Help, my SCOBY sank!
Did your SCOBY sink? Are you worried that your kombucha SCOBY might be dead?
Help, My SCOBY Sank!
Hands down, this is the most common question amongst new brewers. It comes in a few different variations but usually goes something like this:
- My kombucha SCOBY sank! Is it dead?
- My SCOBY has sunk? What should I do to fix it?
- My SCOBY is on the bottom of the jar, what did I do wrong?
- My SCOBY started floating, but now it is sitting on the bottom. Help?
If your SCOBY sinks, don’t worry! Your SCOBY and, more importantly, your kombucha brew will be just fine. The position of the SCOBY pellicle, during your kombucha brew, is irrelevant. The placement of the SCOBY should never be used as an indicator of the health of your kombucha batch. Your SCOBY may sink, float, or hover in the middle, pay no mind. After adding the SCOBY to your brew, the beneficial bacteria and yeast are introduced. They then spread throughout the liquid, and the fermentation begins. In time, a new SCOBY will start slowly forming on the surface and thicken over time.
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Why did my SCOBY sink?
There are several reasons why your kombucha SCOBY may have sunk. The sinking of a SCOBY has nothing to do with the health of your brew, but rather the forces of physics. Dropping a SCOBY into a new batch of kombucha will most likely result in a sunken SCOBY rather than a floating one. This is simply due to the weight of the tea above the immersed SCOBY. In time, the CO2 created by the fermentation may push the SCOBY back up towards the surface of the brew. Again, not that this really matters. All that matters is that the tea gets inoculated with the bacteria and yeast cultures, and fed sugar. This allows the small population of bacteria and yeast from the starter tea and SCOBY mushroom or pellicle enough fuel and enough room to reproduce and create a healthy population of microbes.
If your SCOBY starts off floating but sinks in the middle of the fermentation period, it could be due to a sudden temperature drop. The ideal temperature for fermenting kombucha is around 75-85F, that is when the yeast thrives and is most proactive. If the temperature of your kitchen drops below productivity temperatures, it will cause the yeast to become less active. Less productive yeast produces less CO2, thus one less force keeping the SCOBY afloat. Now, this still doesn’t affect the health of your kombucha; it’s just less productive, meaning the fermentation will take a little bit longer.
As temperatures become colder, yeast slows down as a means of energy conservation. In your kombucha brew, however, they have plenty of sugar to feed on. They will eat the sugar; it’ll just take them longer to do so then at, say, 80F. If your kitchen is naturally colder, I would maybe recommend buying a kombucha warmer to snug around your kombucha to help it along a little bit.
Also, not all SCOBYs are made equal. One SCOBY may be denser than another, causing it to sink perpetually. This density inequality may come from a spike in the population of one bacteria or yeast to another during the fermentation period. Some of the microbes in your kombucha are directly responsible for building the SCOBY, while others are not. If there is an imbalance of these microbes during a specific time during the fermentation, your SCOBY maybe a little more or a little less dense than usual, causing it to sink or float.
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I have been reading up about this because my SCOBY keep sinking. I found an article about why a scoby sinks, but no other websites have the same information. I was wondering your thoughts?
Hi Grant! At what stage does your SCOBY keep sinking on you?
A floating SCOBY is not necessarily a sign of a healthy SCOBY. This misconception happens because the new SCOBY forms on the surface which is a sign of healthy kombucha so the two ideas get correlated. They also state that the SCOBY forms a barrier from contaminants. The kombucha has a built in barrier from contaminants–low acidity. By producing healthy acids, the kombucha culture brings the pH of the tea down to a level where contaminants are unable to survive which has little to do with the SCOBY. In fact, I often push the SCOBY down below the liquid to make sure it stays within that safe range. If you have a really large SCOBY that protrudes into the air, you can get mold growth on the top because it is not protected by the brew. Lastly, the SCOBY wont provide any sizable increase in carbonation. The CO2 is easily able to escape. It will push the SCOBY up the glass until it finds an escape route if there is a strong seal. To obtain lots of carbonation, you’ll want to do a secondary fermentation every time in airtight bottles.
Sorry so long but I wanted to address each point!
In short, don’t worry about your SCOBY sinking, a new one will form on the surface!
Cheers,
Ruthie
Been almost 10 days and all seems to growing successfully (1st batch – sorry for the newbie post LoL), PH is stable 3.5, Day 9 is much less sweet than day 5, had to add a heating mat in a wooden box to stabilize temperature at a consistent 80 (temp was bouncing between 70-90), guessing will need to give it a little extra time because of unstable environment in the beginning?
Question about the SCOBY: it is growing but slowly, seems to be thicker than what I purchased, with the top 1/3 being wider than the bottom part (which I assume is the original SCOBY). How do I get a 2nd SCOBY? split it manually or should there be a new detached SCOBY forming?
