So, you have finally completed your first fermentation and you are wondering what to do with your mother SCOBY and baby SCOBY. Should you keep both of them? Can you put them in another container while you prepare another round of tea for fermentation? Does the material of the container matter? Can you store one away and use the other? What the heck do you do with them if you want to go on vacation?? Never fear! We will address all of these concerns and more today! Trust us—it is a LOT simpler than it might seem right now! You will feel like a SCOBY master by the end of this article!
The Basics
Any time that you are handling your kombucha culture/kombucha SCOBY, you will want to make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap (regular soap, NOT antibacterial) and water. Be sure to wash all of the soap off before handling your SCOBY, as soap can actually harm your SCOBY. You can also use food-grade gloves when handling your SCOBY if you are worried about soap. When placing your SCOBY in your brewing vessel or another container, you will want to ensure the liquid in the vessel has cooled to room temperature and be very gentle. You also want starter tea (kombucha that has completed primary fermentation) to accompany your SCOBY at all times. These are the SCOBY ground rules! Time for the specifics now…
Adding a New SCOBY to Your First Batch of Kombucha
When adding a brand-new SCOBY to your first-ever batch of kombucha, you will likely have it stored in a plastic bag with starter tea. You will want to transfer your room-temperature sweet tea to your brewing vessel. At this point, you can add your SCOBY and the starter tea to the vessel. While you can handle the SCOBY with clean hands, we recommend cutting a hole in the plastic bag large enough for the SCOBY. This way, you can gently add your starter tea into the vessel, allowing the SCOBY to slide out into the vessel at the same time! Easy as can be!
Removing SCOBYs Once Primary Fermentation is Complete
If your kombucha is ready for drinking or second fermentation, the first step will be to remove your SCOBYs! Planning to brew another batch right away? Prepare a clean glass container (large mason jar or mug) for your SCOBY(s). If you plan on storing a SCOBY separately and longer-term, you will need a clean glass jar to begin a SCOBY Hotel. More on that later! You should now have a mother AND a new baby SCOBY. They may or may not be attached to one another. If one or both SCOBYs are at the top of your fermentation container, you can simply reach in with clean hands or food-grade gloves and remove it/them.
If both the baby and mother SCOBYs were at the top of the vessel and they are now attached, you can either keep them together or gently separate the two. Place them in a clean glass container (large mason jar or mug) and add 1-2 cups of your fermented Kombucha (starter tea) into the container with them. Cover the glass container with a coffee filter and rubber band for protection while you prepare for the next batch.
If you have a SCOBY stuck at the bottom of the gallon vessel, you will probably want to recruit the help of a large wooden spoon or utensil to lift the SCOBY to a point where you can reach in and remove it, placing it in a glass container with starter tea as instructed above. To keep things simple, we generally recommend adding both SCOBYs to your next batch. However, once you have several SCOBYs, you can consider starting a SCOBY Hotel.
With the SCOBYs removed from your brewing container, it is time to remove the remainder of the Kombucha from the container. You can put it through second fermentation, or simply place it in another container and refrigerate it to be enjoyed immediately.
Clean your glass brewing jar thoroughly with hot water and soap (alternatively, you can run it on a high-temp cycle in your dishwasher). Make sure to rinse all soap out thoroughly, and finally rinse the jar out with distilled white vinegar. After this, you are ready to add another batch to the container! Pour in your cooled sweet tea (room temperature). Gently add your SCOBY(s) and starter tea from the glass container you stored them in. Cover the vessel and store it away to begin the primary fermentation process once again!
SCOBY Hotel
So, if you chose to take a quick break from brewing or to start a SCOBY hotel with your second SCOBY, you are in the right place! Fortunately, the process for creating a SCOBY Hotel is very similar to the process for brewing a new batch of Kombucha. We recommend using a large, clean jar. A gallon or two-gallon glass jar is a good idea—you will likely want to add more and more SCOBYs to the jar over time. As mentioned earlier, soap can damage your SCOBYs; if you believe the jar might have some residual soap, you might want to give it a good rinse with hot water and/or distilled white vinegar.
