SCOBY Communes | Meet Beatrice

I can't lie. My boyfriend shudders in disgust every time my SCOBY makes its way from one batch to another.

What in the world is a SCOBY? In the realm of kombucha, it stands for a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. Mostly it's a very alive disc of ooey gooey weirdness where bacteria and yeast live in harmony and thrive. I like to think of it as the commune of the microorganism world.

Thanks to watching Michael Pollan's series on Netflix, "Cooked," I'm a bit more aware of how the air and environment impacts cultures. And who knew that chocolate is actually a product of fermentation? More specifically, who knew that cacao beans found in the pod are covered in a disgusting slime that ferments its way off and leaves the bean behind?

Similar to the world of cheese and sourdough starters, different bacteria and yeast strains are what help kombucha become what it is and within the micro-world, cultures vary. The end result is a variety of bacteria, sugar and acid content which are all impacted by the type of sugar used, the tea type (don't use decaffeinated or you'll have a very disappointing outcome), the natural minerals in water, etc.

So many factors! So much experimentation to do! Most importantly, I need to make my way to the Swiss Alps to make kombucha from their water. And then head off to Fiji to do the same. Because, you know, science.

Frankly, I'm still learning a lot about the behavior of scobys and I know very little about the science of the cultures. I'm only two months in so I'll cut myself some slack.

In the meantime, let's get familiar with my SCOBY.

Meet Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of Bourbon (which happens to be another love of mine).

Isn't she lovely?

Beatrice is currently stewing in the basement on Day 3 of Fermentation #1. I have a feeling good things are on the horizon.

#scoby #kombu #Beatrice #fermentation