Did I kill it?

[pilotswife]

I am frozen on completing my second fermentation. For some reason I can’t wrap my head around what to do next so there sits my scobies. Do they look dead? Here are my issues.

My first scoby, the one floating at the bottom, seems OK. But a second one grew over it and is now detached from the tea. At least around the edges. Is that bad? Did I wait too long?

The new scoby is also HUGE. part of why I have been hesitant to move forward is I’m not totally understanding what to do with the two scoby’s, especially one so large. The container it is in is the only container I have that it will fit at its current size. What to do?

help! And thanks

 

[Henbrew]

Looks fine to me. Your scoby floating looks like it has more to do with the shape of your vessel. Even with the scoby covering the kombucha, there will be some evaporation. Do you have a way to measure the pH? That's the best way to tell if your ready to move on. I'm thinking you're fine to go onto secondary.

 

[Kickass]

Looks healthy

 

[rushpapers]

One method of kombucha brewing is to let your starter ferment out to very low pH, like 2.5 pH. At the point you mix 25% stater with low sugar tea, and bottle after 48-72 hours.

Right now I have 100 liters of extra kombucha that I am allowing to ferment out to basically pure acid. It's 4 months old right now. The pellicles are thick. I use it to bump pH when needed.