If you’ve been brewing kombucha for any length of time, you’ve probably run into the all too common problem – you don’t know what to do with all the SCOBYs!
As a recap, a kombucha Scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), sometimes referred to as the pellicle, is a cellulose-based byproduct of kombucha fermentation that’s filled with bacteria and yeast.
Because SCOBYs are living creatures, they grow. Sometimes quickly! And as this happens, you’ll want to remove the excess SCOBYs from your main fermentation vessel so that you have enough room for the kombucha.
But don’t throw that SCOBY away! There are many uses for excess scobys, but one alternative is to create a scoby hotel.
What is a SCOBY hotel?
What is a SCOBY hotel, exactly? It’s basically just a jar where you can store your extra SCOBYs. These SCOBYs aren’t actively making kombucha, just resting until they’re needed.
Kombucha SCOBYs can be reused and stored for quite some time. I’ve had mine going for about 5 years, so by storing them in a “hotel” you’ll always have a healthy SCOBY ready to brew your next batch of kombucha.
So why do you need a SCOBY hotel? There are a few great reasons to have one!
- Breaks: A hotel allows you to take a break from actively brewing kombucha while keeping your SCOBY healthy.
- Storage: It gives you a place to store extra SCOBYs.
- Backups: You’ll have backup SCOBYs in case your batch gets contaminated in any way.
- Sharing: You’ll always have extra SCOBYs to share with friends and family.
How to make a SCOBY hotel
So now that I’ve convinced you that you need a SCOBY hotel to store all your spare SCOBYs, how do you make one? In short, you’ll just put your extra SCOBYs into a clean glass jar and cover with sweet tea + starter kombucha (in the same ratios of sugar / tea / starter as with the first fermentation). Follow these instructions for making an easy SCOBY hotel.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A SCOBY HOTEL
- 7 cups (1.6 L) water
- ½ cup (100 g) white sugar
- 4 black tea bags (herbal teas don’t work well in the fermentation process of either kombucha or the scoby hotel)
- 1 cup (240 mL) kombucha from your previous brew or unpasteurized store bought kombucha
- SCOBYs (all hat you want to store)
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE A SCOBY HOTEL
- A large glass container
- Tightly woven cloth (coffee filters, paper towels and napkins work well)
- Rubberbands
- Large pot for boiling water
HOW TO MAKE A SCOBY HOTEL
1. Make Sweet Tea: Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it. Add the tea bags and allow them to steep until the tea is cold.
2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature.
3. Assemble: Using clean hands, add all of your extra SCOBYs to a clean glass jar. Pour starter kombucha then the sweetened tea into your jar to cover the SCOBYs.
4. Cover: Cover with a few layers of the tightly woven cloth, securing with a rubber band. Do not use a lid on your SCOBY hotel – it needs to breathe!
5. Store: Store your SCOBY hotel in the same area that you brew kombucha. The temperature should be 60-85°F (16-29°C), and it should be away from direct sunlight and potential contaminants (like compost or garbage). Do not store your SCOBY hotel in the refrigerator.
How to care for a SCOBY hotel
When it comes to maintaining your SCOBY hotel, there are just two things to remember:
- Don’t let it dry up: Your SCOBYs need to be submerged in liquid to keep them healthy, so be aware of liquid evaporating and replenish as needed.
- Feed it: Occasionally remove about 75% of the acidic liquid and replace it with a fresh batch of sweet tea (the same proportions as listed above). This provides nutrients and sugars for the bacteria and yeast to eat.
- It will grow: New scobys are likely to form in the hotel, since the scobys are living creatures and they grow, so make sure that you leave enough room for this new growth.
Your SCOBY hotel can go 30 to 90 days without hotel maintenance, depending on the temperature of your house.
You can optionally decide to remove excess yeast. These are the stringy brown bits that usually hang off the bottom of the SCOBYs. If you notice that there are a lot of these in your hotel, you can remove them to help maintain a good bacteria/yeast balance.
While mold is not common in SCOBY hotels due to the high acidity always make sure that your hands and equipment are clean before working on your SCOBY hotel.
How to draw from a SCOBY hotel
Your SCOBY hotel is a factory for two things: SCOBYs and starter tea.
- To use SCOBYs from your hotel, simply pluck them out (or chuck them in) as you need them.
- To use starter tea from your hotel, just remove what you need. If the liquid level drops below the SCOBYs, make a fresh batch of sweet tea and pour it in to feed the hotel and to keep it from drying up.
What not to do with your SCOBY hotel.
The process is pretty much the same as with brewing kombucha. But as a reminder, here are some big don’ts when it comes to your hotel:
- Don’t refrigerate your SCOBY hotel. The fridge is too cold and will stop the fermentation, which could lead to kombucha mold.
- Don’t use dirty hands or supplies.
- Don’t store your SCOBYs in plain water. Always sweet tea + starter liquid.
- Don’t store SCOBYs in tea without some starter tea; the starter tea provides the acidity needed to prevent mold.
- Don’t place SCOBYs in hot water or tea.
- Don’t put a lid on your SCOBY hotel. The fermentation process requires oxygen and depriving it of that could lead to mold.