How to Restart a Kombucha Brew After a Long Break

VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 - If You Have a Room Temp SCOBY Hotel
03:05 - If You Don't Have A Lot of Liquid/Starter Tea
04:45 - If You Refrigerated Your SCOBY Hotel
08:04 - Brewing Using an Over-Fermented Kombucha Batch (No SCOBY Hotel)
------------
RELATED VIDEOS & LINKS
* Complete guide to kombucha brewing: • Ultimate *Updated* Gui...
* Tips for finding quality SCOBYs: www.youbrewkombucha.com/how-t...
* Building a SCOBY Hotel: www.youbrewkombucha.com/scoby...
* Should you refrigerate SCOBY Hotels? www.youbrewkombucha.com/cold-...
* How to fix too-sweet/too-sour kombucha: • How to fix too-sour or...
------------
SUPPORT YBK!
ko-fi.com/youbrewkombucha
If you've found my videos helpful and would like to “buy me a cup of coffee,” you can donate at ko-fi.com/youbrewkombucha -- to support the costs of running my website and filming videos as I continue buying/testing materials and sharing knowledge with everyone!
------------
FIND ALL MY RESOURCES AT YOUBREWKOMBUCHA.COM
* Recommended materials + where to buy them: www.youbrewkombucha.com/byo-s...
*Order my book: The Kombucha Crafter's Logbook: amzn.to/2XX9Fcy
*Homemade CBD Kombucha + my favorite CBD products at www.youbrewkombucha.com/cbd-k...
------------
FTC: This video is NOT sponsored. Amazon and Hemplucid links are affiliate links.

[@carmeng.guzman8599]

This video was posted right on time! I had to pause my brewing for almost a year and I've heard the scobys make every brew vinegar-y if they are not used in a while, I was so bummed out about that because the lil guys were looking healthy... now I've taken the hotels from the fridge and I'm excited to start brewing again. Thanks a lot!

[@eleanoraddy4683]

Going to buy your book this week, I was wondering how to fit all my info into my normal kitchen journal and now I don't have to so thanks for that!👍❤️

[@zrosa6229]

Thank you so much 😊. I love your videos. 😊♥️

[@dreaminghigh6885]

Amazing info Thank you so much 🤗👌

[@RobVespa]

I'm on my third rinse out of my "ex" brewing vessel and hotel... because, like with my plants, I went through a bad phase (sorry plants and kombucha!). This is spot-on timing wise!

[@verenar]

Same for me, I just re-started my kombucha a week ago after over a year break

[@RobVespa]

Since I posted this comment, I ordered a scoby, which arrived on May 5th. I started my first batch and am excited that, as of a few days ago, a new scoby is visibly growing on the surface. This batch is in a 2-gallon vessel with around a half gallon of tea. I’m considering adding additional tea/sugar to this batch and going the CB (continuous brewing) route. I’m not sure. It seems like it may be easier/cleaner to go batch to batch. Kombucha quandaries. Edit: Second batch just completed. The first batch was around 1/2 gallon. This batch is a little over 1 gallon. I was able to get 3 1/2 bottles from the first batch, which are undergoing second fermentation. Hopefully, all goes well!

[@marciajohnson1825]

Ooo congratulations!🎉

[@rosafunes770]

Thank you very much for your info

[@aHoyUkes]

This video is exactly what I needed! I just inherited a Scoby from my roommate who moved out while I was on the road. The top is a bit dried out, with a brownish ridge and some white flecks. I'm thinking it's just yeast, but I'm going to do more research before hopping in 😁

[@Snowsea-gs4wu]

At around 9:00 you could use it as vinegar or if it is not yet vinegar let it turn into a kombucha vinegar. Thanks for the video!

[@carolmlaw8347]

Thanks for the information. It is very useful. The scoby becomes very thick after a few months. When starting again, shall i split the scoby. Also, there is starter tea left after i restart, just keep it as another scoby hotel?

