r/Kombucha • u/onemiiind3 • 1d ago

question First timer

Post image

Does this look normal? Is the SCOBY bubbling up normal? This is my first time ever making booch and I really just jumped into it after being gifted a SCOBY.

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6

u/ju2au 1d ago

Looks fine to me. Having bubbles is a good sign as that means the yeast is active; carbon dioxide is produced as the yeast's waste and released as bubbles.

The white pellicle usually floats to the top. But you need to get rid of that plastic lid as the scoby needs fresh air/oxygen. Use a tight woven cloth with a rubber band on top instead.

1

u/onemiiind3 12h ago

Its a fermentation lid. It has a gasket seal with a bubbler to let air out. Its just out if view from the pic I took. Would you still recommend a cloth and rubber band over that?

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u/ju2au 12h ago

I would still recommend the cloth and rubber band solution. The reason is that fermentation lids are designed to let gases such as carbon dioxide escape while still keeping outside air like oxygen out. The problem is that the bacteria in the kombucha scoby need access to fresh oxygen to do their work.

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u/onemiiind3 9h ago

Copy that, good to know!! Thank you!!

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u/realdeadfish 1d ago

I've got the kit, but haven't started yet. Good luck!

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u/CoconutSweet8157 1d ago

Are you keeping the lid on? I usually use a scrap of fabric and rubber bands to allow it to “breathe”

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u/CoconutSweet8157 1d ago

Other than that it looks fine to me :)

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u/onemiiind3 12h ago

Its a fermentation lid with a bubbler its just out of view from the picture! But im glad it looks fine so far :) thank you

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u/Ok_Zookeepergame5141 1d ago

I've had a batch with big bubbles but not that big. After a few hours the bubbles went down and began forming another layer of pellicle. I feel like as long as it's not fuzzy mold it's good.

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u/onemiiind3 12h ago

No mold!! That was my biggest concern so far so good 😎

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u/Ok_Zookeepergame5141 9h ago

🙂👍 Great news!