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The easiest way to store your kombucha scoby is in a sealed container in the fridge. Always label the jar so that no one in the household gets rid of it by mistake! The scoby then goes dormant and can be stored for up to 6 months.
What do I do with my SCOBY between batches?
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.
How can I store a SCOBY?
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.
Can I store my SCOBY in the fridge?
The easiest way to store your kombucha scoby is in a sealed container in the fridge. Always label the jar so that no one in the household gets rid of it by mistake! The scoby then goes dormant and can be stored for up to 6 months.
Do I need to refrigerate my SCOBY?
No SCOBYs in the Fridge! Instead, they should be stored at room temperature in a SCOBY Hotel, in a dark dry place out of the way. They will “sleep” in the jar and only “wake up” when you add sweet tea to keep them wet or decide to use one of them to brew.
How long do you second ferment kombucha?
How Long Should You Second Ferment Kombucha? There’s no hard and fast rule for the length of a second fermentation. In general, we advise letting your bottled kombucha ferment for 2 to 14 days.
How many times can a SCOBY be used?
Every scoby can be used four times before it gets too old and needs to be discarded. With each batch of kombucha a baby scoby is produced and the process starts again, you will have a fridge full of scobys before you know it.
What happens if you let Kombucha ferment too long?
When kombucha is left to ferment for too long, it quickly turns into kombucha vinegar. There is no need to waste it, because kombucha vinegar has several awesome uses.
Can I cut my SCOBY in half?
Can I cut my 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.
When should you throw out a SCOBY?
Wait until the scoby is a ¼ inch thick before using it to brew your first batch of kombucha. This should take about 30 days. If you don’t see a SCOBY forming after 3 weeks, throw the batch out and start over.
How long does a SCOBY hotel last?
Your SCOBY hotel can go 30 to 90 days without maintenance, depending on the temperature of your house. You can optionally decide to remove excess yeast. These are the stringy brown bits that usually hang off the bottom of the SCOBYs.
What if kombucha isn’t refrigerated?
Our kombucha is unpasteurized (aka “raw”), meaning it is live and active and must be stored cold to maintain freshness and consistency. If unrefrigerated, raw kombucha will continue to ferment in the bottle or can. This can create more carbonation, and in extreme cases, the bottle or can may burst.
Can unrefrigerated kombucha make you sick?
As mentioned, the fermentation process is accelerated if the kombucha is left unrefrigerated. If your kombucha has been stored in the refrigerator or an iced cooler and still has a strong vinegar smell or flavor, it’s completely safe to consume.
Does kombucha continue to ferment in the fridge?
Once kombucha is refrigerated, it’ll still continue to ferment, but at a very slow pace. So it’ll still continue to get more carbonated and more acidic in the refrigerator as the yeasts continue to eat the sugars in your brew.
Can you do second ferment kombucha in mason jars?
Mason jars certainly can be used for kombucha fermentation but are really only good for first fermentation and not second fermentation, due to the difference in how they retain fizziness at these different stages.
Can a SCOBY form in second fermentation?
-There is a little SCOBY growing in my secondary fermentation, is that okay? Yup! It’s totally normal for new cultures to grow during the second fermentation. It just shows you that there is alive yeast and bacteria in your kombucha continuing to ferment.
How do I know when secondary fermentation is done?
The only way to be sure that fermentation has completed is by measuring the specific gravity. Ten days after pitching the yeast, you should take a sample of beer from the fermenter and measure the gravity. You then take another reading two days later, if both readings are the same fermentation has stopped.
Can I rinse my SCOBY in water?
A scoby, by contrast, doesn’t need rinsing. You’ll rinse away some of the microbes that are responsible for helping your sweet tea to transform into kombucha, so, as a best practice, move your scoby directly from one batch of kombucha to the next, with minimal handling and it’ll do just fine.
How thick should my SCOBY be?
You want the scoby to be 1/4 inch thick. At day 20, it had reached that thickness, but I let it hang out until day 25 until I had enough time to make the next batch of sweet tea to brew the actual kombucha.
How do I make a second batch of kombucha?
How to Prepare Your Second Ferment Sanitize your hands with the vinegar. Remove the SCOBYs from the brewed kombucha and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of brewed kombucha as your starter liquid for your next batch. Place any fruit or flavorings directly in your jars (see “recipes” below).
