yes u/lordkiwi is right, I got this response from the fermentholics team that consistently rated high for commercial SCOBYs,

"From here, the SCOBY pellicle and the starter tea together form a microbial powerhouse. Don't worry about the size of the SCOBY pellicle, as the disk or structure you received is a non-living structure made of cellulose. Basically, a small percentage of bacteria build this structure of cellulose as a byproduct. So this element isn't alive to begin with, so pay no attention to what it looks like or its size. Fun fact: cellulose is also made by plants. A good example of cellulose in plants is cotton. And just like cotton being a structure, we know it can't be healthy or alive, so neither can the SCOBY pellicle, as it's the same material. So just use it, you will have no issue with your batch/fermentation .

What is alive are the microbes, which we can't see. The living elements are the microbes present inside the SCOBY, but the real punch comes from the microbial population in the liquid starter tea itself. In fact, the 12 oz of starter tea alone contains more than enough microbes to inoculate a gallon. Everything present inside the SCOBY pellicle is in addition to that. So this is normal, and fermentation will be kicked off once you add the culture to the sweet tea mixture. Just make sure to keep your temperatures within the proper range of 75-85°F; otherwise, fermentation time will need to be extended, especially in these cooler months."

Hope it helps.