I have only 1 vessel, and i see my scoby now produces kombucha too fast for me ,plus new scobys are grown. If i don't have place for a hotel, is it a good idea just to throw the older one away?
Tossing a SCOBY is throwing away a very Nutritional item full of B-1, B-2, B-6, *B-12, etc…….. I marinate mine in concentrated juice. Then I put in blender, then layout in the Dehydrator to make Fruit Bucha Rollups. They are also good for Composts. ♥️💗♥️ Katy
I have just reached a point where I don't feel like brewing another gallon jar of black tea. I was settling in to watch a few dozen videos to answer all my questions about how to safely store my scobys. Yours was the first one I watched. You answered ALL of my questions, and some I did not know I had. You did it clearly, simply, and with much friendliness and respect in your attitude. There is no need for me to keep searching for answers. NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH ALL THE TIME I HAD SCHEDULED TO WATCH MORE VIDEOS????????? Sigh, back to cleaning and reorganizing my kitchen... CURSES!
I just started brewing my own and I can't get the carbonation right I have tried all methods mentioned on youtube .I even have the book I think I keep my house to cold.lol I will try again this summer and will leave bottles in a box in the sunshine. Oh well back to buying it.
@@delphine88313 Grab a little $10 plant heating mat on Amazon this should do the trick for you . It's what I did and keep mine in the garage now and it keeps it at around 68 which is perfect. I also keep the house cold :D
@@DrivingWithJake I have a heating pad but it turns off after a hour( I guess for safety reasons) When I start back I will get a different heating pad.Thanks
Started my scoby from gt's raw kombucha (the less alcoholic one that happened to have kiwi juice) and so far i've made some great brews. I have started my hotel and the main jar is growing great scobys. What a fun hobby!
I can't find the original ANYWHERE in my area. What do y'all think about using the GingerAid one? I know we aren't supposed to use any with flavors but I am thinking it is the one that has the very least flavoring and i know that Ginger is a good one. Thoughts?
@@dianewright5177 that will probably work, I saw a video about how the flavored kombucha will work, as long as it's organic. And it might take longer, but definitely worth a shot
Thank you for your excellent videos. I tried to make kombucha years ago and failed. I took all my cleaned kombucha gear and stuck in a cabinet in the basement. Have been interested in trying again. I've watched other videos to get inspired again and came across your channel. Success! My first new batch yielded one plain, four cherry and four grape individual bottles. All fizzie and tasty. Family won't try them though. My second larger batch is flavored with homegrown and canned pears. Thank you. My Scoby mow lives in a hotel for now. Wife is tired of seeing the kombucha vessel sitting on the counter. Now I have to contend with more than a dozen bottles of kombucha in the fridge. Thank you again for your channel.
I kept a scabby hotel in a sealed jar for 5 years because I wasn't living where I could brew. The scones were fine. Firm, no mold, the liquid was basically vinegar at that point. unfortunately a new scoby did not grow when I tried to make a batch from them so lesson learned. Five years is too long.
I am new to this kombucha thing and I like your videos, you give me confidence to do it. I ignored the instruction card I got with my kit, I trust you more.
Instead of making new kombucha all the time, can I just take half of the kombucha after 2 or more weeks and then add the same amount of tea and sugar? So that i can drink it for a long time and just add tea and sugar?
I don't drink let alone brew kombucha, but I find all of this really fascinating. I think I'll try making kimchi or something to get into fermentation stuff.
Yes! Sauerkraut, fermented veggies/ chiles and kimchi are all great places to get started with fermentation, even if kombucha isn't your thing. Fermentation is awesome. :)
@@lightbeareradonis hi, so does it mean i just need to brew some sweet tea and add it to the extra scoby and starter liquid to start the scoby hotel? my next batch will form another new scoby, so do i just add it into the scoby hotel along with some liquid? Will the starter liquid n scobys from different batches cause any bad bacteria growth?
@@hectorambriz9618 Use about i think a cup of your batch and put that and the scoby in a container. You cant leave the scoby without moisture, and you need a previous batch as a starter, so its a double win.
Hi. Where do you store your scoby hotel? Closet? Also, why not put the scoby hotel in the refrigerator ~ when in need, take it out and let the scoby hotel sit until room temperature? I may not have all the ideas and terms to ask the best questions. Cheers :)
Do you use the tea from scoby hotel as the starter for next or every batch of kumbucha you make , or use the fermented tea or older kumbucha of previous batch
Thanks for your very informative video. Query please: What would be an approx safe max temperature for one’s unrefrigerated scoby hotel? i.e. in hot climates without aircon. On bad summer days my indoors probably exceed 32C/90F.
Hi ! I successfully grew my own Scoby! Actually I grow 2! - separately-One from only GT’s and one from GT with sweet tea added. I gave them just shy of 4 weeks and they are “beautiful” lol Anyway I only used 1 of the Scoby’s to start F1- Can I combine the starter liquids to store the 2nd Scoby? Thanks for all your advice!
How do i know when to feed the scoby? Is 15 days a good rule of thumb? If i am away for longer can i just add more tea and sugar so that my scoby does not die?
does the scoby hotel have to stay between 70-80 degrees like when you are making kombucha. i just got a scoby and i really only bought enough string lights for my brewing vessel
Ima make you cringe: 10 oz chicken stock 2 oz starter tea 1 scoby 1 oz sugar Mix sugar and stock until the sugar is dissolved. Add scoby and kombucha starter. Let ferment for a week. Bam chicken kombucha
So the person I got my scoby from a good while, as in several yrs back said if I wasn’t going to use it for a while to store it in the refrigerator-which I have. It seems to be working okay… what do you think? Thanks!
