Kombucha update

[saved1986]

I bought a couple of bottles of GT's organic raw Kombucha yesterday. I usually look for bottles with the most culture strands on the bottom. These two had a lot, and not only a whitish, but a grey appearance.

The one I opened and drank fizzed over the most I've ever seen, had to keep tightening the cap over and over. The thick strands at the bottom were pretty solid as I drank it, like wetted down dustbunnies. :shock: My husband suggested that it might be mold in there, and not good to drink. My stomach did feel a bit funny afterwards, but that might have all been mental.

Anyone else have this, should I return the other bottle and go with one that looks more white at the bottom? The drink itself is Botanic No.7, reddish in color with hibiscus, orange peel, chamomle and ginger. The expiration date is 11-29-11.

the fact that is fizzzed like crazy says its alive, but grey color, I would not drink that.

 

[kind2creatures]

the fact that is fizzzed like crazy says its alive, but grey color, I would not drink that.

Thanks so much saved, I respect your opinion. I'll return it and switch it out for another bottle that looks more normal. Luckily I didn't get too sick from drinking the first one. :shock:

 

[saved1986]

Thanks so much saved, I respect your opinion. I'll return it and switch it out for another bottle that looks more normal. Luckily I didn't get too sick from drinking the first one. :shock:

Maybe you got lucky and got a poerful batch. The old stuff was really cool, it would shoot out when you opened the bottle and after you drank some, you really felt great.

 

[kind2creatures]

Maybe you got lucky and got a poerful batch. The old stuff was really cool, it would shoot out when you opened the bottle and after you drank some, you really felt great.

It did seem extra powerful and fizzy. But I was taken aback by the grey matter, big pieces that felt like wet fuzzy dust in my mouth. But...still thinking it was okay, I downed it. When my husband mentioned mold, is when I started feeling sick about it.

 

[mommysunshine]

The kombucha mushroom is actually called a SCOBY. That stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. What was on the bottom was the SCOBY. I highly doubt it was mold because fermented food contains lactic acid as well as a ton of beneficial bacteria that would compete with any bad bacteria including mold. Having said that, I'm not sure I would have been able to drink that either. ewww.

 

[LifeAtZen]

I've been drinking one a day and my acne has been under control, even when i eat my "forbidden" foods such as sugar and wheat.

I love the taste...a far cry from the first time i tried it!

 

[kind2creatures]

The kombucha mushroom is actually called a SCOBY. That stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. What was on the bottom was the SCOBY. I highly doubt it was mold because fermented food contains lactic acid as well as a ton of beneficial bacteria that would compete with any bad bacteria including mold. Having said that, I'm not sure I would have been able to drink that either. ewww.

The scoby is sometimes contaminated with the growth of mold, and should not be used. https://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_mold_photos.html My concern was the grey color of the culture strands at the bottom of the bottle, might have been a bad batch. Anyway, I exchanged it for a ginger one, that had a nice healthy whitish color to it.

 

[saved1986]

The scoby is sometimes contaminated with the growth of mold, and should not be used. https://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_mold_photos.html My concern was the grey color of the culture strands at the bottom of the bottle, might have been a bad batch. Anyway, I exchanged it for a ginger one, that had a nice healthy whitish color to it.

Did it fizz when you opened the bottle?

 

[kind2creatures]

Did it fizz when you opened the bottle?

It really fizzed a lot, more than I've ever seen before. Took a long time to open it, kept having to tighten up the cap again, made a little bit of a mess.

 

[saved1986]

It really fizzed a lot, more than I've ever seen before. Took a long time to open it, kept having to tighten up the cap again, made a little bit of a mess.

Sounds good, but I am still upset they took the original GT and Synergy off the market to "reformulate"

 

[Solstice Goat]

Another DIY recipe;


Directions:

