All About the SCOBY

What is a SCOBY?

SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It's the starter - the motherrrrrr 👽🍄 that transforms sweet tea -> kombucha!

The SCOBY pellicle is a microbial cellulose layer that grows on top of each new brew of kombucha you make.

Here's how our SCOBY mother looks!! <3

Click to watch our video on the SCOBY.

How do you get a SCOBY pellicle?

Your first SCOBY pellicle will always be bought / given to you. Once you have one and start brewing, each new batch of kombucha will naturally produce a new layer of SCOBY on the surface! This baby SCOBY can then be used to start more batches or stored in your SCOBY Hotel.

SCOBY & Starter

What Your SCOBY Tells You

Your SCOBY isn’t just your cute squishy pet friend - it can also give visual cues about the health of your brew and how the fermentation is going!

A healthy brew - SCOBY formation:

Here are what healthy SCOBYs look like when they're forming / formed:

Note: The thickness of the SCOBY doesn’t matter - it’s normal for it to start off as a very thin layer, and gradually thicken over the fermentation process. Try not to move your jar around as it ferments - then you'll get a thick SCOBY friend! 

Yeast strands/blobs:

These stringy filaments or little blobs aren't little jellyfish in your brew - they are yeast blobs! Yeast blobs are a natural part of fermentation, and they show that your brew is active and healthy. Yeast blobs are completely safe to eat! 

An unhealthy brew:

If you notice poor SCOBY growth even after about 7-10 days, it’s best to discard the batch and start fresh. A weak or slow-growing SCOBY usually means the conditions (recipe, temperature etc) weren’t right for fermentation.

Sterilise the jar with hot water before starting a new brew. You can start a new brew anytime when you have a SCOBY hotel.

If you notice mold, which are usually fuzzy, powdery spots that are white/ green/ black/  blue - you must discard the entire batch immediately. Mold is a sign the brew is contaminated and is not safe to consume. Do not try to scrape it off and continue brewing! 

Sterilise the jar and start a new brew over again.

What Can You Do With Your (Healthy) SCOBY?

• Start a new batch/ store them in a SCOBY hotel: Use it to brew more kombucha!

• Use it as compost for your plants 🪴🌱🌿

• Eat it! The SCOBY is edible - and it's actually formed in the same way that Nata de Coco is formed - just that they use coconut water and a different bacteria. It may be a little sour!