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• Publication date: April 24, 2019

How to properly separate kombucha. Step-by-step showing of the entire process.

Cooking method

After I learned how to take care of kombucha , I have a desire for him propagate, especially since my sister asked grow and for her tea mushroom . I readily agreed and in the evening I began to act. Slavik (my husband) began to give advice: “You need to separate the top of the mushroom and it will turn into another mushroom.” I somehow doubted his advice, I remember that the main part for reproduction is the lower brown beard. But in order not to escalate the situation, I had to accept my husband’s idea. And what came of it, I will now describe to you.

The process of separating the top of the kombucha.

For cutting will do mushroom thickness of at least 9 cm, then its disconnection will take place without consequences for it. So here it is top part we will have 4 cm thick. We take the outermost part of the top and carefully begin to separate the layers from each other with our fingers.

Separated let's put some on plate, and leave the base at bank. I try not to cause any further inconvenience kombucha , so I don’t take it out, but leave it at the bottom of the jar.

In the first bank lies the basis, in the second photo - separated top mushroom. In this case, halves kombucha I don't rinse, because... There was no mucus on the sides and bottom, so in this case it does not need treatment.

It's time to separate the top into a separate jar.

Let's do tea and sugar solution, let it cool for 4 hours at room temperature, and pour in the separated parts kombucha .

Now, finally, the two halves are laid out in jars, filled with chilled tea-sugar solution and begin to wait for the preparations drink. Lower part floated up on its own after 1 minute. Note that the separated top floated halfway so I had to take a leak tea solution so that the top can touch the bottom of the jar. In total, there is 1 liter of solution in the jar - let the mushroom part grow stronger and become familiar.

The upper part finally surfaced only after 2 days.

Drink preparation time.

Bottom of the divided kombucha fully works and after 5 days it’s delicious and complete drink ready.

Upper the other part works poorly and after 7 days we didn’t get a full drink. Solution drained and refilled the top with fresh tea-sugar solution (1 liter). The upper part floated up immediately - this means that the mushroom is starting to work. 15 days after the start of the experiment, the first beard cobwebs , A drink became quite drinkable.

The experiment is completed . From this we can conclude that the upper separated part kombucha can prepare a drink without a beard. True, he is sick for 15 whole days, and a full-fledged drink is prepared only after 20 days (from the start of the experiment).

Now you know how to divide mushroom and how much to keep for later use.

Good luck with your kombucha.

Video recipe

How to properly separate kombucha.

We divide the mushroom correctly.

Let's get started with the procedure...

Step-by-step description of mushroom separation with photos.

To make the experiment clearer, I grew the mushroom to this size.

Pour the drink out of the jar, holding the mushroom with your hand.

Divide the kombucha of this thickness into 3 parts, right in the jar.

Remove the layers to a wide dish. First we pull out: the middle layer, then the top layer, and lastly the bottom layer.

We collect the layers onto plates into a single mushroom.

In the left photo you can see all 3 layers: the top layer, the middle layer in your hand, and the bottom layer below.

We throw out the middle layer immediately, and consider the other two for comparison.

The top layer consists of a white part, which is located on the surface of the mushroom and is formed upon contact with air.

The lower part of the top layer consists of a light brown beard.

If you want to leave the top part for further preparation of the drink, keep in mind that this mushroom will begin to work only after 2 - 3 weeks.

The 3rd, lower layer of the mushroom consists of an upper brown film, which, under the influence of air, will turn white over time.

The bottom layer is the beard, the main element of the mushroom; it is with the help of the beard that the process of making the drink occurs.

If you use this layer, the drink will be ready in 10 days.

After analyzing all the pros and cons, we select the bottom layer. It should be 2 cm or thicker. But before putting it in a jar, wash the mushroom in warm (slightly cool) water.

We twist the layer into a tube, lower it into the jar, so that the beard is at the bottom of the jar, i.e. below.

Then distribute the mushroom throughout the jar.

Place a strainer on the jar and fill the mushroom with cool tincture. The first fill is more of a restorative fill, so we fill it a little - it will be enough if it can cover a layer of 2 cm.

Tincture in a jar, wait 20 - 30 minutes, if the mushroom does not surface, then help it with a spoon, i.e. carefully pry it off from all sides.

