

 

[pvpeacock]

When you say you brewed the tea and made the SCOBY, you need to be more specific. 1. What kind of tea did you make and how? 2. Did you add sugar to the tea and, if so, how much? 3. How did you "make the SCOBY?" 4. Did you use starter tea and, if so, how much?

Typically, the process goes like this: 1. brew tea preferably black tea, 2. add 1 cup of sugar per gallon of tea, 3. add starter tea, at leas 2 cups per gallon of tea, 4. add SCOBY, 5. cover with cloth or paper towel, and 6. let it ferment until you like the taste. As it ferments it will grow a new SCOBY over the top of the liquid.

 

[pvpeacock]

It is difficult to see if a new SCOBY has started to form over the top of your tea in the photo. If not, then it did not ferment. This could be caused by: 1. not adding sugar to your tea, 2. not adding starter tea or enough of it to your tea, 3. weak or dead organisms in your starter tea.

 

[pvpeacock]

If your tea did start to grow a SCOBY on it, taste it. If it tastes tart or vinegary, I would make a new batch of sweet tea to add to your current tea and jar in order to fill it up. Looks like you need about 1/2 gallon. So make black tea using 4 tea bags, add 1/2 cup of sugar and, once cooled to room temperature, add it to your jar and cover. If everything is healthy, it should form a new SCOBY on the top of the liquid. After about a week to 10 days, begin tasting it. Once it reaches the level of tartness/sweetness you like, drain 3/4 of it to drink, make a new batch of sweet tea and add it the jar, remaining kombucha (starter tea) and SCOBY and repeat the process.

 

[Jasii]

If your tea did start to grow a SCOBY on it, taste it. If it tastes tart or vinegary, I would make a new batch of sweet tea to add to your current tea and jar in order to fill it up. Looks like you need about 1/2 gallon. So make black tea using 4 tea bags, add 1/2 cup of sugar and, once cooled to room temperature, add it to your jar and cover. If everything is healthy, it should form a new SCOBY on the top of the liquid. After about a week to 10 days, begin tasting it. Once it reaches the level of tartness/sweetness you like, drain 3/4 of it to drink, make a new batch of sweet tea and add it the jar, remaining kombucha (starter tea) and SCOBY and repeat the process.

+1