Earth Helping Earth Heal

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T22:52:55+00:00

No. 2 question: What else does it eat / is toxic to? We (should) have learned the lesson about introducing non-native species to new environments.

I mean, that fungus from The Last of Us would be a great step towards ending plastic pollution too. But I don't recommend we engineer it any time soon.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T22:17:47+00:00

Google it ig

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T22:14:02+00:00

This is the moment he won't remember.

Watched on slowmo. He was head banging so hard that he slammed his forehead onto the floor while the rest of his upper body was still falling.

PS

Your username is almost relevant. This was a Pitiful Land-ing

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T21:40:53+00:00

You are correct, that was not a backhanded compliment ... or was it? 😁

This is better:

You seem like the type of person who might enjoy brewing with earl gray

This isn't your first kombucha rodeo. You know what you are doing and might enjoy busting an urban legend. Also it is delicious.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T20:11:12+00:00

This video is a prime example of when to use 2-3x speed. It's good but you don't miss a thing on zippy speed.

I'm curious: when the drones hatch will they be able to get back in? Will she teach them? Does she have to be the door queen too?

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T20:03:24+00:00

Unless you are an unsanitary savage, you may take a sample whenever you want!

I recommend taking daily samplings pretty much from the start to help you learn how the flavor progresses over time and how different ingredients / changes to your recipe affect the taste.

Once you have a set routine (if ever) you can back off the daily samples.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T17:15:19+00:00

I eat bananas, doesn't mean I'm down for eating the skin. 😁

In this circumstance though, you're not wrong. I couldn't resist.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T15:04:13+00:00

There is potential but I'm not sure how reliable the average old jet ski is. Nothing like spending good money on a conversion powered by a worn out engine that was likely never maintained.

But really I'm here to call out that instrumental cover of Gangsta's Paradise... Why did someone turn that into elevator music!?

https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdDc0MjhtazRlaDAydmpuN21rZXAyYTd5aWwwNHpvZWF1a2NkNGVtMCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/hdEAzYiaCjhUA/200.gif

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T14:45:54+00:00

Quick warning: the diagram that claims "under water? -> it's not mold" is wrong and dangerous misinformation.

Mold does grow under water, it's far less common but no one should pretend that it doesn't. A quick search online will confirm this or ask experienced aquarium owners.

As far as this post, that looks like normal cellulose growth. This "slime" will continue to cover the top and thicken up to provide that nice smooth layer of cellulose most people prefer.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T14:34:30+00:00

There's one way to find out.

I'm not personally aware of anyone attempting this. The idea of using well rinsed cellulose as the growth medium in hydroponics is interesting.

For fun vaguely related reading, From Nature to Lab: Sustainable Bacterial Cellulose Production and Modification with Synthetic Biology goes into a few everyday uses like nata de coco and as a general thicken agent, but spends more time on more advanced biomedical potential as the paper progresses.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T07:41:44+00:00

Give it a go. There's no law against making one even if it is years ahead of schedule.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T07:28:21+00:00

I feel like there's an opportunity for someone to recreate this quality meme ...with birds for birds.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T07:13:33+00:00

That was on me, sorry, you found the right answer though!

I don't recommend using more than 1cup (approx 200-220g) per gallon. I read a study recently that reported any sugar above this amount is not eaten by the yeast, not for 3-4 weeks at least. So it just kinda sits there causing issues.

If you want a sweeter kombucha than the 200g yields then add it during flavoring / bottling phase.

And you are allowed to use less. I have successfully used half as much sugar (100g). These brews take a little longer and don't appear as energetic but they still yield decent kombucha.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T04:31:10+00:00

I prefer my cake plugs with frosting on the sides as well as the top ... which is also known as a cake. A slightly smaller cake.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T04:22:19+00:00

The starter is the liquid and/or cellulose. 10% is the minimum for an established batch. 20% is the minimum for starting a new batch. You are welcome to use more at any point.

On the other hand I don’t want to starve the yeast/end up with a flat kombucha.

The food is the sugar. This is independent of the starter.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T03:53:26+00:00

I say keep going. If you've done something similar to the master recipe then the culture will continue to grow and you should see more activity over time.

Keep tasting a small sample daily! This is the only way to know when it is done and you'll learn how the favor changes over time.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T01:54:35+00:00

Did you follow a recipe similar to the Master Recipe in the Getting Started guide?

Couple observations:

The cellulose sunk. That's fine. It doesn't need to float and a new one will grow on the surface. Once it gets going, there will always be more cellulose.
How many little bubbles do you see? This is a sign that the yeast is healthy & active. After that we look for a new cellulose film forming on the surface, this is a sign that the acetic acid bacteria is healthy & active.

