Kombucha

[JoSkids]

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Pepperette, have no fear, I think scoby's are pretty independent, even at such a tender young age. Ya feed em and they are happy.

The good thing is they don't ask for money or to be carpooled anywhere (at least not yet) so really, I have every confidence in you that you will be a superb scoby mommy.[/COLOR]

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Well, Igor is in his new tea bath and ready to settle in for fermenting. And he is not gross, nor does he smell bad like DS said (he has a woosy stomach!- boys!! ). [/COLOR]

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[metqa]

I can understand your poor DH's gross issue a bit.

[COLOR="Red"]Gross Story Alert!!![/COLOR]

Some people associate the smell of vinegar with vomit, since they are both strong acids. One time, BF got sick all over the bathroom and I had to clean it up, I couldn't handle the smell of vinegar for a few months after that. . . .

[pepperette]

[COLOR="Red"]Gross Story Alert!!![/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]I always associated the smell of vomit with 2 things: the Chef Boy-you-know-who spaghetti in a can things, and the cheap parmesan cheese in the plastic bottles![/COLOR]

[metqa]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="Red"]Gross Story Alert!!![/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]I always associated the smell of vomit with 2 things: the Chef Boy-you-know-who spaghetti in a can things, and the cheap parmesan cheese in the plastic bottles![/COLOR]

HA! an enyzme in parmesan does have the same smell as vomit. It's scientifically proven!

[metqa]

Hey Beth, this is Qiwi! See the Daisy Flowers on her dress?

[DiamondDeb]

I finally met a Kombucha I don't like. I tried Synergy "Greens" one.

I have the "original" to try, too, but might need to work up to the experience...

[metqa]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

I finally met a Kombucha I don't like. I tried Synergy "Greens" one.

I have the "original" to try, too, but might need to work up to the experience...

Oh my THAT's the one I LOVED! I shared on with a friend and it was so savory and full flavored with all the greens, it seemed like it changed flavors with every sip. It was an awesome experience. . . or maybe my body just really craved the greens.

[Faia]

Ok... The kefir is going great. For my next trick...

Does anyone perchance have a spare SCOBY close to (or at least within easy shipping distance of) southwest Michigan? I've got the gallon jar (with spigot) and organic cane sugar, still need to decide on which tea to start with. Anything else I am missing?

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by Faia

Ok... The kefir is going great. For my next trick...

Does anyone perchance have a spare SCOBY close to (or at least within easy shipping distance of) southwest Michigan? I've got the gallon jar (with spigot) and organic cane sugar, still need to decide on which tea to start with. Anything else I am missing?

[COLOR="Sienna"]You can get a bottle of kombucha and start from scratch - takes a little longer, but you can grow your own just from a bottle of kombucha..[/COLOR]

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by metqa

Oh my THAT's the one I LOVED! I shared on with a friend and it was so savory and full flavored with all the greens, it seemed like it changed flavors with every sip. It was an awesome experience. . . or maybe my body just really craved the greens.

The last sip was especially disgusting. All that "soot" on the bottom, tasted like dirt. I'll have to try it again.

I had the "original" one today & really like that! It tated kind of sweet. I kept trying to tell myself it was like ginger ale but it wasn't.

[metqa]

Originally Posted by DiamondDeb

The last sip was especially disgusting. All that "soot" on the bottom, tasted like dirt.

Oh I'm so Sorry, I can't help it I'm crying laughing, It' IS kinda like dirt isn't it!

the fact that I agree and still like it, shows me for the freak that I am. You cracked me up!!! Whew!

Faia, JS is right. what you primarily need is some living kombucha to innoculate it. If you brew your black or green or both tea and add the sugar and add two cups of ripe tea, It will start to work even without the scoby It will make a scoby as the buggers create cellulose.

That said. if you still want a scoby, I think I can manage one. but what's most important is having the tea and enough of it. USPS ships to all states and I'm in Georgia. It'd be around $5 or $6 for the shipping costs, that's all. and it takes about 3 days. Is that about right Pepperette? Beth? Send me a pm if you are interested. sounds like you are ready to start!

Oh yeah, You'll need a nice, lint free tight weave cover cloth. Flour sack cloth or the expensive cheese cloth would do.

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]The time sounds about right depending if it is sent at the beginning of the week or the latter part.
And Igor says to tell you "Hi! " metqa![/COLOR]

[metqa]

Hi Igor!!!

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]OMG! I just checked on Igor...
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he has a new small scoby forming across the jar (he is tipped sideways, so it is new!). I'm going to be a Grandma![/COLOR]

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[Laura in Arizona]

Gotta say you guys are a riot! I am not even interested in kombucha but I always have to read the latest news you pass back and forth. Congratulations Pepperette on becoming a grandma!

[metqa]

I hope you have names for all the little buggers that are gonna grow!

[Faia]

I want an "Echo" or "Sierra", although "Victor" would probably be more appropriate.

Do not want an "Alpha".

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Although this new scoby is about 1/8" thick, it definitely looks like a girl- all soft and delicate. I think this one will be Colleen, after my step-mom who is all girly but full of vinegar![/COLOR]

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[metqa]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Although this new scoby is about 1/8" thick, it definitely looks like a girl- all soft and delicate. I think this one will be Colleen, after my step-mom who is all girly but full of vinegar![/COLOR]

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[metqa]

Originally Posted by Faia

I want an "Echo" or "Sierra", although "Victor" would probably be more appropriate.

