percypat 497 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Congrats on your haul! I too am starting to think about procuring some swing top bottles. Problem is, neither hubby nor I drink. (Tummy issues for him, Asian glow for me). So either we have a house party and force-feed our guests Grolsch or I find a store which sells swingtop bottles. 1st world booch problems! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Derval 3321 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Start hanging out with some Germans percypat 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'm worried about Scooby. This morning he is back at the top, but looks very, very small. I'm wondering if the Earl Grey was the wrong choice after all, or if maybe I don't have enough sugar? I had to guess at the amount of water and ended up with more than a gallon, and used 1 1/3 cups of sugar. Maybe I'm just being impatient, but I'm thinking maybe I should start another one just in case. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Meg, are you brewing your first batch of kombucha or just growing Scooby at the moment? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Good question. I am growing my Scoby, but from what I read, this also ends up being your first batch of Kombucha? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I just re-read the article in the early part of the forum, and it says to let the plain booch sit for 5 days before you add sugar to grow the scoby. I did mine from another article online that said to start it in the sweet tea with store bought booch from the beginning. Thoughts? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Clearly there are many ways to do this! I grew my SCOBY first in a smaller amount of liquid (bottle of plain booch, one cup of black tea and 1 tablespoon sugar) and started brewing my first batch about 2 weeks later. I know Nadia grew her first SCOBY by just letting a bottle of booch ferment in a jar without adding anything to it. I hadn't heard of growing the SCOBY and simultaneously getting your first batch of kombucha, but my experience is really limited! I'm sure Scooby is fine, Frank was very thin when I got the go ahead from the lovely ladies here and he still is, even on his second batch. Are you getting a film across the entire surface of the booch? That's what keeps happening to me and because my jar is big, it means a very wide, super thin film. So I'm not getting these nice thick spongy looking monsters that I keep seeing in pictures. The moving around the jar is definitely not a problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 No film yet, just the freaky monster now. I think I'd do an experiment and try one your way simultaneously. I won't ditch Scooby-we'll see what he does. If I can get to WF tonight I'll start work on Daphne. Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 As a side note, my obsession with Kombucha has made this W30 go pretty quickly. It's been a nice distraction! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Sounds like a good plan! You'll probably end up with two which wouldn't be a bad outcome! Hopefully the booch wizards will be along soon though, I'm sure they will have plenty more advice to give. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Derval 3321 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 My new bottles (and my brewing assistant busy sampling) kb0426, Nadia B, Lizzard77 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lizzard77 235 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 When I first started brewing I had no faith that the thing floating on top of the tea would actually become something! After a few cycles, more and more babies will be produced and the SCOBY will appear thicker, creamier, and more like what you see in pictures. It took a good many cycles for me to feel like Hazel was at any sort of good place. Have faith though, they are hardy little buggers. I grew mine spontaneously by combining a bottle of plain GT's and 2 cups of sweet tea and a dash of raw ACV. Let is sit for weeks in a 1/2 gallon mason jar until the SCOBY grew across the entire surface. I then transferred her to a new batch of sweet tea and let her sit for another few weeks. Others may have a quicker method but this worked for me and I am super pleased with my robust little family of yeasties and bacteria Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 All helpful, thanks. I swear...I've read more about growing a Scoby than I ever did growing a baby! kb0426 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kb0426 1607 Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Speaking of babies, I am proud to announce that Nadia (my SCOBY) is in her first trimester. She already has a layer forming at the top of my booch whilst she rests below. Such a proud moment! Nadia B, megmac, Physibeth and 2 others 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Peeked in through the top and I actually have 2 in there. Fascinating! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Susan W 3553 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Oh yeah...look at her expertise. kb0426 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nadia B 2149 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Kb posts keep me laughing. Silly. Can't help. Well, some Nadias are better with fertility than others kb0426 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Susan W 3553 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Lol meg. It is so weird isn't it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Totally!! I'm trying really hard to be happy for kb's Nadia, but I have a bad case of scoby envy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kb0426 1607 Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 You are where I was about 10 days ago megmac! Like everyone said, be patient! My SCOBY took 3 weeks to grow! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Susan W 3553 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Aww meg. Seriously...it will happen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Speaking of babies, I am proud to announce that Nadia (my SCOBY) is in her first trimester. She already has a layer forming at the top of my booch whilst she rests below. Such a proud moment! _______________________________ Yay Nadia! I don't know whether to high-five Frankie or be disgusted with him. He appears to be mating with his own baby (they are FUSED together now) while a new film grows all over them. Ugh, maybe he is like Craster from Game of Thrones. Your Nadia is going about this in a much more ladylike fashion. As I should expect! megmac and kb0426 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Totally!! I'm trying really hard to be happy for kb's Nadia, but I have a bad case of scoby envy. ___________________________ Have you started Plan B yet? I think the SCOBY envy and desperate impatience is a rite of passage for every budding booch brewer. I was telling Frank (before he was called Frank) to please hurry up and grow every night and hubby was convinced I had lost my very last marble. It will happen. Soon you'll be like Susan with SCOBYs giving birth all over the show! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
megmac 539 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I have not made it back to WF yet, so no plan B. But I might not need it...this morning I had little patches of stuff on the surface! I may go ahead with plan B anyway, since I'm sure I'll be at WF this weekend. (They call to check on me if I'm not there at least 2ce/week.) I'm easily drinking a bottle/day (more on the weekend), so I'm thinking I can't have too much booch in my fridge! I really am happy for your Nadia KB-you are giving me much hope! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
percypat 497 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I have not made it back to WF yet, so no plan B. But I might not need it...this morning I had little patches of stuff on the surface! _______________________ Hoorah! Sending slimy, goopy vibes your way. Go Scooby! I have more SCOBY photos! For the sake of contrast. Here is my new, unplanned baby. (We'll call her a happy accident). Swimming in her jar of white tea. Isn't she lovely? And here is Frank and his first baby, in an unholy embrace. What an abomination. (Still love him though). megmac 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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