Can you split a kombucha SCOBY?

SCOBY is simply a collection of bacteria, yeast, and cellulose. It really doesn’t matter what shape your SCOBY is in. You can even cut your SCOBY into little pieces and it will still brew a perfectly fine kombucha (as long as the pieces roughly make up a regular SCOBY.)

What can I do with an extra SCOBY?

If the SCOBY hotel fills up, try these ideas for using up the extras.

1. Share! The best way to use extra SCOBYs is to help others start their own kombucha brew.
2. Experiment.
3. Add to a Smoothie.
4. Make Jerky.
5. Make Candy.
6. Substitute for Raw Fish in Sushi.
7. Use as a Face Mask.
8. Use As a Bandage.

Does the size of my SCOBY matter?

Does the size of the kombucha culture matter in relation to how much kombucha I will be brewing? A. No, even a small kombucha culture will effectively ferment a full gallon of kombucha. We recommend using a culture or a piece of a culture.

Can a SCOBY be too thick?

So what happens with the SCOBY is… it grows as it makes successive batches of Kombucha. In this case, if the SCOBY gets too big (more than 1-inch thick), it’s not good for the Kombucha because it’s too much SCOBY for the liquid and the older SCOBY isn’t as good at making Kombucha as the young part.

Should I remove old scoby?

However, keep in mind that some SCOBY is better than none! This means that if all you have at this time is weaker culture, but the resulting brews are mold free and taste delicious, there is no need to discard the SCOBY you have. Only if you have too much should you get rid of extra SCOBYs that continue to brew well.

How much scoby is too much?

So just how much kombucha should you drink? Too much of anything is bad for you, of course. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day.

How much SCOBY is too much?

Is my scoby big enough?

The scoby will continue to grow to 1/4 inch thick. 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 many times can you reuse SCOBY?

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.

When should I discard my 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.

Can I cut a large kombucha SCOBY into parts?

Originally Answered: I have a very large Kombucha SCOBY. Can I cut it into four parts and have four viable starter mushrooms? Yep, you can cut a SCOBY up and each piece will continue to happily do its thing.

What is the pH of kombucha for Scoby?

A healthy scoby needs to have a consistent pH level between 4 and 2. The high acidity is important for keeping other harmful microorganisms from growing and damaging the scoby. An easy way to know that the pH level for your kombucha is below 2, is a taste test. Low pH will produce a more vinegary brew but will not likely harm the scoby.

Can you make kombucha without starter tea?

Yes, you can make kombucha without starter tea. Starter tea speeds up fermentation instead of causing it. Therefore if your brew has a SCOBY inside then, it can still produce kombucha. Other ways to speed up the fermentation of kombucha would be larger SCOBYs, a temperature within the critical range, and less tea.

Can you cut a SCOBY in half?

Yep, you can cut a SCOBY up and each piece will continue to happily do its thing. The thing to watch out for is how you cut it: metal is toxic to the kombucha culture, so you absolutely do NOT want to cut it using metal scissors. Hi, yes Michael is right, go for it, as long as you leave enough culture to ferment the size of your brewing vessel.