Later, when you pour the permanent tincture, I advise you to pour it to the widest part of the jar.

Cover the jar with gauze (folded in 3 layers) and remove the mushroom to the window. There is no draft on our window, it’s not cold and not hot - it’s the right place.

The mushroom tolerates slight coolness, but not heat. He will die in the heat.

That's the whole method of separating the mushroom.

Thank you for watching!

Called tea kvass, you need to have tea (aka Chinese) mushroom. The easiest way is to take a part of it from someone and place it in a nutrient medium, as a result of which a new mushroom will begin to grow, and you will quickly get a tasty, healthy drink. But if this is not possible, then you can grow tea jellyfish (as the people often call kombucha) yourself. However, you will have to be patient, since the growing process will take 1.5-2 months.

Kombucha is grown to produce a drink.

The jar of tea must be closed with a lid and left alone for a week at room temperature. The container should be placed in a moderately lit place (not in sunlight or in the dark). After a week, a thin, cloudy film should appear on the surface of the nutrient medium. If this happens, then the growth process of kombucha has begun. In this state, the jar with the solution should be left for 1.5-2 months. During this time, the tea jellyfish will grow and can be placed in a large jar to prepare a drink.

Before transferring the mushroom to a new jar, it must be rinsed with warm water. A three-liter jar is ideal for preparing the drink. It needs to be filled 2/3 with fresh sweet tea, after which you can place a young Chinese mushroom there. It is recommended to cover the neck of the jar with gauze folded in several layers.

How to separate kombucha?

The mother mushroom is easily separated if it is ready for this.

Still, few people grow their own kombucha. In most cases, it is propagated by dividing a large mushroom into several. You can separate the mushroom, which is flaking at the edges and is several centimeters thick. If the mushroom is young and still very thin, then it is better to wait to divide, otherwise you can injure it. You should also not cut off or pinch off a piece of the mushroom, damaging its structure. From a small fragment of a mushroom, a new one usually grows over time, which takes the shape of the container in which it exists, but sometimes the Chinese mushroom dies.

A thick mushroom must be carefully divided into several plates in places of separation. If the mushroom is ready for such separation, then the layers separate from each other without effort. If you need to make an effort to separate the layers, then you should not pick the mother mushroom, you should wait until it grows a little more and becomes thicker.

Sometimes the tea jellyfish divides on its own. In such cases, the mother mushroom sinks to the bottom of the container, and a thin film – a young mushroom – floats to the surface of the solution.

Each separated layer should be washed with water at room temperature and placed in a separate jar with fresh nutrient solution. You need to transfer the mushroom very carefully, trying not to tear it. For the first few days, it may lie at the bottom of the jar or float vertically in it, but then it will float to the surface on its own. It will take a little longer to immediately obtain tea kvass.

There is another way of dividing kombucha, which, in essence, is growing a new tea jellyfish in already prepared tea kvass. The drink, which has been prepared for at least 5-6 days, should be placed in a clean container, covered with gauze and left alone for several days. After some time, a thin film will appear on the surface of the nutrient medium - a new kombucha. This happens because the finished tea kvass contains small amounts of microorganisms (yeasts and bacteria), which make up the mushroom.

Kombucha care

Caring for a tea jellyfish is not at all difficult. The best home for it would be a glass jar as it needs light. Every 3-5 days it is worth pouring half of the resulting drink from the jar, and then replenishing the volume of liquid. You can only pour prepared sweet tea into the jar; under no circumstances should you pour tea leaves and sugar directly into the container or onto the mushroom itself. You can drain all the finished tea kvass, and then put the mushroom in a new nutrient medium, but you should take into account that the preparation time of the drink in this case may increase slightly. To prepare the nutrient medium, you can use both black and green tea, but without flavorings and essential oils. If desired, you can replace sugar with honey, but the taste of the drink will be slightly different from the traditional one.

The neck of the jar should always be covered with gauze, folded in several layers and secured with an elastic band or thread. This is necessary in order to prevent insects from entering the container. In addition, by pouring the drink through cheesecloth, you do not have to strain it further. You cannot close the jar with a lid or plastic wrap, since the mushroom needs air to survive.

If the mushroom has become very thick or its surface has become brown or brown, you need to divide it. One new layer must be carefully, being careful not to tear, rinsed with clean water and placed in a container with fresh nutrient medium. Even if there is no need to separate the mushroom, it is recommended to wash it once a month.