Thank you for the videos! Had a question tho, it was a bit unclear to me. I have done a small batch of kombucha (2L). First of all i was wondering for my new batch of 2L again how much starter liquid should i use? My second question is for the scobby hotel, to start with the first one, do i need to put some starter tea (and how much?) Or i can just put the 2 cups of sweet tea? And if i understood correctly you only feed it once and dont need to do anything with again after? Thank you!!
Can you add sugar straight to the hotel when it becomes too acidic and the scobies need feeding (instead of adding extra brewed sweet tea?) I just wonder because it'd be faster to just add sugar insteadof having to brew tea plus add the sugar in the brewed tea.
Scobys feed on both sugar and tea -- so if you just add sugar to the hotels (without tea), unfortunately, they're not getting all the nutrients they need to keep surviving.
When we are first starting our scoby hotel, and we have a new scoby and two cups of first ferment in there, and it’ll take another 7 to 10 days to have more kombucha to add to the hotel along with another new scoby, will this still be ok? Or is 7 to 10 days too long to wait to add more tea to my new hotel? Hope my question makes sense :) I’m just starting my first batch of kombucha ever and after this I’ll start a Scoby hotel. So I’m feeling nervous I’ll do it wrong🙈 Your videos are so informative! Thank you for sharing.
a vall That should be just fine! As long as it doesn’t completely evaporate or dry out, you don’t have to worry about adding more tea. I’ve gone weeks without checking my scoby hotels/adding more kombucha. It just gets stronger and stronger. :)
I have just 1 scoby on my kombucha hotel, can I use that scoby on a new batch of kombucha, and is it ok for my hotel be without a scoby? I don’t want to take it apart because my scoby is new (thin) and I want it to get thicker.
Cháris Gomes Milani If the liquid from your scoby hotel is super acidic/ sour, it’ll be ok on its own if you remove the scoby. It may actually just produce a new scoby of its own. Scoby thickness doesn’t matter as much as the amount of starter tea you use. So as long as you’re using a good amount of starter tea (your hotel is a great source of that), then even a thin scoby is fine to make kombucha with. 😊
The Symbiotic Culture Of Yeast and Bacteria (SCOBY) is the starter kombucha, not the pellicle. The pellicle is just a byproduct that also contains some of the SCOBY. It’s ok to call the pellicle a scoby. But you don’t need the pellicle to brew kombucha. You can throw it away. And you definitely don’t need a “scoby hotel”. Just tuck away some bottles of unflavored kombucha from a successful brew on a rotation and put them in sweet tea to start a new batch. No previous pellicle necessary. There is a living FAQ on Reddit’s r/kombucha community explaining all this is great detail.
I actually cover that here: th-cam.com/video/bY5PPwv2N8E/w-d-xo.html Lots of lot of people (and Reddit is the biggest culrpit here) will nitpick over whether or not you should call it a “SCOBY” or a “pellicle.” I agree that it's scientifically accurate to nitpick and say that the SCOBY is really the liquid a.k.a. starter tea, but most home brewers refer to the cellulose mat as the “SCOBY.” And they refer to the bacteria and yeast-filled kombucha liquid as “starter tea.” So I’ll stick with that vernacular and naming convention to avoid confusion here. And for whatever it's worth, in my side-by-side experiments fermenting kombucha batches with and without a pellicle (I used 2 cups of starter tea and the same ingredients in both batches) - I actually found that the batches that I used a pellicle + 2 cups of starter tea consistently fermented faster than the batches that only contained 2 cups of starter tea (no pellicle). So while they both did ferment, the one with the pellicle seemed to acidify faster. That's why I still use the pellicle in my day-to-day brewing, whether or not it's technically necessary. I figure why not give my kombucha the best shot I've got against mold and harmful pathogens if I've got so many spare SCOBY mats/pellicles anyhow?
Great videos! I had a quick question. So when you finish your first fermentation does the original scoby form a new one on top? I had read that you can't use the old/original scoby for your next batch and only the new one that forms. Is that true? Does the new and old one form separately and then you just toss the old? I'm not really clear on that part of the process for making your second batch. Thanks in advance!
David Friedman Sure, yes usually the original scoby forms a new one on top of it. And you can definitely use both the old+new scobys in your future batches. Some people just prefer to use the new one but if you’re just starting out, I actually recommend keeping both of them together at least for a few batches until the new scoby gets stronger. Scobys just get stronger with age, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad or anything. That’s why I actually stockpile my old ones in scoby hotels to reserve them as backups for future batches and generate super strong starter tea. Hope that helps!
As I was pouring the liquid into jars for second fermentation, I took too much liquid, and there’s not much left for the scoby. Could I just add some dark sweet tea to keep it happy?
I've been really studying/watching your videos and it's nice that your approach is simple. I have my first batch of booch that is about 10 days old.The flavor is slightly sweet and mild vinegary. And yes, I'm a proud papa of a beautiful new scoby. I think tomorrow I might start some bottles with black cherries, red raspberry, and maybe some fresh Rosemary off my plant for flavoring. Are those flavors user friendly? You are the only subscription I've had on youtube. Great videos.
