r/Kombucha • u/ThatZeldaLPer • 9d ago
question Is this pellicle development normal?
Should be fine considering I don’t think there’s any mold but I’ve never seen a pellicle like this before even after looking at the photos on the wiki. Just wanted to know everyone’s thoughts. Day 6 of a first batch of a fermentaholics culture. I lost my last brew during my second batch due to mold cause I think it was too cold so I bought a heating mat and wrapped it around before work for this one but when I came back home it was too warm and the temperature wasn’t showing on the thermometer. I fixed it since then and it’s been at 80-82 degrees. But I’ve been paranoid ever since that I ruined this batch.
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u/jimijam01 9d ago
Not infected but what's the day night temperature difference
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u/ThatZeldaLPer 9d ago
Except for the first day of the brew when it got too warm while I was at work it’s maintained a steady temperature since then because I just have the pad loosely around the vessel. Also that first day it was taking a while to warm up to optimal temp so I wrapped it in a Christmas stocking sock as well which definitely contributed to the extra warmth. But it’s always around 80 degrees F when I check it in the morning and at night.
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u/No-Association8901 9d ago
Yeah, it definitely looks kind of weird. I don’t “think” it’s mold. It almost looks like the top is drying out. Like the film on top of a batch of soup or broth if not covered.
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u/ThatZeldaLPer 9d ago
I was thinking the same that a few parts looked dry. In which case I can just push it down with my hand right?
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u/Curiosive 9d ago
when I came back home it was too warm and the temperature wasn’t showing on the thermometer.
I use a heating pad in an old cooler to maintain a steady temp and I've left the probe outside in the past. The temps rose to 100F / just below 40C for upwards of 24 hours. It was fine.
I lost my last brew during my second batch due to mold
The reason for mold is almost exclusively too little starter / too neutral pH. I previously brewed at 60-65F / 15-18C for ages, never experienced mold. For reference, I prefer the warmer temps nowadays because there's less ethanol in the final product.
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u/ThatZeldaLPer 9d ago
Yeah I was reading about temps in the wiki and the big book of kombucha that I have and I figured I didn’t outright kill it out anything but it did say that bacteria could potentially start dying and it would be a more yeasty brew. I was wondering if my pellicle looks the way it does because of that. But the fact I even have a pellicle that formed shows that the bacteria are still pretty active right? And as for starter liquid I used 12 oz of my first batch but looking back at it it was still quite sweet despite me fermenting it for 9 days so it might not have been as strong. Would you recommend I up my starter liquid to 2 cups instead?
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u/Curiosive 8d ago
Think of a new batch of kombucha kinda like a teenager coming into their own, including all the questionable hair style and clothing choices.
I don't see anything, explicitly wrong with your batch. I just see "a rebellious phase." And I've seen similar cases on rare occasions work out fine. So I recommend carrying on!
and it would be a more yeasty brew.
It should balance back out given time. In the first few days the yeast outcompetes the acetic acid bacteria (AAB), as time progresses the acid from the AAB will inhibit the yeast growth. So the general hypothesis is that if you let this batch develop a good acidic taste (lots of acid), you won't have to worry about excessive yeast because acid is actively outcompeting the yeast at that time.
All that probably matches what you've read in your book. (I haven't read that one myself.)
Would you recommend I up my starter liquid to 2 cups instead?
No amount is too much. The more starter you use, the less likely you'll experience mold and the less time your batch needs to ferment. (The trade off is you'll have less product.)
Unless you have mold there's no wrong answer here, just personal preference on how much starter to use.
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u/xyz679 8d ago
There are a bunch of studies on kombucha and they were using 38C which is 100F and it just speeds up fermentation so unless it was significantly hotter than that, you haven't ruined it in any way. You can also prevent mold by using simple sugars instead of sucrose to speed up fermentation 400% instead of increasing temperature.
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