Hi everyone,
I’m new to kombucha brewing and I’d really appreciate your help to understand if what I’m seeing is mold or just a normal part of the process.
I actually started my very first batch on April 14th, 2026, but I had to interrupt it on April 24th because I had to leave due to a family emergency. Since I wasn’t sure whether it was okay to let the first batch ferment longer unattended, I decided to put it in the fridge (even though it was still a bit sweet compared to the kombucha I received with the SCOBY) and start a second batch.
Here’s exactly what I did for the second batch:
- Brewed 20g of black tea in 500ml of water at ~80°C for 4 minutes
- Added 2 liters of room temperature water
- Added 160g of sugar and dissolved it well
- Added SCOBY (about 300ml of starter liquid from batch 1 + the pellicle)
- Placed it in the same spot as the first batch (kitchen, away from direct light and heat sources)
Some extra context:
- No pets at home, no known mold issues
- The container was washed thoroughly, but only with water (no soap)
- I used the same cotton cloth from batch 1 to cover it
When I came back, I tasted the first batch from the fridge: it’s still a bit sweet, probably under-fermented, but it tastes fine.
However, the second batch has developed a layer on top that looks suspicious to me (see photo). I’m worried it might be mold.
My questions:
- Does this look like mold or could it be a normal pellicle forming?
- If it is mold, what could I have done wrong?
- Should I throw everything away?
- Can I safely use the kombucha I kept in the fridge as starter liquid for a new batch?
I’d really hate to throw everything away and have to find a new SCOBY, but I also don’t want to take risks.
Thanks a lot for your help!