Hi David!
The best indicator is taste. When you begin to smell/taste a bit of a vinegary tinge, that is when you’ll want to bottle it up and begin your next batch. Even if it still tastes a little sweet, as long as your pH is 3.5, you can go ahead and bottle it in airtight bottles, then leave it on the counter for 2 more days.
As far as SCOBY formation, anytime the surface is disturbed, you will get another SCOBY to form on the surface. This naturally happens when you bottle your kombucha, so with each batch you will get a new SCOBY forming on the surface. More important than the SCOBY itself is using the proper ratio of starter tea. Reserve 1-2 cups of kombucha from the previous batch and you will be good to go :).
Ruthie
Hello! I purchased a scoby from you and am on day 7 of my first batch. Thank you for your great website, which has answered many of my questions.
My scoby has sank and there is a lot of growth on top of the liquid and it sounds like that’s all normal.
When I pour the brew into bottles, do I let the top growth mix into the kombucha, or do I reserve it with the mother scoby?
Thank you!
Hey Lyn! You’re so welcome :) Thanks for the feedback, it means a lot!
When you bottle, reserve the top growth for your next batch. If it goes into the bottles it will just take up space. You’ll also want to save about 2 cups of kombucha for your next batch.
Happy Brewing!
I’ve split my SCOBY into a few new ones and planted them in a SCOBY hotel. My original SCOBY now sank to the bottom of my current batch and this information relieved some stress about my brewing. Thanks.
Oh, Great!! Thanks for sharing :) Happy Brewing!
Thanks for the information! This is great! How do you split a scoby? Just pull it apart at whatever point? Also, just put my kombucha in for a first fermentation. How do you test the ph after the brewing period?
Hi Jennifer! To split a SCOBY, you can literally just cut it in half, or pull it apart. Cutting a SCOBY is actually a neat experience because you realize the integrity of the little guys–they are tough to cut even with scissors when they get thick!
To test the pH, you need pH test strips. If you don’t have any strips, just be sure to use enough starter tea in the beginning and you’ll be good. At the end if you don’t have strips, you can tell if the acidity has dropped by the taste–it will begin to taste more and more vinegary as the pH drops.
Hi Ruthie! So it’s my first time making Kombucha. I got my first SCOBY from a friend and started my first batch. It’s a little cold in my house, hence the fall season, so I set it in front of my fireplace where it is just slightly warmer (there’s only the pilot light lit). My SCOBY floated to the top and started forming another SCOBY attached to it. Like a dummy I kept checking my batch to see if it was okay and noticed a little brown spot with some strings descended from my SCOBY. At first I thought it was mold and once again like a complete idiot I messed up and pulled my SCOBY out to take a closer look at it. I placed it in the tea again and covered it hoping it wasn’t mold and checked the internet to find out if that was normal (of course I just had to do it after disturbing my SCOBY and not before lol). Well anyways, my question to you is – will my Kombucha still ferment and turn out right and will my SCOBY be okay?
Hi Antonia! Yes, your SCOBY will be just fine :) If it is cold in your house, it may just take a little longer to ferment. Disturbing the SCOBY does not mess anything up so no worries! Happy Brewing!
Hi guys and thanks for the great info. I’m trying to brew for the first time. My SCOBY sank when I put it in the brew, but I see that doesn’t matter. I’ve got a cold kitchen so I am setting the jar in front of the radiator for a little warmth. It’s been three days now but I don’t see any activity yet… does the sweet tea brew ratio to scoby make any difference? I put a smaller scoby into a three liter jar. Am I just being impatient? Thanks in advance.
Hey Bill! The ratio of starter tea does matter, but the size of the SCOBY does not. As long as you put at least 1 cup of starter tea in with the gallon, you should be good to go. 3 days is pretty young if you’re not noticing anything at all, give it a vigorous stir to oxygenate the brew which can wake the culture up in cooler times.
Super! I was being impatient. Having it next to the radiator seems to have “woken” it up and I have a thin film on the surface, so all appears to be good. Since it is my first time, I’m being super careful and delicate. Is this necessary? You mentioned giving it a vigorous stir. Can or should I mix it to oxygenate it at this point? What happens if my kid gets curious and decides to stir it around (even though I’ve explained the whole thing)? Thanks again. I’m sure that I will have more questions for you.
So I brewed my first 75% white tea 25% green tea booch batch and let it sit for 10 days at 75-77 degrees. When I tasted it it still seemed kind of sweet so I put the scoby back in to let it go longer when it just divided into two. The top was a cleanly defined disc so I put that part back in, and the bottom part into a scoby hotel. The disc has since sunk to the bottom and stayed there while there is a lot of small floating activity at the top. Is this normal?