Thanks for watching! Those flavors sound delicious, and they sure sound like they'd be great with kombucha. I've tried different combos with all three of those ingredients and have loved the results. I love throwing in a sprig of fresh rosemary with a sweeter fruit (like berries or citrus or pineapple) -- the flavors meld beautifully. If you want a list of some of my fave flavor combos, you can check it out here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/flavor-ideas
Hellooo! Love your content 🙏 ! I am brewing beer, Mead and booch in my Garage where airflow is really really far from ideal. Some of my gear even gets moldy because of the high moisture and dark isolation of the space inside 😭 what can i do to improve my situation? Thank you!!!
Very helpful video. Thinking about making it myself for health reasons. Does the Scoby Hotel need to be stored I the fridge? Or is it fine at room temperature?
Quick question - I've experimented with some herbal tea infusions during the F1 stage - can/should the scoby that forms during those be put in the same hotel with the other scobys?
Hi there! I recall you saying that you have never made your own scoby so I hope you can answer my question. Just wondering if the unflavored raw store bought kombucha I'll be using should be at room temp. before I add it to the the cooled down tea I'll be using to hopefully speed up the scabby growth process. I would appreciate your thoughts :)
Tara McGee Perry Hey there! Room temp is ideal, since cold could halt/slow down the fermentation process. Also, since I’ve posted this video, I actually have grown my own scoby. 😊 I’m doing a full write-up on my website soon but if you’re on Instagram, find the hashtag #ybkgrowsascoby to check out my pics and progress!
That sounds fine to me -- not all scobys float. :) If you want details on what to expect during first fermentation, you can check out this write-up/video: www.youbrewkombucha.com/what-to-expect-f1
I got it, when you stated 'you add a bit of the fresh batch of tea to your scoby hotel, Do you add liquid from your scoby hotel to the fresh batch of kombucha you make?
Alfred Allen Yes, so I actually do two things here. 1. I add kombucha (around 1-2 cups) from a finished first fermented batch into my scoby hotel to keep the hotel well-fed. 2. Whenever I want to make a new batch of kombucha, I take liquid from my scoby hotel to use as starter tea for the fresh/new batch of kombucha I want to ferment. So it’s kind of cyclical. I use my kombucha batches to feed my scoby hotel. And I use my scoby hotel to feed fresh new batches of kombucha. Hope that clarifies!
So let’s say I have a scoby hotel but I will not make a new batch of kombucha for a while, so how often do I have to feed my scoby hotel? And to feed I will always add 2 cups of tea and sugar? Thanks for your videos, have been really helpful.
Cháris Gomes Milani - Scoby hotels can go untouched at room temperature for months on end. I’ve even heard instances of people forgetting theirs for a year (or longer) without any issues. (I’d still recommend at least checking on your hotel every few months or so, though!) If the liquid ever looks like it’s fully drying up, you should “feed” your scoby hotel with sweet tea or unflavored kombucha. Scoby hotel food recipe (a.k.a. A small batch of sweet tea): Steep 1 tsp. black tea in 2 cups of water and add 2 tbsp. cane sugar. Let cool to room temp and strain all tea out before putting in scoby hotel. As long as it’s not drying up completely, it’s totally fine to let it get super acidic. That just means the liquid will be super strong whenever you do decide to go back and brew a batch with it. 😊
So you rarely add fresh sweet tea to your hotel? You just take a few cups of hotel tea out for a new batch, and pour a few cups of fresh kombucha back to the hotel? Once you use a scoby a few times do you put it in the hotel to rest and take a new one from the hotel or do you toss that scoby and then grab a new one from the hotel?
Doesn't anyone any tips on cleaning your Scoby hotel? There is too much information online but I like her the best, however I can remember her mentioning anything.
You could start a portable vermicomposting bin for 5 bucks like this one: th-cam.com/video/AxKrXeVtPdY/w-d-xo.html I keep one and whenever I have food scraps or produce that went bad I feed my worms. Old SCOBY's are really healthy for the worms and I imagine it would make the compost in the bin that much more rich and useful in the garden. Its an awesome way to be more green by processing waste in a useful way, and super easy to care for, much like a SCOBY is! It always makes me feel better to give the worms any plant cuttings or seedlings I have to cut or throw out because I know they aren't being "wasted" or thrown away, but just incorporated into a new form that is being recycled.
I saw a video where a girl made kombucha WITHOUT a scoby using raw starter tea and tea sugar, like u would if you to make the regular way , and it made its own Scoby .SO I THAT REALLY KOMBUCHA OR IS IT VINEGAR?????
I saw a video where a girl made kombucha WITHOUT a scoby using raw starter tea and tea sugar, like u would if you to make the regular way , and it made its own Scoby .SO I THAT REALLY KOMBUCHA OR IS IT VINEGAR?????
If you want to create carbonation, you have to bottle it in an airtight container and let it ferment for a few days longer (that's called second fermentation). You can check out this video for that step specifically: www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-2nd-fermentation But if you want my full run-down on the whole kombucha process from start to finish, you can check it out here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/kombucha-quick-start-guide
Hi, It's hard to find unflavored Kombucha to use as starter in stores. GT's sells a Kombucha named "Pure" but it does contain Kiwi juice. Would the Pure be okay to use as starter?
Yes, they say unflavored cuz if this is your first time you want to know how the base is supposed to taste. I had to use ginger lemonade. No issues first or 4th batch 😊
I left a hotel at my friend's vacation home in Las Vegas 3 weeks ago, and got back last night. It's so hot in Vegas (110 degrees!) that the liquid evaporated about 3 inches in that short time! She doesn't leave the air conditioner on when she's not here, so thanks for the video, I'm going to feed it now!
