It's Not the SCOBY That Makes Kombucha (2024)

FAQs

It's Not the SCOBY That Makes Kombucha? ›

The Starter Tea Is Most Important

Rejuvelac is a fermented beverage like kombucha, but it's made with grains instead of a SCOBY.

Kombucha is produced by adding a SCOBY into sweetened black or green tea, then letting it ferment for 1–4 weeks. The bacteria and yeast in the SCOBY break down the tea's sugars and convert them into alcohol, carbon dioxide and acids (3). The result is a fizzy product with a tangy, sweet and vinegar-like taste.

If you let your kombucha brew for a long time, the sugar-loving SCOBY will consume all the sugar. But at that point, you'll have vinegar, which has negligible calories but you may not want to drink it.

Although they look similar, kombucha and vinegar mothers (scobys) are not identical or interchangeable. The kombucha scoby contains bacteria and yeast adapted to the fermentation of sweet tea. It carries out two fermentations simultaneously: Fermentation of sugar into alcohol (thanks to the yeast)

You can (and should) reuse the SCOBY/pellicle from one batch to the next. The built up cellulose helps to create a slightly anaerobic environment for the bacteria to thrive in, and it also contains bacteria and yeast needed to jumpstart fermentation (plus, you spent all that time making the SCOBY, why throw it away?!)

It is edible, though — it is a bit rubbery and has the texture of slightly over-cooked squid. There are recipes for SCOBY fruit leather and SCOBY jellies out there. Or people puree them into smoothies. If in the future, I try some of these out, I'll be sure to post about it here on this site!

A SCOBY, or Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, is the fermentation starter that kicks off kombucha fermentation. The SCOBY is made up of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast.

The only way to know if your kombucha scoby is dead is to test it in a new kombucha batch and wait a few weeks. If your sweet tea has not become acidic after 15 days, then you can definitely conclude that your kombucha scoby has died.

How to tell if kombucha is bad? ›

If you see any discoloration or spores, or notice an odd smell (not normal kombucha vinegar-like smell), these are all signs that your kombucha has gone bad and is no longer safe to drink.

As long as there is no mold on top of the brew, there is no health issue with fermenting Kombucha too long. The problem is it doesn't taste good!

At Scobi Kombucha, we are very fond of our Mothers because they are what cause the tea blend to ferment and develop nutritious and healthy properties. Maybe you've also been wondering if this jelly-like substance is safe to consume. The answer is YES!

No, As said, kombucha is just made with yeast and Acetobacter. Vinegar uses the same stuff, but not at the same time. The microbes and acidity should all be there in vinegar to make it work, you probably wouldn't even need the 'mother'.

You can beg a scoby from a kombucha-brewing friend, or you can order a fresh one online. But there's one more option: you can grow your own. This can be easily done by combining tea, sugar, and some pre-made kombucha.

All things considered, water kefir can be a good option for those who don't enjoy kombucha and/or want to experiment with different forms of probiotics. “It's also a great alternative to dairy-based kefirs for those who follow a vegan eating pattern or are intolerant to dairy,” Feller adds.