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Step 9Sit Back and Watch the Show
A few days have gone by and good things are happening.
In this photo I've pulled back the cloth for a better view.
A new layer of skin is beginning to form at the surface of the liquid.
Where the old mother touches the surface it will be attached to that.
This layer of skin controls the environment in the vat.
The tea has gotten a little lighter in color and cloudy.
Small bubbles of carbon dioxide are forming in the liquid and under the flaps of mother.
Occasionally they blurp up from under the mother. That's yeast working, making alcohol and acetic acid vinegar.
Some tentacles are starting to form, hanging down from the mother.
I don't know what they are but they seem to make the apple flavor. A very good sign.
The tentacles are structurally very different from the mother.
They look almost like algae and are very weak. They're usually darker than the tea and just vaguely greener.
A dusty layer is appearing on the bottom of the vat. I believe it's largely lactobacillus. It's making lactic acid vinegar. It has the sharp tangy flavor found in yogurt and sauerkraut. It's good for you and should be bottled with the rest. Don't transfer it to the next batch or that flavor will dominate.
The same thing will happen if your vats aren't kept cool enough. To correct a culture that's gone sour and simple, wash the vessels and mother with water. Get some starter from someone who's getting more flavors.
The yeast in the vat gets oxygen it makes sugar into alcohol then acetic acid vinegar.
That acid has a boingy sort of tangyness to it which is different from the sharp straightforward tang of acetic acid.
When it gets less oxygen the yeast makes sugar into alcohol, which in small amounts gives the other flavors a sense of depth and buoyancy. In larger quantities it's just alcohol.
In this photo I've pulled back the cloth for a better view.
A new layer of skin is beginning to form at the surface of the liquid.
Where the old mother touches the surface it will be attached to that.
This layer of skin controls the environment in the vat.
The tea has gotten a little lighter in color and cloudy.
Small bubbles of carbon dioxide are forming in the liquid and under the flaps of mother.
Occasionally they blurp up from under the mother. That's yeast working, making alcohol and acetic acid vinegar.
Some tentacles are starting to form, hanging down from the mother.
I don't know what they are but they seem to make the apple flavor. A very good sign.
The tentacles are structurally very different from the mother.
They look almost like algae and are very weak. They're usually darker than the tea and just vaguely greener.
A dusty layer is appearing on the bottom of the vat. I believe it's largely lactobacillus. It's making lactic acid vinegar. It has the sharp tangy flavor found in yogurt and sauerkraut. It's good for you and should be bottled with the rest. Don't transfer it to the next batch or that flavor will dominate.
The same thing will happen if your vats aren't kept cool enough. To correct a culture that's gone sour and simple, wash the vessels and mother with water. Get some starter from someone who's getting more flavors.
The yeast in the vat gets oxygen it makes sugar into alcohol then acetic acid vinegar.
That acid has a boingy sort of tangyness to it which is different from the sharp straightforward tang of acetic acid.
When it gets less oxygen the yeast makes sugar into alcohol, which in small amounts gives the other flavors a sense of depth and buoyancy. In larger quantities it's just alcohol.
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Mar 25, 2010. 2:37 PMtriplenine
says:
It is a safer bet that any ropy strands are related to the formation of pellicle compounds by Pediococcus sp.
Reply
Nov 10, 2007. 3:33 PMsabetts
says:
From my beer brewing research, the strands may be lactobacillus. Here's a reference: http://www.skotrat.com/skotrat/Howtobrew.html
Reply
Oct 6, 2009. 3:23 AMfety
says:
no, they're harmless strands of yeast cells/tea tannins.
Reply
Oct 6, 2009. 12:45 AMfety
says:
no... they're harmless.
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