Help, my kombucha is moldy? Or maybe he isn’t…? – 8 strategies against mold

There are a lot of discussions on the internet about: Is my kombucha moldy?

Especially the kombucha beginner who just started brewing their first batch are often very uncertain about their scobys quality. Even though a kombucha which is getting moldy is very rare. In the acidic environment, foreign contamination with germs can almost be ruled out.

But now we want to explain you in detail how a moldy kombucha looks like and what you can do about it. In the end we have some pretty mold pictures for you.

Order your organic kombucha here and start brewing your own kombucha*

First of all the health check:

• Is your fungus growing respectively? Does the batch develops a new thin mushroom looking like a membrane?
• Does the batch smells fresh-acidic like vinegar?
• Is the scoby free of greenish, bluish mold (like a pelt).

Could you answer all question with “Yes”? Perfect, then it already is pretty sure that you are having a healthy kombucha at home.

Especially the new kombucha brewer are often worried when they see brown threads or streaks in their kombucha batch. Those are just some types of yeasts that don’t harm the kombucha cultures. They even belong to the the drink. For all of you who are still unsure and want to know how a moldy kombucha looks like, we have some pictures for you now:

Healthy Kombuchas:

Moldy Kombuchas:

But now we come to the question: What should I do if my kombucha is moldy?

If you actually have a moldy kombucha, you should buy a new one. You could try to wash the mold away but we urge you for your health to better not use the moldy scoby anymore. To start a new batch now with a fresh kombucha and to prevent a new mold infection, we have our top 8 hygiene strategies for you:

1. Wash out the fermentation vessel carefully with dish soap and rinse out with hot and clear water afterwards. Caution: There must be no residues of the dish soap in the vessel, as this could harm the kombucha otherwise.
2. After heating up the water, let the tea boil inside as well for a couple of minutes to reduce germs that might bring the tea into the kombuchadrink. Important is also what type of tea you chose. The best teas for your kombucha cultures are free of aromas and essential oils.
3. Even sugar can bring germs to your drink. That’s why we advise you to dissolve it already in the hot water as well.
4. Always make sure to add enough starter fluid to the vessel to make the environment acidic enough. This gives germs nearly no opportunity to spread.
5. Now it is important to let the water cool down on room temperature before you add the scoby to it. If the drink is too warm it could harm the tea fungus cultures.
6. Would you like to spice up your Kombucha drink and have found great recipes with fruits and dried fruits on the Internet? You are welcome to do this but please only in the second fermentation. The fruits and dried fruits can also bring germs into your fermentation vessel and harm your Kombucha mushroom.
7. Cover your Kombucha batch with a breathable cloth to prevent the ingress of germs and vinegar flies. Because these are also one of the main reasons of the mold infection of your tea fungus.
8. Also make sure that your Kombucha does not come into contact with metals. Small metal clips on tea bags or cutlery can damage the kombucha. We therefore recommend the use of high-quality plastic and glassware in dealing with your Kombuch scoby.

Do not get angry when it comes to mold. With these great tips, it should work now at least at the second attempt in any case. Do not let it bring you down. Enjoy your Kombucha and have fun with those beautiful mushroom cultures.Order your organic kombucha here and start brewing your own kombucha*

Looking forward to see you for our next recipe or article about kombucha or kefir 🙂

Petra

Watch also this video and many more regarding Kefir and Kombucha on my Youtube channel…

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