What is the brown stuff that appears in my Kombucha?

The brown stuff in your Kombucha is likely yeast. It's a normal part of the fermentation process and not harmful.

What are the particles floating in my kombucha?

The particles floating in your kombucha are most likely yeast. They are a normal part of the kombucha brewing process and can give your drink a cloudy appearance.

Is the brown stuff in my Kombucha harmful to consume?

No, the brown stuff in Kombucha, usually yeast strands, are not harmful. They are a natural byproduct of the fermentation process.

Is it necessary to remove the yeast strands between Kombucha brews?

No, but you can filter them or strain the yeast strains out and you see fit.

What do yeast strands look like in my Kombucha?

Yeast strands often appear as brown, stringy, or clumpy sediment floating in your Kombucha.

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What's are the dark things floating in my kombucha?

What are the dark floaties in kombucha?

Have you started to make kombucha and looked inside to find scary black or dark brown globs on top? Is it mold? Nope, it’s yeast. At first sight, these globular formations of brown, buggery-like texture can be off-putting and discouraging. In addition, it’s very common for new kombucha brewers to mistake this yeast for mold.

Do not fear! These brown globs are perfectly normal and are part of a natural and healthy process that occurs during the fermentation of kombucha.

If you see brown stringy/globular structures in your kombucha, you can rest easy knowing that your yeast is active and doing its thing!

Yeast has a natural adversity to alcohol, which they themselves produce. You can see how this would be conflicting. To circumvent this issue, yeast has developed a survival mechanism that allows them to clump together and avoid contact with their chemical stressors. Similar to how fish school together, although these yeast structures are much more tight-knit. This evolutionary marvel was actually reverse-engineered and studied by a team of Harvard scientists who sought to figure out why yeast cells clump together particularly brewer’s yeast. You can find the scientific article here: yeast flocculation; it’s really interesting!

This grouping of yeast is commonly referred to as yeast flocculation. In brewing, flocculation is desirable and acts as a natural clarifying agent. Some particular yeasts are better at flocculating than others, which is why you find variations in different beer styles and kombucha as well.

Is this yeast edible? Do you have to filter it out?

Yes, it is perfectly edible! Filtering out the yeast would only be done out of personal preference. If clumps of yeast get into your bottles, you may see an increase in carbonation, which could be good or could be bad depending on your brewing temperature and situation. If the flocculation is just ridiculous and taking over your brew, you can filter it out to help balance the culture. This is more common with Jun cultures, which seem to be more heavily populated with yeast than bacteria, which can create some really impressive yeast structures.

So, if you see some weird brown stuff floating around in your brew, you can go ahead and smile rather than worry. Your brew is happy, and you should be too!

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