Do not want an "Alpha".

I like those names! It's definitely NOT an Alpha. It was buried amongts some old-timers and I had to fish him out. He's kinda shy.

[BikerAng]

LOL! Making kombucha at home tastes so much better I think. I bought a bottle to compare the taste with my home brew and I like mine better! I can't believe how great I feel from drinking this stuff! Thanks Metqa for giving us our own scoby babies! I'm getting quite a collection of them now, I don't want to throw any away - I feel attached to them somehow.

[metqa]

Originally Posted by BikerAng

LOL! Making kombucha at home tastes so much better I think. I bought a bottle to compare the taste with my home brew and I like mine better! I can't believe how great I feel from drinking this stuff! Thanks Metqa for giving us our own scoby babies! I'm getting quite a collection of them now, I don't want to throw any away - I feel attached to them somehow.

I hear you! I cleared out my brewer and had two inches of 12 in diameter scobys I removed. I put them in a baggie, cause I was gonna try drying them to make into leather, but I feel bad.

I still have my original scoby somewhere in the mix. It's in the scoby hotel, slowly turning browner and browner . . .

I wonder if a hole punch can cut through cellulose. I might punch some holes in one then dry it, and when it's leather stitch the holes to make a scoby wallet or scoby shoe pads or something.

That's it. I've made up my mind. I'm gonna pull one of the monster scobys out and start drying it today!

[JoSkids]

[COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]Welcome new baby scoby arrivals! I am sure that you are as wonderful as your parents. Be nice to your grandparents and they will be nice to you![/COLOR]

[JoSkids]

[COLOR="Indigo"]I did a starter in a small & odd shaped jar. I decided to move it to a larger jar so I bought one more 1 gal "cracker jar" at Walmart.

I believe it is almost ready although the scoby is still just a mere film on the top - it is starting to taste less sweet. So like I said, I would like to move it to a larger room... do I pour it into it's new room as is and let it finish out it's brew or do I pour it into it's new room and add more sweet tea to kind of top off the new larger environment?[/COLOR]

[BikerAng]

Whoa, those are some serious scobies! Please do keep us posted on your scoby drying experiment.

JoSkids - I'm not sure. I think I'd just pour it all into the new jar and let it finish fermenting. I'm not a seasoned kombucha maker yet though, so I'm not really sure if that is correct!

[metqa]

Originally Posted by JoSkids

[COLOR="Indigo"]I did a starter in a small & odd shaped jar. I decided to move it to a larger jar so I bought one more 1 gal "cracker jar" at Walmart.

I believe it is almost ready although the scoby is still just a mere film on the top - it is starting to taste less sweet. So like I said, I would like to move it to a larger room... do I pour it into it's new room as is and let it finish out it's brew or do I pour it into it's new room and add more sweet tea to kind of top off the new larger environment?[/COLOR]

Depends on how patient you are. You can just pour it into a larger container and let it finish this batch of brew. It'll start growing another scoby but that won't affect the change.

If you add new sweet tea you'll have to wait for the new sugar to be converted.

Y'know you just reminded me of why I bought a continuous brewer. There is supposed to be different benefits between young kombucha and mature kombucha but mature is usually too strong to drink and young is too sweet. But by constantly drawing off some finished kombucha and adding new sweet eat each few days you get the benefits of both. I've been treating my continuous brewer like a batch brewer.

sorry for the tangent. Why not pour off some for a second ferment and use what's left as the starter for the larger room batch? that way you benefit both ways

[JoSkids]

"Y'know you just reminded me of why I bought a continuous brewer. There is supposed to be different benefits between young kombucha and mature kombucha but mature is usually too strong to drink and young is too sweet. But by constantly drawing off some finished kombucha and adding new sweet eat each few days you get the benefits of both. I've been treating my continuous brewer like a batch brewer. "

[COLOR="Lime"]But you could use a plain old jar as a continuous brewer as well, correct? Just draw off some kombucha (not emptying the majority of the jar) and add more sweet tea. [/COLOR]

[metqa]

Originally Posted by JoSkids

"Y'know you just reminded me of why I bought a continuous brewer. There is supposed to be different benefits between young kombucha and mature kombucha but mature is usually too strong to drink and young is too sweet. But by constantly drawing off some finished kombucha and adding new sweet eat each few days you get the benefits of both. I've been treating my continuous brewer like a batch brewer. "

[COLOR="Lime"]But you could use a plain old jar as a continuous brewer as well, correct? Just draw off some kombucha (not emptying the majority of the jar) and add more sweet tea. [/COLOR]

Exactly! I bought a brewer with a spigot to make it easier, but I started with a plain gallon glass jar at first.

Someone suggested once just making a pitcher of sweet tea and keeping it in the fridge and whenever you drink off some kombucha, just adding that amount of sweet tea to the brewer to keep the cycle going.

[pepperette]

Someone suggested once just making a pitcher of sweet tea and keeping it in the fridge and whenever you drink off some kombucha, just adding that amount of sweet tea to the brewer to keep the cycle going.

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Since that tea would not have a scoby- would it be ok to use my plastic tea jug with the spigot?

And speaking of scobies, Colleen is really growing! I just did a taste test (early, I know) and she is really well built! More solid than I had thought. Igor is some kind of Master Scoby![/COLOR]

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