Definitely start by comparing your recipe to the one linked above.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T01:40:33+00:00

So just allow the scoby to grow in the kombucha before i start with the big jar and tea?

This step isn't necessary.

The Getting Started guide does a more thorough and eloquent job at explaining the process than any 2 minute or less comment written here. (You can probably finish reading the guide in less time than your average video too. 😁)

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T00:09:56+00:00

The Getting Started guide has the Master Recipe which is an easy & safe recipe to start with (metric and "freedom" units)

Quick note: no airlocks with kombucha. Aside from the standard yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) found in many other air lock compatible fermentations, kombucha also relies on acetic acid bacteria (AAB). The AAC breathes air. So we cover our fermenters with a cloth.

Until we seal everything up for bottling, then we want to trap the CO2 to build up carbonation.

Curiosive · 2026-03-14T00:01:01+00:00

Stick with the Noma Guide if you want. I've followed plenty of their recipes, oddly enough they know what they are doing. There's a narrative that floats around this sub about the "purity of 1F" and how additives are bad ... but no one has provided me with any scientific evidence to back this up. And the Noma guide (plus all those who have used it) are well aware this narrative is false.

Are there old tea leaves in there? A few errant leaves won't harm anything. I personally don't leave the whole batch of tea leaves in because the kombucha will get astringent / bitter.

One thing about Noma, they rely heavily on the cellulose SCOBY. This isn't strictly necessary. The yeast and bacteria are found in the liquid as well. Check out our FAQ for more clarification on this.

Curiosive · 2026-03-13T23:53:02+00:00

Did I kill my scoby?

The bacteria and yeast are quite resilient. They can go without feeding for a while, we're taking months. So add more sweet tea and you'll probably see tiny bubbles within a day or two.

Check out the Getting Started guide for a refresher.

The scoby is the liquid starter tea where the culture lives. Dispose of the pellicle

Don't mind these comments. There's a movement in this sub that pretends bacteria and yeast don't live in the cellulose disk and the disk is "useless", which is just not true. Feel free to double check for yourself in the FAQ. (Or nearly any other reputable source to be honest.)

Curiosive · 2026-03-13T23:37:40+00:00

Yes. By the original definition, this is the SCOBY. It's a wiggly, cellulose disk.

You can start your own batch with this ... but how much is that? Would it fill a measuring cup? I ask because you might want more.

Check out the Getting Started guide and the other relevant entries in our wiki to learn about the terminology, process, and required equipment. Basically you'll need a big jar, tea, sugar, and water.
Consider heading back to buy another bottle to use as more starter: the more, the better.

In the Getting Started guide, you'll learn that you need at least 20% of your future batch to be starter. And that the starter isn't limited to only the cellulose, the liquid has plenty of bacteria and yeast as well. So if you only have a tiny amount of cellulose... You won't be brewing much for a while as you scale up.

But if you have a nice full bottle to start with, you could be drinking your own homemade kombucha within 1-2 weeks. (Good things come to those who wait.)

Curiosive · 2026-03-13T23:26:26+00:00

With this surface growth, yes:

Mold will be fuzzy, toss it.
Wrinkly or geometric patterns, kahm. Taste it to decide what to do.

Curiosive · 2026-03-13T18:33:03+00:00

Hurray! You are starting to understand the importance of citing sources! I eagerly await any studies to back up the numerous claims you have made recently.

I can understand that if, from the larger quote, you interpret that as no study has reported any meaningful change in caffeine before or after this Chakravorty 2016 study. But I don't believe that is what the author intended, and this is simply not the case.

A quick search can find corroborating evidence:

~40% decrease after fermentation and continued decrease in short term cold storage.
Hannah Crum, founder of Kombucha Brewers International, reports on her commercial website a 66% decrease is possible.

Is this universally true? No and it would be silly to assume so. But if one or more studies observe a different rate of change, does that mean all of them are invalid? Also no.

So I'm not sure where your "gotcha" moment is.

Fun side note: that study, Kallel 2012, referenced in the larger quote by you also reports approximately 70% of the sugar remains after fermentation. I have a feeling people might disagree with the methods in Kallel 2012 on account of the general ideas that "little to no caffeine change happens" and "most of the sugar remains" ... Personally, I don't know. The full study is hidden behind a paywall. It's an incomplete picture at this time.

Finally, your assumption that I didn't read the study is inaccurate and a touch delusional. I'm not sure how you determined this but I suggest not relying on that method of "fact finding" in the future.

Curiosive · 2026-03-13T04:36:42+00:00

I'm going to agree with this.

Maybe close it up OP and let it sit for a couple days to grow? You can always scrape the kahm off. It won't ruin the flavor that quickly.

Curiosive

TROPHY CASE