Yes, the floating bits are most likely yeast. It doesn’t matter where the scoby is in the jar, bc the disc is just a byproduct of the fermentation (made of cellulose). The microbes are hard at work in the liquid! As far as it still being sweet, this can happen sometime when you switch teas so if it is still sweet in a few more days, I’d go ahead, bottle it and get a new brew going.
I bought my kit through you and instantly made my first batch! I had it at 78 degrees and next to my little heater as it’s the dead of winter right now. I came back from work and saw that the temp was at 93 and my scoby went from floating on the top to now being at the bottom. Did I kill the scoby?
Hi Caleigh. It doesn’t matter where the SCOBY is in the brew, so the fact that is went to the bottom isn’t an indicator of anything beyond maybe a little physics and as far as your fermentation goes everything will brew just the same. If your temperature got up to 93, that’s also okay. SCOBYs can handle a wider temperature range than the suggested range, it’s just not ideal for their performance so trying to get them to the proper range is definitely ideal but your SCOBY should be just fine :)
i got first starter kit last Friday and i did check on it today and i noticing scoby at the bottom is the baby aint suppose be at the top of kombucha and i do have mine under the sink.
Hi Ashonta! It’s okay if the SCOBY is on the bottom actually or anywhere in the brew. Any new growth will occur on the surface but the original SCOBY will kind of just end up where it wants to.
Hi Fermentaholics!
I’m an experienced Brewer with a large hotel & I’d like to start giving away some of my SCOBYs – but I don’t have enough starter liquid for all of them to be put into separate jars! I’ve done (too much) research everywhere & not much is said about starter liquid. How do/should I prepare my sweet little babes for sharing to help ensure their next successful brew?
Hey Rhonda!
You can use your current brew that you’re working on as the starter tea for your friends. So if you have a gallon brew going for yourself, then you have about a gallon (minus 2 cups for yourself) of starter tea to share with your extra pellicles. The starter tea is more important than the pellicle itself so you’ll want to make sure to hook them up with at least 2 cups per gallon for a successful brew.
Hope this answers your question.
Cheers,
Ruthie
Hey thanks, Ruthie!
Mystery solved… Really appreciate your speedy reply!
Happy Brewing!
Rhonda
I am making my second batch …i have done some reading and have found that Kombucha is good for pain … i was wondering if anyone is drinking for
pain and what others have discovered
I have not experienced this personally as I do not experience any sort of chronic pain. I like to think of kombucha, not as a cure for any one thing, but as a tool to help maximize my body’s ability to heal itself. If you do experience any pain relief, please do share! Cheers.
I just started drinking kombucha this week, love it, and now that I’ve read this I noticed that I don’t have the back ache I would usually have after hard garden work. I also eat raw turmeric and I’m not sure which one is helping but I plan to continue both. I’m making my first batch of kombucha now.
Hey Pam! That’s great to hear! Why not try making turmeric kombucha?! :D Glad you get to enjoy your garden work a little more now.
Super helpful Q and A’s. Thank you much
Cheers, Stephan! Happy Brewing :)
Hello there! I purchased a scooby from your company and I would appreciate some help in this matter. I’m worried there’s something wrong with my scooby. It’s been 5 days that I prepared the 1st batch and since then the scooby it’s been sank and there’s no signs of formation of a new scooby. I’ve brewed Kombucha before and this has never happened. Is my scooby dead? How can I be sure? Or could it be because it’s not warm enough and it’s fermenting too slowly? It smells normal and I’ve put it in a warmer room today and will watch for the next days. Any information will be very appreciated. Thank you x
Update: after longer 15 days a scooby started forming ❤️ Other scoobys I used before would take only a few days to form a new one.
But it’s beautiful ? and I made second fermentation and will taste it tomorrow. Excited for it.
Second batch on its way and this time the new scooby was formed in only 5 days.
Hi,
I started my first brew ever 2 weeks ago. My scoby sunk straight to the bottom. I checked it today and the original scoby is still on the bottom an the new scoby on top has mold on it. Where do I go from here? I know it is not a good sign but would the scoby on the bottom still be ok to reuse?
Hi Sally,
Is the mold fuzzy like bread mold?
It doesn’t seem to be fuzzy, however it is on the green side. It is only sitting on top of the SCOBY about a centimetre in diameter.
UPDATE: I had a look today and it is fuzzy :-(
Unfortunately, if it’s fuzzy, I would recommend starting over. Did you use one of our scobys?
Hi, I bought a scoby online which was quite small and came with a very small amount of liquid. I put this into a one gallon batch of sweet tea. The scoby sank but I see this isn’t necessary an issue. I’m just wondering if the scoby is too small for such a big batch. Will it still ferment ok with such a small amount of starter liquid?
Hi there! Did you purchase our SCOBY? If so, it is packed with 12oz of starter tea, which is what you need for a one-gallon batch.
Would the same be considered for a sunken Jun scoby?