Once your jar is prepared, it’s time for us to add some starter tea and room-temperature sweet tea. If you are using a gallon jar, you will want to add at least a cup of starter tea. You will then add a batch of room-temperature sweet tea to fill the jar as if you were brewing a new batch. This is to give the SCOBYs some “food” to keep them active while they are stored in the hotel. Now it’s time to add your SCOBY(s) in! After adding your SCOBYs, cover the jar with a coffee filter and rubber band as you would for primary fermentation. Store the jar out of direct sunlight at room temperature.
As you continue to brew and grow new SCOBYs, this hotel will be super helpful in a number of ways! Once this jar has fermented for at least 7 days, it becomes a new source of starter tea! You can take starter tea from the jar as needed. Each time you grow a new SCOBY, you can store it in this jar! That’s about as hassle-free as it gets!
Maintaining Your SCOBY Hotel
Unfortunately, the SCOBYs cannot survive like this forever. However, you only need to adjust the SCOBY hotel every 1-2 months. You should occasionally remove some (we recommend at least half) of the existing liquid from the jar. It will likely be very sour, but you can still drink it or use it as starter tea for a new batch. You will replace this liquid with NEW and fresh sweet tea! It’s that simple! Top the jar off with your new sweet tea and your SCOBYs are good to go for another month or two!
Once another month or two go by, you will want to run a more in-depth maintenance process. Basically, you will just start the process over. You can accomplish this by adding a cup or two of starter tea to a new, clean gallon jar, adding fresh-brewed room-temperature sweet tea to the jar, and then transferring all of the SCOBYs residing in your hotel to this jar. You will want to thoroughly clean the other jar, and return it to your Kombucha rotation!
Should I start a Hotel Chain?
Eventually, you will probably have more SCOBYs than your hotel can handle. Not sure whether you have at least twice as much liquid as you have SCOBYs in the jar? It is probably time to “open up a second hotel”. Alternatively, if you have no plans for the excessive SCOBYs and cannot give them away to others, you can always toss out your old SCOBYs. We recommend having several spares on hand in case something goes wrong with a batch, but you will figure out the optimal amount of spares for your brewing preferences over time!
Have any questions that we failed to address? Need clarification on any of this information overload? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for learning with us today. Happy brewing! 🙂
[…] of the yeast and bacteria you need. If you do not want to start your next batch yet, check out this article on storing and handling your […]
When there two Scooby connected. Which one is the mother. Top or bottom-which one do I use for new batch.?
Hi Lynne,
The SCOBY on top will be your baby SCOBY– the new SCOBY always grows across the top of the jar during fermentation.
You can actually use both SCOBYs in your new batch– you can brew with as many SCOBYs as you would like! Having said that, if you choose to brew with just 1, I recommend using the baby SCOBY as newer SCOBYs brew more efficiently.
Hope that helps! 🙂
I bought a Scoby about 2 years ago with the intention of making Kombucha and just got busy and forgot. It has been in my refrigerator this whole time, in a sealed plastic pouch unopened. Is it still good? The liquid it is in has turned a goldish color and has some semi solid floaters kind of things amongst the liquid. The scoby itself feels intact and as solid as the day I got it (rubbery ). What do you think? Should I trust it?
Hi Cindi,
I would definitely recommend buying or receiving a new kombucha SCOBY. When packaged, SCOBYs should be stored at room temperature. This aside, it is very likely that your SCOBY has run out of fuel and “died” by this time anyways. It is best to brew ASAP after receiving!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news & best of luck with future brews!
Gayle, Tubbs
I have finished my first brew and will be doing the second fermentation. I have not received my new tea and sugar yet for my second batch. How do I store my SCOBYs in the meantime?
Hi there! I am so sorry as it seems we missed your comment. If you have a batch ready to second ferment but do not have tea and sugar for a new batch yet, we would generally recommend waiting until you have tea and sugar on hand to “finish” your primary fermentation kombucha.
