If you know anything about preparing kombucha...?!
My mom and I have recently started making our own kombucha!. We're on our 2nd batch and everything seems fine (the ph is below 5)!.!.!. but it appears that a part of the "pancake" is nolonger white but a funky grey pukey color!.!.!. It looks flat out revolting! Is this normal!? The liquid itself looks and smells normal but do you think that it's safe to drink!?!? We've been very careful to follow the directions and sanitize everything involved!.!.!. are we just being paranoid!?!?
Please help!.!.!. any advice would be great!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Please help!.!.!. any advice would be great!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Making the tea from scratch is a process similar to preparing yogurt, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods!. Instructions should be followed carefully!. Particular care should be taken to maintain the cleanliness of the tea-making process, to avoid contamination by mold or unhealthy bacteria (a cause of health problems in those drinking poor-quality kombucha)!. Smoking in the same room as the mixture may contaminate it!. Mold typically appears as green, pink, or black blotches in the culture, and should be thoroughly removed and discarded!. The fermentation process is generally successful if the kombucha skin remains firm and rubbery!. Care should be taken if the membrane becomes crumbly or discolored!. On average, the fermentation of kombucha tea takes 12–14 days!. After fermentation, new batches can be easily made from the existing culture!.Www@FoodAQ@Com