Can I make my own scoby?

Table of Contents:

1. Can I make my own scoby?
2. Can I cut a scoby in half?
3. Should a Kombucha scoby sink or float?
4. How do you tell if you killed your scoby?
5. Can I put two SCOBYs in my kombucha?
6. Do you cover a scoby hotel?
7. Can I add water to my scoby hotel?
8. Can you drink kombucha from scoby hotel?
9. Can I put scoby hotel in the fridge?
10. What do you do with scoby when not in use?
11. What if my scoby has mold?
12. Why does my kombucha taste rotten?

Can I make my own scoby?

You can order a SCOBY, or you can make your own. But you have to have one in order to brew kombucha. Whenever you brew a new batch, a new layer grows onto the SCOBY; it's easy to peel off, so you can use it to start another batch for yourself, or you can give away 'baby' SCOBYs to friends who want to get started.

Can I cut a scoby in half?

You can safely cut a SCOBY in half. Just make sure your scissors or knife are completely clean before you handle it to avoid contamination. The next batch you brew with the cut SCOBY will grow a new SCOBY to grow across the top, as always.

Should a Kombucha scoby sink or float?

And while a SCOBY may sink or float around the kombucha, a new baby SCOBY will likely form on top. This is also okay! A SCOBY forming on top of kombucha indicates healthy kombucha, but a sunk SCOBY doesn't necessarily indicate unhealthy kombucha.

How do you tell if you killed your scoby?

A moldy or dead scoby is quite distinctive, and there is no mistaking it when you see it. The mold will be white or colorful, fuzzy and dry. It can appear as spots on the scoby, or cover the scoby altogether. A dead scoby will be black.

Can I put two SCOBYs in my kombucha?

To keep things simple, we generally recommend adding both SCOBYs to your next batch. However, once you have several SCOBYs, you can consider starting a SCOBY Hotel. With the SCOBYs removed from your brewing container, it is time to remove the remainder of the Kombucha from the container.

Do you cover a scoby hotel?

Setting up a SCOBY hotel is not too complicated. Your SCOBYs will need to be entirely covered by a strong sweet tea base, brewed with either black tea or green tea, to ensure they have adequate nutrients available to them while in storage.

Can I add water to my scoby hotel?

So whenever I want to brew a new batch of kombucha, I steep my tea with sugar as I usually would. And once I add water and once the temperature is right, I take a SCOBY from my hotel along with 1-2 cups of my super acidic starter tea from my SCOBY hotel. And it acidifies my brew perfectly.

Can you drink kombucha from scoby hotel?

(My kombucha brewing guide is here.) So I have another half-gallon mason jar as my SCOBY hotel. You can use any size glass jar that you have as long as all your SCOBYs would fit in it. Place the extra SCOBY/s inside the clean mason jar, and add ½ cup - 1 cup of plain raw kombucha from your previous batch.

Can I put scoby hotel in the fridge?

Once the SCOBYs are dehydrated, place them in a sealable plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator (not the freezer). Dehydrated SCOBYs will generally survive in the refrigerator for at least 3 months. Once you are ready to begin making kombucha again, follow our instructions on how to rehydrate the SCOBY.

What do you do with scoby when not in use?

Pausing Your Brew. Store your Scoby in a small glass jar or a clean plastic bag. If you want to take a break in between your brews, you can refrigerate your Scoby in a clean, air-tight container. Use a glass jar or a fresh plastic bag to house your Scoby temporarily.

What if my scoby has mold?

A moldy brew is a lost cause, unfortunately. You cannot salvage a SCOBY that's already been infected with mold. Clean and sanitize/sterilize all equipment that's come in contact with your kombucha and start over with a new SCOBY and new starter tea.

Why does my kombucha taste rotten?

Kombucha brews taking on a rotten citrus like smell is caused by certain activity in yeast sector of the SCOBY population. It is something that usually happens when brewing at high temperatures where the yeasts might be in slight overdrive. ... The yeasts are either in respiration mode or fermentation more.