[@raterus]

I couldn't go to the Scooby Hotel, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express once

[@diapedroza4476]

Hi☆ great video! I left a scoby in a sandwich bag with minimal liquid(moving homes) and havent brewed in two years. Would i just leave the bag of scoby as is at room temp for a couple days before brewing? Or should i create a small sweet tea as a scoby hotel?

[@Mimi-ep4hl]

Could you make a new video on how to build a scoby hotel and showing us the steps please? 😬

[@mortenthoms]

Just take some combucha and feed it with new sweet tea some times so the yeast have something to eat. The cellulose just discard Them you dont need Them.

[@mortenthoms]

You dont need the cellulose to make kombucha. You only need the starter tea, Thats where the scoby is.

[@paulhayes8087]

I am hoping to start brewing again soon as I stopped as I was not consuming it fast enough during the summer(warmer and fermented faster) I threw away my scoby as the top had gone very dark in color as I had not ''fed'' it for a while and it just looked ''dodgy''. I don't think it was mold and I wonder was the tea safe to use? The scoby had floated to the top and there was little if no liquid covering it, should I have pushed it down or put some sweet tea over it? Would that have helped? As it was close to time to clean everything I decided to toss it out and start afresh...Also,,having had two bottles explode (in the hotter days) would it be ok to just lightly apply the cap when 2nd fermenting and maybe fully apply at the end when it is closer to the desired taste?.. Ps,,Great to have the chance to add a comment.. :)

[@reissmannsmissions]

Hey I don’t have enough starter tea with the scoby and I want to brew with green tea. How can I do it?

[@sophiahernandez963]

If I take out whatever starter tea is left, should I put back black tea and sugar into the Scoby hotel?

[@elsao1690]

What if you have kombucha seeds that are dry in a baggie in the refrigerator for over a year.Hos can you tell if they are still usable? I figure when in doubt, throw it out...they look sort of brown.

[@odetteromero7463]

HI again is been only about 2 o 3 weeks that a stopped making kombucha and the liquid just evaporated How often you recomend feeding the scoby hotel

[@jbeu2785]

So recently I've been learning that the pellicles are the byproduct of the scoby fermentation, and are unnecessary to use in the brewing process. Which would mean it's unnecessary to keep them at all?

[@patty9265]

If you drink kombucha in a metal lined cup will it pick up the taste of metal ?

[@MMwallace02]

What if the Scooby is out of liquid? No mold or anything but no more liquid. It hasn't been out of liquid for very long I just had to wait till I had money to order the tea before I could start again. Do I just feed it for a while?

[@odetteromero7463]

Hi I took a break from brewing my kombucha and I notice my scoby hotel is getting low with the liquid, just add more sweet black tea? dont know what to do help please

[@angelamarie4643]

Please please please help me! My granny Kate really wants to get back into making kombucha as she used to make it years and years ago and is excited to know that I am making it. However, I want to send her a scoby and I'm not quite sure what's the best way to do this I know it should be a glass vessel but I also know what's scoby needs to be able to breathe. Will it be safe if I put it in a mason jar with the lid on it should only take two days to get to her if that. Please help me I just don't know what to do

[@Meggs23]

8:30 my tired scoby

[@aesthetikah5850]

You didn’t mention how much sugar to 1 cup water/ 1 teabag?

[@7franny7]

What happens if almost all your liquid evaporated? The amount left is literally a teaspoon. Thankfully the scoby hasn't dried out yet though. Looks OK otherwise, we had hot spell and I forgot about it... I added 500ml of tea in hopes my scoby would be OK? Have I done the right thing??

[@claudianabura8693]

How about if the water is black and the scoddy is broken

[@lucky0n3]

What is a safe material to use to keep the scoby submerged in the tea?

