It seems like my 1F is doing great. The pellicle formed and there are bubbles beneath it. There is even a big gas pocket. I know that’s normal and nothing to worry about. But now I have two questions: 1. Should I push the pellicle down so it doesn’t stick to the sides on top, so that it swims on the surface? I want to slowly start tasting the booch, it’s my first time and I want to get a feeling for sourness and fermentation time. Should it be pushed down for that, or just loosening a corner or a side to taste it with a straw? If it loosens due to this, is it bad? submitted by /u/Tabo ..read more

This is 5 days of brewing. Any feedback is appreciated! submitted by /u/Kindly_Name_9452 [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

One of my friends gave me one of her scoobys, but I never had one with holes like this? What do you guys think? submitted by /u/The-Elefant-Man [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

I have made 14 day kombucha brews in the past with no issues, until now. A bit perplexed with a new batch. After 14 days it was way too sweet, so I let it brew another week. again too sweet and brewed another week. Now it’s 4 weeks & still so sweet. Now I don’t know what to do. If I start over, then I’ll be taking 2c from this very sweet batch & adding it to new brew which I would imagine would bring me right back to where I am now with a super sweet tea. Any help would be appreciated. My recipe : 6c- H2O 1c- sugar 8- tea bags I make a concentrated batch, it’s not a full gallon which ..read more

All 6 half gallons started same day about 10 days ago. 1 gallon black. 1 half black half green. One mostly green some black. If you notice most pellicules are about a pointer finger in thickness. Except the one in question. I’m letting it ride for a few more days but all other pellicules are thick and this one looks like it’s maybe a pellicule but very thin and not holding together. The other one from the same tea batch has a thinner pelicule compared to the others but it’s still thick. Smells good. Looks yeast is rampant in bottom. submitted by /u/vishairy [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

I recently got gifted a SCOBY and i’m planning to make some kombucha myself with it. However, i didn’t have the starter tea, so I bought a random kombucha can from the store. After reading posts on this sub, now i’m wondering if the store bought kombucha would work since it’s ginger flavored and sugarfree. I havent started brewing yet, but should I use a non-sugarfree kombucha instead? submitted by /u/SnooChocolates3282 [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

Hi. I am giving out SCOBY on my local Facebook "buy nothing" group as I have alot and don't wanna throw it out if it can be avoided. However, when giving it out I don't want to trust that strangers will return my Tupperware/ or containers. Would the SCOBY survive if I put it in a plastic bag for like 30 min? Or does anyone have any ideas for a disposable way to give out the Scoby? I will ask them to bring their own containers for pick-up/drop off. I just need a means to transport it. submitted by /u/theallicat5 [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

Hi all, made my first batch just over a week ago (13th April) this is a photo from today: I used the basic lemon verbena recipe from noma book of fermentation, but I replaced lemon verbena with chamomile. I bought a scoby online and cut it in half cuz I just assumed I’d need up the first batch lol Looked through the guide to trying to identify mold and I’m pretty sure this is fine but worried about tasting it until I get some sort of thumbs up from the community. I’m pretty sure there is nothing that looks hairy on the surface, I’ve dunked the scoby a few times to keep it hydrated from t ..read more

Black tea brew I'm curious about my forming SCOBY - it's my first time using black tea, and I'm seeing an irregular pattern with lots of small dots/bubbles (yeast?). Normally, I'm used to smooth SCOBYs from green tea brews. Any insights or experiences with this? Thanks in advance! edit: It's 4-5 days in. I used a strong starter liquid which was slightly more carbonated (more than your usual liquid). I followed the Master Recipe. submitted by /u/WhoIsThisIdkMeMatt [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

Really glad I wasn't charged a deposit ? The brew was all berries and uh, well, that stained the walls pretty bad. No amount of soap and scrubbing would get rid of the color, and if you look closely you can see blue drips and stains of a previous eruption from opening the cap on a different berry booch from the day before. All of this from trying to depressurize a bottle ON ITS SECOND DAY OF 2F. It had already been opened once that day, then this happened about 10 hours later, at 11pm, dead tired, and I thought I was just gonna give it a quick pop before bed. For anyone curious, the capt ..read more