How can we make initial inoculum tea culture at home? I'dont have any previous kambucha tea and I also don't get it since lockdown. Please suggest how to make it at home
I know this video was made quite a while ago, but I hope you’re still answering questions, but my Scoby hotel seems to have a lot of sediment looking Floaties at the bottom? I’m assuming these are parts of “the mother?” Am I supposed to strain these out or should I make sure to include some of that when I gather starter tea?
@3:43, I’ve heard you say before in your other videos that leaving a starter alone, without feeding it, will get tarter and tarter. My experience so far, which is not much at all, is that the pH never goes lower than 4, maybe 3.5 when measured with strips which I suppose are not very accurate. What is your experience?
I left my scoby hotel inactive for about 4 months. Are my poor bacterias dead now ? I tried feeding them some sugar, but no bubble formed, I'm so worried my bacterias are dead :(
Is The Big Book of Kombucha listed with scientific references? Gathering material for my bachelors project I need to know if this book could aid me. Thanks!
Hi, can the strong acidity of the scoby hotel liquid corrode the rubber seal of a stainless steel vent? For regular kombucha it shouldn’t be a problem since it’s not that acidic, right? Thanks for your help
I want to flavor my kombucha with hibiscus flowers. Is that ok and if so when do I do it? Also, I noticed that one of my gallon jars appears to have mold on top. What do I do?
My scobys have a tendency to float to the top of the jar and try a little on the edges. There is no mold or anything, is it okey? Also, what do I do to make the scoby nice and thick, instead of having multiple thinner ones? Pls help 🥺
Can I start one bottle to begin 2nd fermentation and leave the rest to further grow? First batch ever and could not find this answer. I’d like to do one per day to test what I like but wasn’t sure if it would damage my 1st batch of 1st fermentation batch. Thx. Love your videos the best!
Is there a big difference between using starter tea from my hotel to make a batch of tea which then immediately moves into a second ferment and just doing a second ferment using only tea from my big hotel? I’ve been doing the latter and maybe this is why my finished tea is so sour?
For reference, I’m making the “first batch” when it is opportune, adding it back into the mother container, and then later doing the second ferment when time allows.
Sometimes I question my life decisions when I’m avoiding work to watch videos about scoby hotels
Oh, good to know I'm not the only one 😂
Currently doing this
Ha!
Yes, do question.
It really pays to keep making those changes.
Had that thought just seconds ago
i have left my scoby hotel unattended for 3 years and i started brewing again 6 months ago, no problem at all!
Did you just leave it sitting on the counter the entire time or refrigerate it? I'm totally new at this haha.
I have only 1 vessel, and i see my scoby now produces kombucha too fast for me ,plus new scobys are grown.
If i don't have place for a hotel, is it a good idea just to throw the older one away?
Tossing a SCOBY is throwing away a very Nutritional item full of B-1, B-2, B-6, *B-12, etc…….. I marinate mine in concentrated juice.
Then I put in blender, then layout in the Dehydrator to make Fruit Bucha Rollups. They are also good for Composts.
♥️💗♥️
Katy
Also great for your chickens !
They can also be made into dog treats apparently
Can’t help singing in my head 🎶” Welcome to the hotel for my scobies🎶anytime of year (anytime of year) you can keep them here”🎶😊
I have just reached a point where I don't feel like brewing another gallon jar of black tea. I was settling in to watch a few dozen videos to answer all my questions about how to safely store my scobys. Yours was the first one I watched. You answered ALL of my questions, and some I did not know I had. You did it clearly, simply, and with much friendliness and respect in your attitude. There is no need for me to keep searching for answers.
NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH ALL THE TIME I HAD SCHEDULED TO WATCH MORE VIDEOS?????????
Sigh, back to cleaning and reorganizing my kitchen... CURSES!
keepdancingmaria why did you stop
I just started brewing my own and I can't get the carbonation right
I have tried all methods mentioned on youtube .I even have the book I think I keep my house to cold.lol I will try again this summer and will leave bottles in a box in the sunshine. Oh well back to buying it.
@@delphine88313 Grab a little $10 plant heating mat on Amazon this should do the trick for you . It's what I did and keep mine in the garage now and it keeps it at around 68 which is perfect. I also keep the house cold :D
@@DrivingWithJake I have a heating pad but it turns off after a hour( I guess for safety reasons)
When I start back I will get a different heating pad.Thanks
@@delphine88313 Joshua Tree makes a great heat wrap
Started my scoby from gt's raw kombucha (the less alcoholic one that happened to have kiwi juice) and so far i've made some great brews. I have started my hotel and the main jar is growing great scobys. What a fun hobby!
I used the same exact one and had great success! Great to hear someone did the same.
I used the GTs raw with the kiwi, too. I've done several rounds of batches and they've all turned out great!
I can't find the original ANYWHERE in my area. What do y'all think about using the GingerAid one? I know we aren't supposed to use any with flavors but I am thinking it is the one that has the very least flavoring and i know that Ginger is a good one. Thoughts?
@@dianewright5177 that will probably work, I saw a video about how the flavored kombucha will work, as long as it's organic. And it might take longer, but definitely worth a shot
@@dianewright5177 I used the ginger one , Scoby grew fine
Thank you for your excellent videos. I tried to make kombucha years ago and failed. I took all my cleaned kombucha gear and stuck in a cabinet in the basement. Have been interested in trying again. I've watched other videos to get inspired again and came across your channel. Success! My first new batch yielded one plain, four cherry and four grape individual bottles. All fizzie and tasty. Family won't try them though. My second larger batch is flavored with homegrown and canned pears. Thank you. My Scoby mow lives in a hotel for now. Wife is tired of seeing the kombucha vessel sitting on the counter. Now I have to contend with more than a dozen bottles of kombucha in the fridge. Thank you again for your channel.