Ideally, you will only set your SCOBYs and starter tea aside while you are transferring them from your previously brewed kombucha into a fresh batch of room-temperature sweet tea. In this “transition” period, it is okay to place your SCOBYs in a glass bowl or dish of some sort along with about 2 cups of fermented kombucha.
If you jumped the gun and already used most of your fermented kombucha for second fermentation, you can store your SCOBYs, covered with 2 cups of starter tea/fermented kombucha, in a glass jar with a coffee filter over it for a few days.
Hi there I just made my 1st batch with a starter kit and my scope is sticking to the side of the jar what should I do?
Hi there! This article shows how different kombucha SCOBYs can look and how they can settle in different positions. It is quite possibly normal.
If you still believe it is unusual, is it the mother or baby SCOBY?
Can’t I turn my current brewing jar (a 2-gallon mason jar with a spigot) into my SCOBY hotel? Do I have to remove everything and clean it first?
Also, another site promotes continuous brewing of kombucha, in which I’d basically never remove my SCOBYs and just pour kombucha from my big jar with the spigot, as I need it. What are your thoughts?
Hi there! Yes, you can turn a regular brew into a SCOBY hotel. A SCOBY Hotel is essentially a normal brew that you ferment for much longer and use for storage rather than to drink the kombucha (the long fermentation leads to a very tart fermented kombucha). We would recommend cleaning the jar first (and routinely)
As far as the continuous brewing, we actually do not recommend it. This is largely due to the fact that it provides far less opportunities for cleaning and sanitizing your brewing vessels.
Also, My big jar with the spaghetti is so wide that my new Scobee that is formed and it is too wide to fit in any of the other jars I have, so I kind of have to keep it in that jar and exclusively brew in that big jar. Is it essential that I clean that jar between batches, or can I just continuously brew in it?
We recommend cleaning and sanitizing the jar between batches to the extent that it is possible. You can actually sanitize a cutting board and knife with distilled white vinegar and cut your large SCOBY to fit in your smaller batches, if desired.
Hi, wondering how long your SCOBY can sit around before going bad?
I stopped making Kombucha about a year ago and recently discovered my last batch. Glass jar is still covered with cloth, tea smells like vinegar (pH ~2.5) but the SCOBY looks fine. Think the SCOBY is ok to make a fresh batch?
Hi there,
I would recommend getting a new SCOBY at this point. While your SCOBY may look normal, it has likely been out of the tea and sugar that fuel fermentation for quite some time. This would cause the SCOBY to go dormant and eventually die.
We recommend adding fresh sweet tea to your stored SCOBYs (SCOBY Hotels) at least every 3 months. Check out this article for more information on SCOBY storage
Thanks for the reply!
I decided to take a chance and try making a new batch with my old SCOBY, figured if I saw mold I’d toss it and start over. To my surprise, a thin new SCOBY grew on top! It’s been 9 days and smells good (tart, slightly sweet) w/an acidic pH, so I…took a sip! And it’s delicious!
Of course! Glad to hear your old SCOBY pleasantly surprised you–that’s a survivor!
Hi,
I created a scoby hotel, and i fed some sweet tea in it. So, it grew a baby scoby in my scoby hotel. Is this normal?
Hi there, this is very normal! It means your stored SCOBYs are healthy and active. A SCOBY hotel is essentially the same as a regular brew– the difference is just that you have several SCOBYS in it and generally use it for longer periods of storage instead of drinking.
Hi, while visiting my sister-in-law, she taught me how to brew kombucha. I’ve bottled my first batch, and began brewing my second batch, now I’m ready to bottle my 2nd batch and I’m not sure if I put both the baby and the mother in the hotel or should I just toss the mother and keep the baby? I know she only uses the baby when brewing. She is unavailable to ask so I’m hoping you can answer. Many thanks
Hi there, this article addresses this dilemma: to keep things simple, we generally recommend adding both SCOBYs to your next batch. However, once you have several SCOBYs, you can consider starting a SCOBY Hotel. Additional SCOBYs will speed up your fermentation a bit, so if your kombucha eventually becomes too tart for your liking, it may be time to start a SCOBY Hotel.
