Microbial ethics in an anti-colonial space faring future : week 2

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This is my first interaction with a SCOBY ( symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) 

Started growing my Scoby on Feb 2 around 7pm. I left it in my apartment while I'm out of town, coming back Feb 15 and hope to find it:  a) Alive b) Moldless.

To make 1 Liter: 
  • 950ml water 
  • 120 g sugar 
  • 5 tea bags  
  • 1 scoby pack


1. Make juice, tea or infusion. Let it cool

2. Backslop with a previous Kombucha to lower the PH. (Using the the liquid that came in the scoby pack)

3. Add the scoby. At least 25% of the surface of the liquid should suffice

4. Cover the container and leave the mixture to ferment


Important Notes:

  • No metal or plastic containers. Metal can react with the acidic kombucha and hurt your SCOBY, while plastic can house nasty bacteria that you don’t want sneaking in.
  • Clean is key. A recurring theme in kombucha brewing is that EVERYTHING must be CLEAN! We’re creating the perfect environment for good bacterial growth, but if a bad bacteria slips in, it could ruin your batch (and make you pretty sick).
  • Temperature plays a role. Fermentation goes a bit quicker in warmer temperatures, and a bit slower in colder.
  • No mold zone. If you see any mold growing on your SCOBY or in the tea (which I understand can be difficult to discern from the hideous SCOBY, but will generally be green, white, or black), then toss your whole batch.






After doing some research online I went on the Kombucha reddit rabbit hole. I'm curious about growing my SCOBY into a specific shape. I will let this one ferment and see how it develops.

I'm hoping to make some wearable before the end of the year with my Scoby learnings. A few things that came into my mind. Cutting the Scoby, does it have a nervous system.
If I dry it can I bring it back to live. 

Interesting

Caution  is needed when popping the the bottles.

Making SCOBY leather

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