I kept a scabby hotel in a sealed jar for 5 years because I wasn't living where I could brew. The scones were fine. Firm, no mold, the liquid was basically vinegar at that point. unfortunately a new scoby did not grow when I tried to make a batch from them so lesson learned. Five years is too long.
Ooof helpful to know! I’ve had SCOBY hotels for 5+ years but I was refreshing regularly with sweet tea every 6 months or so
This woman is single handle kick-starting my love for kombucha! 😍
Yay!!!
I am new to this kombucha thing and I like your videos, you give me confidence to do it. I ignored the instruction card I got with my kit, I trust you more.
Woohoo! Happy brew year!
Wow! You are thorough. I loved your presentation. Thank you.
6 months? That's awesome! Now if I ever have to take a break, I'll now I can come back to it.
I absolutely love your video. I have found them to be very informative.
This is how to make your SCOBY hotel 5 stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Great, fun video.
Instead of making new kombucha all the time, can I just take half of the kombucha after 2 or more weeks and then add the same amount of tea and sugar? So that i can drink it for a long time and just add tea and sugar?
Best kombucha channel in my opinion! Thanks dear!
THIS IS SO FUN
Thank you for sharing your experience! And thanks for providing the jump links into the video!
I don't drink let alone brew kombucha, but I find all of this really fascinating. I think I'll try making kimchi or something to get into fermentation stuff.
Yes! Sauerkraut, fermented veggies/ chiles and kimchi are all great places to get started with fermentation, even if kombucha isn't your thing. Fermentation is awesome. :)
THANKS FOR THIS VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO
Txs for sharing yr knowledge with us
Do you recommend just adding fresh sweet tea to the starter tea already in the scoby hotel? Will there be a need to replace the liquid entirely?
Yes, just top up the existing kombucha with more fresh tea. Never replace entirely.
@@lightbeareradonis hi, so does it mean i just need to brew some sweet tea and add it to the extra scoby and starter liquid to start the scoby hotel? my next batch will form another new scoby, so do i just add it into the scoby hotel along with some liquid? Will the starter liquid n scobys from different batches cause any bad bacteria growth?
Can I just blend up my SCOBY and consume as a strong probiotic?
Good question actually. Id like to know also.
you can blend it up with a fruit puree then dehydrate to make scoby fruit leather
Queston, Lets say i don't want to use my skoby for now. ¿Where should i put it? Fridge or just leave it at room tem?
@@hectorambriz9618 Use about i think a cup of your batch and put that and the scoby in a container. You cant leave the scoby without moisture, and you need a previous batch as a starter, so its a double win.
it is >90% water and the rest is cellulose and may fck up your blades. Liquid contains enough of the microbes.
Instead of throwing away an old scoby can you compost it?
Hi. Where do you store your scoby hotel? Closet? Also, why not put the scoby hotel in the refrigerator ~ when in need, take it out and let the scoby hotel sit until room temperature? I may not have all the ideas and terms to ask the best questions. Cheers :)
Do you use the tea from scoby hotel as the starter for next or every batch of kumbucha you make , or use the fermented tea or older kumbucha of previous batch
Shubham Pathak, yes she used the tea from Scoby hotel as the starter for next batch of kombucha.
Thanks for your very informative video. Query please: What would be an approx safe max temperature for one’s unrefrigerated scoby hotel? i.e. in hot climates without aircon. On bad summer days my indoors probably exceed 32C/90F.
You cant leave the hotel liquid for more than 15-18 days. Some of the bacteria and yeast more fragil will die...
My chickens love my discarded scobys 😃
Hi ! I successfully grew my own Scoby! Actually I grow 2! - separately-One from only GT’s and one from GT with sweet tea added.
I gave them just shy of 4 weeks and they are “beautiful” lol
Anyway I only used 1 of the Scoby’s to start F1- Can I combine the starter liquids to store the 2nd Scoby?
Thanks for all your advice!
Tara McGee Perry Yay! And yes, you can totally combine the starter liquids for that spare scoby. That’s essentially the beginning of a scoby hotel. 😀
Love your videos. I just started my first batch a couple days ago and can’t wait for the results!
How do i know when to feed the scoby? Is 15 days a good rule of thumb? If i am away for longer can i just add more tea and sugar so that my scoby does not die?
Looks like a pancake stack 🥞 mmmm
Thank you 🎉
does the scoby hotel have to stay between 70-80 degrees like when you are making kombucha. i just got a scoby and i really only bought enough string lights for my brewing vessel
Ima make you cringe:
10 oz chicken stock
2 oz starter tea
1 scoby
1 oz sugar
Mix sugar and stock until the sugar is dissolved. Add scoby and kombucha starter. Let ferment for a week. Bam chicken kombucha
You were successful.
So the person I got my scoby from a good while, as in several yrs back said if I wasn’t going to use it for a while to store it in the refrigerator-which I have. It seems to be working okay… what do you think? Thanks!
Im new with kombucha, so many tips from you! Many many thanks!!!
Love your videos, geat information.
Your skin is flawless
Kombucha Tea ☕️ is healthy, i love it 😍
How can i get the real kombucha?