Is it possible for my SCOBY to become inactive? How can I tell? Thanks!
It is possible for a SCOBY to become inactive if it has been stored for too long without fresh sweet tea. In these cases, it is essentially starved.
You can tell by whether or not you see fermentation progress (a new baby SCOBY growing in and brew becoming more acidic) when you use the SCOBY and starter tea in your next fresh brew. You should generally see these things within 7 days. Hope this helps! 🙂
hello,
im partially sighted and also very confused…. i looked at a video on starting the scoby and making the starter tea adding a bottle of kombucha.. which is now covered and resting.
now please how do i know a scoby is a baby or the mother ?
also when my first batch is ready can i cut them in half for anoth jar ……..
an lastly……
when i make a new tea do i also add another bottle of kombucha to it?
thanking you
Hi Jack, thanks for commenting!
The mother SCOBY is the SCOBY that you start your batch with. It is fully formed and will not grow during future fermentations (though it will likely accumulate additional yeast and brown from tannins in your tea over time). Based on the process you are using, you do not have a mother SCOBY in this batch.
Then we have the baby SCOBY. The baby SCOBY is the SCOBY that will grow in across the top of your jar during fermentation.
You will grow a SCOBY with each batch– while you can divide it, we recommend just waiting until you grow another to start a second jar/batch.
You will use 1-2 cups of fermented kombucha in your next batch. These kombucha brewing instructions should be clarify the process.
I have 2 healthy scobys each in its own gallon brew jars. One I made from a store brand unflavored Kombucha and the other ordered online with starter. Both have been using the same tea blend for batches. I would like to take a break from brewing. Can I put both Scobys in the same hotel?
Hi there, you sure can! Our SCOBY Hotel article should give you some additional insight. As you can see from the photos, you can have many SCOBYs in a single hotel.
Hi I’ve been growing my scoby for over 28 days now and they are still quite thin do I continue? how many days should I continue growing or is it all about the thickness?
Question two is can I then use the black tea that is 28+ days old for fermentation or do I throw this liquid and make fresh black tea?
Hi there,
We recommend getting a SCOBY and starter tea from a friend or purchasing one rather than trying to grow one.
When brewing with a new SCOBY and starter tea, our kombucha brewing instructions should be very helpful. These advise on how fermented tea is used as starter tea for later batches.
Hi Valrie,
I am also trying to grow my own scoby, I was wondering if you attempted brewing with the thin scoby you managed to grow. Did it come out alright?
Also wondering the same as you about the tea in the scoby starter. It seems like it should be akin to starter tea, from what I’ve read (but I will likely not bottle it without new tea, to be safe).
Hi,
I am wondering how long the mother scoby is good for brews? When do you replace the mother with a baby scoby?
[…] Read the full answer […]
Question I made some SCOBYs but ended up with lots of starter tea from the SCOBY brewing, can i store this tea and use it in the future as started tea?
Hi there,
You certainly either drink this fermented kombucha, or you can save it as starter tea for future use if you wish to.
If you store it, you should basically treat it like a SCOBY hotel. It should be kept in glass such as your brewing jar or a mason jar, & it should be covered with a breathable top such as coffee filter & rubber band.
Much like with a SCOBY Hotel, you will need to add fresh sweet tea after a while to keep the SCOBY live & active.
I am new to Kombucha brewing. I am brewing my first batch now. I do have one question. Is Kombucha contain any alcohol?
Hi there & welcome to Bucha brewing! 🙂 A small amount of alcohol develops naturally in your home-brewed kombucha. Generally, this is less than 2% ABV. Several variables affect the alcohol content in your kombucha. This kombucha alcohol article elaborates on these variables. We recommend consulting a health professional if you have any concerns over the alcohol content in your brews.
Can I use thin Scoby fromed in second fermentation to start first fermentation batch again?
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