Hey Joseph, great question! Yes, the pellicle is comprised of cellulose for both Jun and traditional kombucha so it’s role is identical in both ferments.
Hi, is it normal for my Scoby to be producing a baby Scooby in my hotel? That is what has happened, have I done something wrong?
Hey Kylie!
This is perfectly normal! Anytime the surface is disturbed, a new pellicle will begin growing.
Thank you kindly for your help. Should I have the lid closed on the hotel or open with the cloth over it like a new batch?
You want to cover it with a cloth like a new batch. Be sure to check on the amount of liquid periodically. If the liquid is low, add in some fresh sweet tea for it.
your question and answers are very helpful. I am on my third batch and my scobies grow very large I take them apart when I start a new batch. My first batch I read instructions on growing a scoby. What I didn’t understand it said to use 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the new mix. The person that sent me the scobe said that I killed it and I would have to start over again. but as it turned out I left it and it had turned into a giant. But since I have used 2 cups of the mix to start a new batch and the same the scobies turned into giants. It says not to use artificial sweeteners is fruit sugar artificial. because without thinking I used fruit sugar in this new batch and the scoby seems to be doing OK.
Hi Linda,
As you’ve been experiencing, SCOBYs are pretty hardy! The vinegar will not kill the SCOBY, rather it will introduce a new set of acids and microbes, adding to the diversity. In the future, if you can use mature kombucha that is the best acidifier, but if you have to, opt for distilled white vinegar, not ACV (for several reasons).
Fruit sugar is primarily fructose. The SCOBY will eat fructose but it much prefers glucose that it breaks down from cane sugar. From the fructose brew, you can expect a slower fermentation as it digests the complex food source, and you won’t get much acetic acid in the mix. To get the most out of your brew, I would really recommend using cane sugar.
Why shouldn’t you use ACV? the person I acquired my SCOBY from said I could add just a little (like 1/4 cup) to the little bit of starter liquid and mega SCOBY she gave me. I added Braggs ACV and started my first batch…everything seems to be going OK albeit a bit slow, likely bc of cooler temp in my house. The SCOBY is looking kind of strange…almost forming another piece on the bottom, kind of floating sideways in the gallon glass jar. Hmmm, I hope things are OK in there…?!
Hi Jill,
The best thing to use is some unflavored kombucha. You can either get this from your friend who gave you the SCOBY or you can buy some from the grocery store as long as you make sure it is raw.
Using a little bit of vinegar is okay but it needs to be distilled white vinegar. Raw vinegars like apple cider vinegar still contain active cultures and also can contain vinegar eels. Vinegar eels are perfectly healthy to eat but they can damage your SCOBY and they just look disconcerting.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Cheers,
Ruthie
Thanks for the response! Here’s a little update: first fermentation seemed to come out pretty good! The SCOBY looks whacky, but a new baby formed on the top (despite being really thin) which I have read is a pretty good sign. I did a second ferment, and my buch didn’t come out as fizzy as I wanted, possibly attributed to the bottle caps, which I’ve learned is pretty important, or could be the fact that I put the bottles in the fridge after only a day. Anywho, it tastes pretty delicious! Do you think I should still be concerned that I may have damaged my original SCOBY and now any babies that come from it will be “damaged” or not as healthy? Thanks again!!
Hi there! i am new to kombucha brewing, but have made a couple of batches. My house is warm enough and I let my brew ferment for 2 weeks+. In spite of that I am only able to grow very thin new scobies ( like plastic food wrap in appearance). I put the thin babies in the next batch with the mother scoby. Will the babies get thicker with subsequent brewing? How can I gro these beautiful scobies that I see in pictures?
Hi Claudia,
If your pellicle growth is very thin, you might need more dissolved oxygen in the liquid. You can accomplish this by taking a long spoon and stirring it vigorously. Do that for the first day or so that your kombucha is fermenting and you should see a difference.
Ruthie
Hi there!
Ten days ago I started a batch with a SCOBY that had been hibernating in the fridge for a over a year! I filled a big jar and added the SCOBY along with the thickish started liquid. It wasn’t enough, so I added from another refrigerator SCOBY hotel, but that liquid was very watery. I may have also put a bit too much sugar in my brew. The result is that my SCOBY immediately dropped to the bottom and only a very thin scum-like layer made of the tiniest bubbles is covering the top of the liquid. And if I move the jar it sticks to the sides. Is it possible that another SCOBY has developed on the mother at the bottom and I don’t see it? And should I check or start over? Thank you!
—Orly
Hi Orly! Can you send me some pictures to info@fermentaholics.com? It sounds like you might have a kahm yeast layer on the top, which tend to stick to the side of the glass. Kahm yeast isn’t harmful but you’ll want to do a little maintenance if this is the case to get your scoby performing like it should.
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