Uh oh...

Today I cracked open two bottles of my second ferments. Santos tasted great, but I was really disappointed in his effervescence. It actually seemed greater out of his jar than it did after the second ferment. My friend N. was with me and he gave them a go after I thoroughly explained all the risks involved and my process of brewing the goo-loved liquid. He later admitted to me that he drinks kombucha regularly from the store but was nervous because it was a home brew. I don’t blame him. We cracked open the bottle of Ramirez and again I was very disappointed with the bubblage. There was hardly any. Were the bottles not sealed correctly? I think they were. I put them into the fridge only a few hours before opening them. Did this affect their effervescence? I can’t say. The flavor of Ramirez was a lot drier than I was expecting and a bit strong. Santos was the clear winner in flavor. 

After tasting my brews and learning about them in depth, N. has asked me to provide him with a SCOBY of his own. I shall grow him a lovely one! I also got a request from L. a few days ago for a SCOBY delivery when I next see her. I’m certainly becoming a veritable SCOBY farmer here in my kitchen. 

Sadly, N.’s tummy became a bit gurgly not 10 minutes after drinking the brews. I thought he was joking but a quick ear to his tummy proved that he was, in fact, not lying. After he got home I was told that his system had also been cleaned out thoroughly. After hearing from him, I poured another bit from the bottle into a glass and took a sip. Something gelatinous and clear touched my lip. What was it? I have no idea. I am now keeping a close eye on my tummy and hoping that my second ferment wasn’t a complete flop. 

PS The last person to try my kombucha told me it made his tummy rumbly. And yet, I’ve been totally fine. Am I a goat? Am I immune? Or is this what others were talking about when they suggested one build up a tolerance to the stuff before drinking copious amounts? Hmmm....