[@kitty.katttt]

Glass or stainless steel

[@ashleyvincent9322]

I took a really looooong break from brewing, about 9 years! I left my scoby completely submerged and for the most part completely undisturbed in the dark in the very back of my baking cupboard in a tightly sealed jar. It looks great still, there is no discolouration, it's a nice warm yellowish colour and the liquid inside looks to have a healthy amount of scoby floaty stuff (great terminology yes?) So a few days ago I cracked open the jar and put the scoby and it's liquid into some organic sweetened black tea and have left it to sit on a dark cupboard. How long should I leave it before I give it a taste test? Do you have any thoughts on this? Do you think the scoby is past its expiration date, or could it perhaps be like a fine wine and only improved with age? Haha just curious on your take :)

[@marciajohnson1825]

Hey there I've not been brewing as long as you (2017) but in my humble opinion, you sound good to continue! From what you say the scoby sounds in perfect condition. I'm thinking your cupboard must be located in a pretty cool area of your home, or else you would definitely have seen evidence of mould and rot/rancidity, and evaporation of the tea. I would check there aren't any vinegar 'eels' (or whatever they're called, nothing moving or wiggling about in it) and providing I am satisfied, I would brew a fresh sweet tea etc, and brew for 24hrs, then check. If it tastes OK drink it, if not, give it a little bit longer. I wish you good luck with it!

[@meganbudgets8037]

Questions, if I have sourdough starter would it be wise to keep it stored far away from my kombucha? Would it matter?

[@normalizedaudio2481]

IMHO it's not an issue. Same yeast is in the air and they share the same air. Kombucha is not very greedy for air either.

[@meganbudgets8037]

Thank you. Im new to kombucha but have been using sourdough for a long while now. Just wanted to mKe sure before I had issues with them being neighbors.

[@normalizedaudio2481]

She clean those jars and do some transfer. I broke my glass. Watch out for that.

[@AarysGigi]

Does your scoby hotel ever turn to vinegar? How does that happen or not?

[@lukasvolcik5109]

I think mine just did. I only gave my kombucha like 75g per litre sugar and left it for like 7 months and I think it starved or all the yiest died, because my new batch is just growing new pelicle, but only test kind of sour and it looks like it's not fermenting, only turning a little bit sour slowly.

[@lukasvolcik5109]

I'm thinking about putting a small piece of apple in and hope it will help me produce some yeast :D

[@jennifermohler1862]

For the kombucha that was left forgotten for a few months,…. I have heard that many people will use it as a conditioner for their hair…. I have not tried this yet because i have not yet had a batch go “vinegary” yet but i will try it if so. But thought this might be useful if others don’t want to waste their precious ferment.

[@jennifermohler1862]

Question?.. if my scoby dries out am i still able to use it as a powder for starter? I’ve recently heard of some starters being dehydrated. Just wondering if this is a possibility

[@nmarie360]

I have just started brewing Kombucha and I am wondering...how much alchohol is there actually in home brewed Kombucha? I have just been trying to read up on it - and it seems that what is categorized as hard Kombucha has the same amount of alchohol as beer? Not sure I should be drinking my delicious homebrewed Kombucha at lunch time if that is the case🤣I dont actually drink alchohol so......what are your thoughts? Live your channel sending lots of thanks from New Zealand.

[@nmarie360]

Not live...love your channel🤣

[@jamiedeer2674]

I’m still a new brewer of kombucha but I don’t find there’s alcohol in it. I could be wrong but I don’t get a buzz or anything like what alcohol does (I don’t drink much and I’m light weight, alcohol hits me fast). Kombucha is like a soda. Hope that helps:)

[@vanguardiris3232]

I'm also a new brewer and a non-drinker, and I'm now curious about this too. Did you ever find an answer? I'm wondering if it might be worth getting a breathalyser for research purposes!

[@doryman3]

If one doesn’t feed a SCOBY hotel, for how long can the bacteria and yeast live? Is there some point at which there is not enough sugar to keep them alive? With each weekly batch of sweet tea for first fermentation, I make an extra cup to feed the hotel. Is that necessary?

[@verenar]

Well my Scoby hotel survived over a year of me doing nothing to it since I didn’t brew kombucha. I just re-started my brew a week ago and I’ll check in today:)

[@jamiedeer2674]

As far as I know as long as the scoby has liquid, it’s fine (and check for mold).