1
Pour the bottle of kombucha and sweetened tea into a large glass jar.
2
Cover jar with a towel or coffee filter secured with a rubber band so the brew can breathe but still be protected from insects and other contaminants.
3
Let it sit for a week. Put it in a room temperature area that is dark (like your pantry - NEVER in the refrigerator as it will kill your SCOBY.).
4
With time, a new SCOBY will start to form on top of the liquid. It will appear first as a thin film, then slowly fill in and thicken up.
5
Once it’s about 1/4 inch thick, it’s ready to go. You can let it sit longer and get even thicker, but that’s really not necessary. If you see ANY mold - discard it and start over. It will look like bread mold.
6
To start a batch with your SCOBY, wash your hands. Never touch your SCOBY with dirty hands as it will cause it to mold.
7
Drain 75% of the liquid you have from your brew into a food grade glass container to drink.
8
Place 4 C Black or Green tea that has been in food grade glass container with 25% remaining liquid.
9
Top with new SCOBY and let it go through the same week long fermentation process as you did to make the SCOBY.
10
A new SCOBY will form on top of the old SCOBY and you can peel it off and start a new batch from the new SCOBY or have two batches going at the same time in different jars. You can give away the new baby SCOBYs but make sure to include 1/2 c of the brew it came from and enough sugar and tea bags for somebody to start their own.
11
With the remaining 75% juice, drink 4 oz. at most a day if you're not going to dilute it with tea or fruit juice.
12
If diluting with juice, pour 2.5 ounces into a quart sized food grade glass jar and top with kombucha brew.
13
Cover, set it back in the pantry and let "brew" for 48 hours.
14
Place fruit juice Kombucha in the fridge and enjoy.

Read more: <a href="https://chinese.food.com/recipe/kombucha-scoby-to-start-your-own-kombucha-brew-359720?oc=linkback">https://chinese.food.com/recipe/kombucha-scoby-to-start-your-own-kombucha-brew-359720?oc=linkback</a>


https://chinese.food.com/recipe/kombucha-scoby-to-start-your-own-kombucha-brew-359720

 

[Solstice Goat]

American's With Cancer Society

What is the history behind it?

Kombucha tea originated in East Asia and was introduced into Germany at the turn of the century. Since the early 19th century, Kombucha tea has been promoted as an immunity-boosting tea that can strengthen the body against many ailments. It became more widely used in the United States partly because it can be made at home. It is especially popular among people with HIV and the elderly because of claims it can boost immunity and slow aging.
What is the evidence?

No human studies have been published in the available scientific literature that support any of the health claims made for Kombucha tea. There have, however, been reports of serious complications and death linked to the tea.

In April 1995, two women who had been drinking the tea daily for 2 months were hospitalized with severe acidosis -- an abnormal increase of acid levels in body fluids. Both had high levels of lactic acid upon hospitalization. One woman died of cardiac arrest 2 days after admission. The second woman's heart also stopped, but she was stabilized and recovered. The mushrooms used by both women came from the same "parent" mushroom. While no direct link to Kombucha tea was proven in this case, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers to use caution when making and drinking the tea.


In 2009, a 22-year-old man was hospitalized with trouble breathing, fever, confusion, and high lactic acid levels within 12 hours after drinking Kombucha tea. He recovered, but his doctor believed that the tea was the cause of his lactic acidosis. This is a rare but serious and often fatal condition.

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/dietandnutrition/kombucha-tea


Ya just gotta love ALL TWO of the references those clowns cite!

:rofl:

 

[cyber-junkie]

Hate to dig up an old thread but how is the Synergy kombucha today? I have a health food store in my town that claims this stuff is pretty good and that 2 weeks past the "best by" date it is at it's peak and they have several customers that request they buy and hold for them till the "best by" date.

The ones I have tried lately fizz quite a bit, have that layer of stuff in the bottom and has a vinegar taste to it and I think it tastes good...is it worth the $4 a bottle, I know it's cheaper if you make it yourself but I like the convenience to just pick up a bottle at the store.

 

[saved1986]

Hate to dig up an old thread but how is the Synergy kombucha today? I have a health food store in my town that claims this stuff is pretty good and that 2 weeks past the "best by" date it is at it's peak and they have several customers that request they buy and hold for them till the "best by" date.

The ones I have tried lately fizz quite a bit, have that layer of stuff in the bottom and has a vinegar taste to it and I think it tastes good...is it worth the $4 a bottle, I know it's cheaper if you make it yourself but I like the convenience to just pick up a bottle at the store.

I will give it one more try

 

[cyber-junkie]

I will give it one more try

Please let me know what you think...I bought one of the other day and I had to unscrew and screw back on about 6-10 times to get the carbonation where I could open the top, and I didn't shake it up.

 

[kind2creatures]

I'm enjoying a bottle of Synergy Passionberry Bliss Kombucha right now. I drank the first half of the bottle this morning and it fizzed quite a bit, but I could open the cap slowly. I inverted it several times, but didn't shake.

It's still fizzy now that I'm drinking the second half. I really like these drinks, but can't compare it to the old stuff that Saved1986 mentioned, or any homemade kombucha. I also like the ones with the chia seeds, but they definitely lack fizz, and can be opened quickly.

 

[cyber-junkie]

I also like the ones with the chia seeds, but they definitely lack fizz, and can be opened quickly.

I noticed that too, wonder if the seeds soak up the fizz or what is the difference.