Great, Informative direct, perfect! Thank you :)
Thank you for the videos! Had a question tho, it was a bit unclear to me. I have done a small batch of kombucha (2L). First of all i was wondering for my new batch of 2L again how much starter liquid should i use? My second question is for the scobby hotel, to start with the first one, do i need to put some starter tea (and how much?) Or i can just put the 2 cups of sweet tea? And if i understood correctly you only feed it once and dont need to do anything with again after? Thank you!!
When first time making the scoby hotel do I need to put the starter tea or just sweet black tea
Looks like xl bologna slices and reminds me of fried bologna as a kid.
How do you keep your scoby hotel from turning into a vinegar scoby hotel?
You actually want it to turn into vinegar, since that makes for super strong starter tea which is great for making future batches of kombucha :)
Can you add sugar straight to the hotel when it becomes too acidic and the scobies need feeding (instead of adding extra brewed sweet tea?) I just wonder because it'd be faster to just add sugar insteadof having to brew tea plus add the sugar in the brewed tea.
Scobys feed on both sugar and tea -- so if you just add sugar to the hotels (without tea), unfortunately, they're not getting all the nutrients they need to keep surviving.
When we are first starting our scoby hotel, and we have a new scoby and two cups of first ferment in there, and it’ll take another 7 to 10 days to have more kombucha to add to the hotel along with another new scoby, will this still be ok? Or is 7 to 10 days too long to wait to add more tea to my new hotel? Hope my question makes sense :) I’m just starting my first batch of kombucha ever and after this I’ll start a Scoby hotel. So I’m feeling nervous I’ll do it wrong🙈 Your videos are so informative! Thank you for sharing.
a vall That should be just fine! As long as it doesn’t completely evaporate or dry out, you don’t have to worry about adding more tea. I’ve gone weeks without checking my scoby hotels/adding more kombucha. It just gets stronger and stronger. :)
Does your baby scoby continue to grow in the hotel?
I have the same question.
This just spawned in my reccomended. Ok.
You're lucky, mine spawned in my cup of Tea. I guess I'm brewing Kombucha now...
2.43 looks like bologna. Wonder if they would taste good on a sub sandwich with some sprouts?
Starting my own brewing before the new year! I buy Kombucha too much to not start making my own
I have just 1 scoby on my kombucha hotel, can I use that scoby on a new batch of kombucha, and is it ok for my hotel be without a scoby? I don’t want to take it apart because my scoby is new (thin) and I want it to get thicker.
Cháris Gomes Milani If the liquid from your scoby hotel is super acidic/ sour, it’ll be ok on its own if you remove the scoby. It may actually just produce a new scoby of its own. Scoby thickness doesn’t matter as much as the amount of starter tea you use. So as long as you’re using a good amount of starter tea (your hotel is a great source of that), then even a thin scoby is fine to make kombucha with. 😊
You Brew Kombucha thanks so much!!! It is so funny, it seams so easy to make kambucha but as you start so many questions pops up on your head! 😂
@@browsboutique so true! All sorts of questions start popping up 😂😂
I really don't think you need a scoby to add to a new batch. Just add some old kombucha and that always works for me.
The Symbiotic Culture Of Yeast and Bacteria (SCOBY) is the starter kombucha, not the pellicle. The pellicle is just a byproduct that also contains some of the SCOBY. It’s ok to call the pellicle a scoby. But you don’t need the pellicle to brew kombucha. You can throw it away. And you definitely don’t need a “scoby hotel”. Just tuck away some bottles of unflavored kombucha from a successful brew on a rotation and put them in sweet tea to start a new batch. No previous pellicle necessary.
There is a living FAQ on Reddit’s r/kombucha community explaining all this is great detail.
I actually cover that here: th-cam.com/video/bY5PPwv2N8E/w-d-xo.html
Lots of lot of people (and Reddit is the biggest culrpit here) will nitpick over whether or not you should call it a “SCOBY” or a “pellicle.” I agree that it's scientifically accurate to nitpick and say that the SCOBY is really the liquid a.k.a. starter tea, but most home brewers refer to the cellulose mat as the “SCOBY.” And they refer to the bacteria and yeast-filled kombucha liquid as “starter tea.” So I’ll stick with that vernacular and naming convention to avoid confusion here.
And for whatever it's worth, in my side-by-side experiments fermenting kombucha batches with and without a pellicle (I used 2 cups of starter tea and the same ingredients in both batches) - I actually found that the batches that I used a pellicle + 2 cups of starter tea consistently fermented faster than the batches that only contained 2 cups of starter tea (no pellicle). So while they both did ferment, the one with the pellicle seemed to acidify faster. That's why I still use the pellicle in my day-to-day brewing, whether or not it's technically necessary. I figure why not give my kombucha the best shot I've got against mold and harmful pathogens if I've got so many spare SCOBY mats/pellicles anyhow?
She addresses this in many of her videos.
You are amazing! I am so glad I found this channel; every question I have had along the way you have had a clear and concise answer. Thanks 🥂
Great videos! I had a quick question. So when you finish your first fermentation does the original scoby form a new one on top? I had read that you can't use the old/original scoby for your next batch and only the new one that forms. Is that true? Does the new and old one form separately and then you just toss the old? I'm not really clear on that part of the process for making your second batch. Thanks in advance!
David Friedman Sure, yes usually the original scoby forms a new one on top of it. And you can definitely use both the old+new scobys in your future batches. Some people just prefer to use the new one but if you’re just starting out, I actually recommend keeping both of them together at least for a few batches until the new scoby gets stronger. Scobys just get stronger with age, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad or anything.
