Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 This question is for those here who culture kombucha ... as I haven't done this in about 12 years, so I've forgotten ... I got a kombucha starter from my friend (thank Patty) and began a batch about a week and a half ago or so (in a sterile jar). It grew a new culture on top, so that's gone well, but is it supposed to have " stuff " floating in it? It looks scary, like hydrosol that got contaminated (blech) and I don't recall if that's normal and I strain it, or its gone funky and should be dumped. I don't know if it's fizzy or sour at all as I'm not trying it till I know if its supposed to look this way or not *lol* Thanks! *Smile* Chris (list mom - who isn't into getting food poisoning of one sort or another today http://www.czluxe.com http://www.alittleolfactory.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 For those who haven't the foggiest as to what Kombucha is (I sure as heck didn't, sounded a bit like Kimchee and some sort of rum), Here's what I grabbed from wikipedia: The culture contains a symbiosis of *Acetobacter<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetobacter> * (acetic acid bacteria) and yeast <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast>, mostly *Brettanomyces bruxellensis<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces_bruxellensis> *, *Candida stellata <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_stellata>*, *Schizosaccharomyces pombe <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizosaccharomyces_pombe>*, *Torulaspora delbrueckii <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torulaspora_delbrueckii>* and *Zygosaccharomyces bailii <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygosaccharomyces_bailii>*. The culture itself looks somewhat like a large pancake, and though often called a mushroom <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom>, or by the acronym SCOBY<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCOBY>(for " Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast " ), it is clinically known as a zoogleal mat <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zoogleal_mat & action=edit>. Oh and apparently it's made to be a tea or tisane and it's FERMENTED. I wouldn't touch this stuff with a 40 foot pole! It just sounds NASTY! Good luck with it Chris... K >who's shuddering in her seat< On 1/23/08, Christine Ziegler <chrisziggy wrote: > > This question is for those here who culture kombucha ... as I haven't > done this in about 12 years, so I've forgotten ... > > I got a kombucha starter from my friend (thank Patty) and began a batch > about a week and a half ago or so (in a sterile jar). It grew a new > culture on top, so that's gone well, but is it supposed to have " stuff " > floating in it? It looks scary, like hydrosol that got contaminated > (blech) and I don't recall if that's normal and I strain it, or its gone > funky and should be dumped. I don't know if it's fizzy or sour at all as > I'm not trying it till I know if its supposed to look this way or not > *lol* > > Thanks! > > *Smile* > Chris (list mom - who isn't into getting food poisoning of one sort or > another today > http://www.czluxe.com > http://www.alittleolfactory.com > > -- Kathleen Petrides Bead Hussy http://www.BeadHussy.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 A GOOD Kombucha tasted delicious when it it is first fermented and still bubbly. We had a craze of it here a few years ago. It is full of enzymes, which is good or most people, and it helps the liver to clear itself and most people need that. However....I had the same experience as Chris. I started a culture again after a few years of not doing it, and it always got a bit scuzzy on top, so I wasn't sure. And apparently one shouldn't throw it down the drains either, because it might start growing in the pipes. That last bit might be urban myth, who knows.... The best thing might be to track down a fresh clean culture. Once you have one on the go it keeps producing " baby mushrooms " and every time you toss one you feel as if you are this evil wasteful murderer. Have fun! Ien in the Kootenays http://freegreenliving.com (blog) http://wildhealing.net (Rainforest Herbs) http://wildwholefoods.net (AFA algae). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Do you mean that there are sort of mucous-y stringy " things " ? That is pretty typical. Some will be sort of rusty looking (stained from the tea), while others will be clear or pale whitish. How does it smell? I just got a new one the other week too, after several years of not using it. I've always strained it when renewing the batch, and then again just prior to drinking it - during the week. It continues to grow the cultures within the liquid, but they are small and sometimes not easy to see. It's the texture of them that bothers me more than anything. Tina _www.essentialherbal.com_ (http://www.essentialherbal.com/) _Essential Herbal Blog_ (http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/) _click here to download a FREE back issue_ (http://www.essentialherbal.com/March%20April%202007.pdf) **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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