[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by cobluegirl

What are the ** for??

I forgot to include my notes.

**There should not be any soap residue on the utensils. Ideally, utensils should be washed with natural dish soap or distilled vinegar. If this is unavailable, rinse them very thoroughly before use. Do not use any bleach or bleach-containing products.

You do NOT need to wash the gallon-size jar in between batches as long as you start the next batch right away. The brown sludge on the bottom is spent yeast cells. This is beneficial both to drink and to have in the brew container. You can leave it in the brew jar or drink it as you choose. Re-using the brew container without washing is called “continuous culture” and is a good way to keep your SCOBY happy.

Every batch will grow a new SCOBY. Always keep one extra SCOBY in the refrigerator—in a covered glass jar with enough kombucha to cover. It’s a good ideal to switch out your reserve SCOBY once in awhile. The rest can be composted, given away, thrown away, or even eaten.

It is normal for SCOBYs to be whitish, brownish, mottled, bubbled, and have holes. It is normal for brown, spent yeast cells to dangle off the SCOBY. It is NOT normal for there to be fuzzy spots or very dark black spots. This is mold. The SCOBY and all the brew should be thrown away if this happens. Start over with very clean utensils and all fresh ingredients. Try to find the source of the mold (produce, etc.). Mold is quite rare in brewing kombucha. You will probably never see it, but if you do, do not drink the resulting brew.

The length of brewing time depends on the temperature and your taste preference. The longer you let it brew, the more sour the kombucha will be. If you find it hard to drink kombucha, start out with a shorter brew and gradually increase as your taste adjusts. It is healthier to drink a more sour brew—lower glycemic index, more vitamins, etc.