SCOBY – The Kombucha mushroom briefly explained

What exactly is a SCOBY?

You've probably already wondered what the word SCOBY stands for or where it comes from. SCOBY is the abbreviation for SYMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEASTS . Simply put, it's a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast.

For centuries, the term "kombucha tea fungus" has become common knowledge alongside the word SCOBY. This isn't actually a real fungus.

What does a scoby consist of and how is it constructed?

The SCOBY is actually not a true tea fungus. In the botanical sense, it's more of a lichen made of a whitish-beige substance composed of yeasts and bacteria than a fungus. This substance, in turn, is held together by cellulose. The yeasts and bacteria live in a kind of community and mutually support each other. Yeasts, for example, produce alcohol, which in turn feeds on bacteria, which then produce valuable organic acids from alcohol and oxygen.

Although SCOBYs come in many different visual variations, they are usually round, like a pancake, and have a somewhat slimy consistency. Their surface can be smooth or very bumpy. During the fermentation process, holes or small bulges may appear in the SCOBY—this is completely normal! Depending on the liquid content, the kombucha fungus will be either more or less translucent.

How does a SCOBY work?

The kombucha fungus initially spreads out across the surface of the nutrient solution. It initially seeks access to as much oxygen as possible. This thickens the underlying fungus culture or causes a new scoby to form. The scoby continually forms new, tightly packed layers, thus becoming increasingly thicker. In some cases, the scoby sinks to the bottom of the fermentation vessel. A new fungus then forms on the surface, and the scoby at the bottom of the vessel stops growing.

We'll explain how you can grow your own scoby with a little patience, the right ingredients, and simple equipment!

You need:

• 1 large glass container with a wide mouth – rinsed thoroughly without detergent! (Vinegar is a handy cleaner)
• Tea – e.g. green tea, black tea (without flavorings/artificial additives)
• Organic raw cane sugar
• Water – ideally filtered
• unpasteurized kombucha (e.g. Kombucha Original )
• 1 breathable, clean drape
• Environment for the Scoby: 1 room with a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees

And here we go:

1. Boil tea with cane sugar for 8 to 10 minutes (8g tea per liter / 60g organic cane sugar per liter)
2. Pour the tea-sugar mixture into the glass container and let it cool down, preferably overnight . Important: Cover the glass with the air-permeable, clean cloth and secure it with a rubber band or ribbon !
3. The sugar should now be completely dissolved
4. Now you can finally add the unpasteurized kombucha in a ratio of 1 to 10
5. Then reattach the cover cloth to the jar and place the jar in a safe place

Depending on the conditions, it can take 7 to 21 days for the kombucha fungus to form naturally. Initially, it will appear as if small foamy bubbles are forming on the surface of the liquid. These will gradually become denser over time until the SCOBY slowly becomes visible.