That’s why I actually stockpile my old ones in scoby hotels to reserve them as backups for future batches and generate super strong starter tea. Hope that helps!
You Brew Kombucha Definitely helps! Thanks for providing all this great and helpful info
Also am I screwed if I used regular white sugar? I realized after making it that organic cane sugar is recommended.
David Friedman Not at all! Regular white sugar is totally fine for kombucha. :)
You Brew Kombucha Phew, thanks!
Do you need to rotate your scobies in your hotel or just use the top one for the next batch?
As I was pouring the liquid into jars for second fermentation, I took too much liquid, and there’s not much left for the scoby. Could I just add some dark sweet tea to keep it happy?
I've been really studying/watching your videos and it's nice that your approach is simple. I have my first batch of booch that is about 10 days old.The flavor is slightly sweet and mild vinegary. And yes, I'm a proud papa of a beautiful new scoby. I think tomorrow I might start some bottles with black cherries, red raspberry, and maybe some fresh Rosemary off my plant for flavoring. Are those flavors user friendly? You are the only subscription I've had on youtube. Great videos.
Thanks for watching! Those flavors sound delicious, and they sure sound like they'd be great with kombucha. I've tried different combos with all three of those ingredients and have loved the results. I love throwing in a sprig of fresh rosemary with a sweeter fruit (like berries or citrus or pineapple) -- the flavors meld beautifully. If you want a list of some of my fave flavor combos, you can check it out here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/flavor-ideas
well done...yet again!
Hellooo! Love your content 🙏 ! I am brewing beer, Mead and booch in my Garage where airflow is really really far from ideal. Some of my gear even gets moldy because of the high moisture and dark isolation of the space inside 😭 what can i do to improve my situation?
Thank you!!!
Use a fan or move it
Now that I know everything I wanted... I will stay subscribed anyway. Thank you!
Very helpful video. Thinking about making it myself for health reasons. Does the Scoby Hotel need to be stored I the fridge? Or is it fine at room temperature?
She says to store it at room temperature.
Quick question - I've experimented with some herbal tea infusions during the F1 stage - can/should the scoby that forms during those be put in the same hotel with the other scobys?
I recommend keeping them separate just to avoid potential cross-contamination :)
Will the scobys continue to grow while inside the hotel? And do you add a fresh batch of F1 kombucha every time you store a new scoby?
Do you have an example of what you consider too brown? Your videos are great! BTW
I made my sweet tea w/ 4 Cups sugar vs 3/4, do i need to feed the first month?
I've started brewing my own kombucha and your videos have been super helpful and fun! Thanks so much 😊
Ashley Smith same here. I’m on my second batch. Probably gonna start a Kombucha hotel after this second time.
Hello! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I wonder if keeping scoby at 35 Celsius degree works? I live in a hot, humid country.
Hi, great videos! Just to ask, I have quite a cool kitchen. Is your house 26C as per the thermometer sticker?
does it matter which scoby u grab from the hotel? top or bottom?
Very informational! Thank you.
Hi there! I recall you saying that you have never made your own scoby so I hope you can answer my question. Just wondering if the unflavored raw store bought kombucha I'll be using should be at room temp. before I add it to the the cooled down tea I'll be using to hopefully speed up the scabby growth process. I would appreciate your thoughts :)
Tara McGee Perry Hey there! Room temp is ideal, since cold could halt/slow down the fermentation process. Also, since I’ve posted this video, I actually have grown my own scoby. 😊 I’m doing a full write-up on my website soon but if you’re on Instagram, find the hashtag #ybkgrowsascoby to check out my pics and progress!
You Brew Kombucha thanks much- AWESOME! I’ll be watching 😀
I saw little cocoons on top of my scoby. I tossed it away
My scoby is not floating, and its been one day since I started first fermentation. Is it something wrong with it???
That sounds fine to me -- not all scobys float. :) If you want details on what to expect during first fermentation, you can check out this write-up/video: www.youbrewkombucha.com/what-to-expect-f1
Great video! Does the hotel have to be away from light?
I got it, when you stated 'you add a bit of the fresh batch of tea to your scoby hotel, Do you add liquid from your scoby hotel to the fresh batch of kombucha you make?
Alfred Allen Yes, so I actually do two things here. 1. I add kombucha (around 1-2 cups) from a finished first fermented batch into my scoby hotel to keep the hotel well-fed. 2. Whenever I want to make a new batch of kombucha, I take liquid from my scoby hotel to use as starter tea for the fresh/new batch of kombucha I want to ferment.
So it’s kind of cyclical. I use my kombucha batches to feed my scoby hotel. And I use my scoby hotel to feed fresh new batches of kombucha.
Hope that clarifies!
So let’s say I have a scoby hotel but I will not make a new batch of kombucha for a while, so how often do I have to feed my scoby hotel? And to feed I will always add 2 cups of tea and sugar?
Thanks for your videos, have been really helpful.
Cháris Gomes Milani - Scoby hotels can go untouched at room temperature for months on end. I’ve even heard instances of people forgetting theirs for a year (or longer) without any issues. (I’d still recommend at least checking on your hotel every few months or so, though!)
If the liquid ever looks like it’s fully drying up, you should “feed” your scoby hotel with sweet tea or unflavored kombucha.
Scoby hotel food recipe (a.k.a. A small batch of sweet tea): Steep 1 tsp. black tea in 2 cups of water and add 2 tbsp. cane sugar. Let cool to room temp and strain all tea out before putting in scoby hotel.
