The Experiment

I was cooking but a moment ago when I noticed that there was some suspicious yeast in the experimental kombucha starter. I climbed up onto the top of the sink to peer into the glass and behold: A mother has started to grow! I’m not sure how healthy it’s going to be, but there is definitely something there. And it came in quite fast. In fact, I just checked it 2 days ago with a close inspection and saw nothing. And now there is a visible mat forming right up on the top of the brew. To recap, I’ve done nothing to it since day one. I haven’t even removed its towel top. It has stayed up there, barely touched, since January 3rd, almost 3 weeks ago. I haven’t changed the brew at all, and to refresh your memory, it’s made from 4 cups sweetened green tea (same recipe as Diggler) plus 8 ounces of GT Citrus kombucha. I had thought initially that the citrus flavoring (lemon) in the commercial brand would squelch any possibile growth but I see now that something is occurring. I had also thought that the bubbles I’d seen plus the incomplete formation of a growth on the top was, what my research lead me to believe, a wild yeast overgrowth. I’m not saying that this thing is fabulous just yet, but it’s definite progress and at this rate I should see some measurable results in a day or two.

UPDATE: The results look dubious. It looks like a strange skin with a bubble in the center, sort of like a dusty film that appears in a toilet that hasn’t been flushed in ages. I don’t believe I will be drinking/using anything from this brew, but I can’t seem to bring myself to toss it away until I see it to its conclusion, although I’m not sure where that is presently.