As long as it’s not drying up completely, it’s totally fine to let it get super acidic. That just means the liquid will be super strong whenever you do decide to go back and brew a batch with it. 😊
You Brew Kombucha thanks so much! Got it!!
So you rarely add fresh sweet tea to your hotel? You just take a few cups of hotel tea out for a new batch, and pour a few cups of fresh kombucha back to the hotel? Once you use a scoby a few times do you put it in the hotel to rest and take a new one from the hotel or do you toss that scoby and then grab a new one from the hotel?
Doesn't anyone any tips on cleaning your Scoby hotel?
There is too much information online but I like her the best, however I can remember her mentioning anything.
Just put them in a new fermenter vessel.
ive had my scoveys for 5 years
WOW! That's awesome!
Scoby*
I feel so bad to throw then out. It's like throwing out my babies
Exactly 😂
You could start a portable vermicomposting bin for 5 bucks like this one: th-cam.com/video/AxKrXeVtPdY/w-d-xo.html
I keep one and whenever I have food scraps or produce that went bad I feed my worms. Old SCOBY's are really healthy for the worms and I imagine it would make the compost in the bin that much more rich and useful in the garden. Its an awesome way to be more green by processing waste in a useful way, and super easy to care for, much like a SCOBY is! It always makes me feel better to give the worms any plant cuttings or seedlings I have to cut or throw out because I know they aren't being "wasted" or thrown away, but just incorporated into a new form that is being recycled.
I gave my scoby a name
@@Viv8ldi What is the name of the scoby?
@@Viv8ldi Scoby Doo?
I saw a video where a girl made kombucha WITHOUT a scoby using raw starter tea and tea sugar, like u would if you to make the regular way , and it made its own Scoby .SO I THAT REALLY KOMBUCHA OR IS IT VINEGAR?????
I saw a video where a girl made kombucha WITHOUT a scoby using raw starter tea and tea sugar, like u would if you to make the regular way , and it made its own Scoby .SO I THAT REALLY KOMBUCHA OR IS IT VINEGAR?????
thank you! I forgot to say it's not carbonated yet, will it get that way if I leave it out w/out the scoby?
If you want to create carbonation, you have to bottle it in an airtight container and let it ferment for a few days longer (that's called second fermentation). You can check out this video for that step specifically: www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-2nd-fermentation
But if you want my full run-down on the whole kombucha process from start to finish, you can check it out here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/kombucha-quick-start-guide
Very nice video sharing idea Pro 👍👍👍👍👍
Hi, It's hard to find unflavored Kombucha to use as starter in stores. GT's sells a Kombucha named "Pure" but it does contain Kiwi juice. Would the Pure be okay to use as starter?
Yes, they say unflavored cuz if this is your first time you want to know how the base is supposed to taste.
I had to use ginger lemonade. No issues first or 4th batch 😊
I left a hotel at my friend's vacation home in Las Vegas 3 weeks ago, and got back last night. It's so hot in Vegas (110 degrees!) that the liquid evaporated about 3 inches in that short time! She doesn't leave the air conditioner on when she's not here, so thanks for the video, I'm going to feed it now!
How can we make initial inoculum tea culture at home? I'dont have any previous kambucha tea and I also don't get it since lockdown. Please suggest how to make it at home
I know this video was made quite a while ago, but I hope you’re still answering questions, but my Scoby hotel seems to have a lot of sediment looking Floaties at the bottom? I’m assuming these are parts of “the mother?” Am I supposed to strain these out or should I make sure to include some of that when I gather starter tea?
Either or
@3:43, I’ve heard you say before in your other videos that leaving a starter alone, without feeding it, will get tarter and tarter. My experience so far, which is not much at all, is that the pH never goes lower than 4, maybe 3.5 when measured with strips which I suppose are not very accurate. What is your experience?
Making a Scoby from tea and kombucha… What do we do with the liquid in the jar after our scoby is ready to start its own batch?
I left my scoby hotel inactive for about 4 months. Are my poor bacterias dead now ? I tried feeding them some sugar, but no bubble formed, I'm so worried my bacterias are dead :(
Is The Big Book of Kombucha listed with scientific references? Gathering material for my bachelors project I need to know if this book could aid me. Thanks!
What is the black stuff on the scout in your hotel? Is that mold?
Not mold -- it's yeast. :)
Hi, can the strong acidity of the scoby hotel liquid corrode the rubber seal of a stainless steel vent? For regular kombucha it shouldn’t be a problem since it’s not that acidic, right? Thanks for your help
I want to flavor my kombucha with hibiscus flowers. Is that ok and if so when do I do it? Also, I noticed that one of my gallon jars appears to have mold on top. What do I do?
My scobys have a tendency to float to the top of the jar and try a little on the edges. There is no mold or anything, is it okey? Also, what do I do to make the scoby nice and thick, instead of having multiple thinner ones? Pls help 🥺
Can I start one bottle to begin 2nd fermentation and leave the rest to further grow? First batch ever and could not find this answer. I’d like to do one per day to test what I like but wasn’t sure if it would damage my 1st batch of 1st fermentation batch. Thx. Love your videos the best!
Is there a big difference between using starter tea from my hotel to make a batch of tea which then immediately moves into a second ferment and just doing a second ferment using only tea from my big hotel? I’ve been doing the latter and maybe this is why my finished tea is so sour?
For reference, I’m making the “first batch” when it is opportune, adding it back into the mother container, and then later doing the second ferment when time allows.
I stopped brewing for some time and my continuous brew /scoby hotel got moldy. Heading over to watch your video in that. Thanks!