Video about how to grow kombucha at home from the program “House Economics”

The exact place of origin of the amazing plant organism - kombucha - is unknown; the earliest mentions of it can be found in the chronicles of Japan, Mexico, and China.

This interesting and healthy kombucha came to our homeland quite a long time ago: we will tell you in detail how to grow and care for it correctly at home in the article. People also call the mushroom “jellyfish”, and in fact, in appearance it is very similar to this sea creature, and it is valued for its huge number of medicinal properties.

It is no coincidence that the mushroom is also called a jellyfish - its scientific name is “medusomyces” (Medusomyces Gisevi). For the growth and development of the fungus, it is tea and nothing else that is needed, because it is not for nothing that it is called “tea”. Tannins and other substances that form tea leaves create a favorable environment for the fungus. Under other conditions, it simply will not be able to synthesize acids that are important for its normal functioning.

The best container for the life of the body is an ordinary three-liter jar. Gradually the medusomycete thickens and becomes layered. The layers can be separated and placed in other jars.

Visually, the mushroom has a smooth brownish-brown surface and a not particularly attractive inner (bottom) side - it is darker and slimy threads hang from it. But it is this side that produces all those valuable substances that are beneficial to our body.

In fact, medusomycenta does not belong to the genus of fungi and, in general, is not a mushroom. This is nothing more than a symbiosis of acetic acid bacteria and yeast, which are formed as a result of the fermentation of sweet tea. Anyone can grow this kind of kombucha at home from scratch; you just need a little patience. Although many people prefer to take a ready-made product. Read below to learn how to create a medicinal mushroom out of practically nothing.

How to grow homemade kombucha in a jar

The process of preparing an infusion for growing “jellyfish” will not require any trouble from you; the only thing you should be prepared for is that the mushroom will not appear very soon, in 3-4 weeks. And it will be possible to use it to prepare a drink no earlier than in two months.

The prerequisites for kombucha are no metal utensils, and as mentioned above, it is advisable to take a jar. You cannot use tea bags or flavored tea leaves.

Instructions “How to create a mushroom in a jar from scratch”

• Rinse the jar and dry it naturally.
• Brew not too strong black tea in a separate container, so that it fills a little more than half the jar.
• Add sugar to the tea (2 tablespoons per liter), mix it very well.
• Strain the cooled sweet tea and pour it into a jar. There should not even be small tea leaves left in the liquid.
• Tie the neck of the jar with gauze or another soft piece of clean cloth.
• Place the jar in a place where there is no direct sunlight and at the same time not too dark. Storage temperature should be average, room temperature.
• Don't touch the jar. After about 8-10 days, you should notice a thin whitish film on the surface - this is your nascent mushroom.

• The jar should sit undisturbed for 1.5-2 months. As you will see that the mushroom has acquired a small thickness and density, it can be removed and infused in fresh tea.
• Prepare the tea in advance using the same principle as before and cool it.
• Very carefully remove the mushroom, rinse it in warm, preferably boiled, water and place it in a clean jar with fresh tea.
• In 3-4 days you will have healing kvass ready, which you can bottle and drink. The drink has a pleasant sourness and is not much different in taste from traditional bread kvass.

Now let's talk about how to care for kombucha at home further so that it does not die and serves for the benefit of your health for a long time

Nascent kombucha, photo:

Kombucha: care rules

For a favorable life of a medusomycent, room temperature, soft light, and good indoor air ventilation are necessary. The jar of mushroom should not be kept on the windowsill or where it is cool.

• Under no circumstances should the neck of the jar be covered with a lid, only with gauze.
• Every 3-5 days, the finished kvass should be drained and, without removing the mushroom, add new tea leaves.
• Always use only boiled water and make sure that the tea is not too strong and cool. Don't forget to add and dissolve sugar in it.
• You cannot pour sugar into the jar with the mushroom itself, the grains will damage the delicate structure of the body. Also, the tea water should not contain any specks, tea leaves or other grains.

How to rinse kombucha

In summer the fungus is more active than in winter. About once every 2 weeks in the summer and once a month in the winter, the “jellyfish” should be removed and washed in clean water, having prepared a new tea solution in advance.

To rinse, pour boiled warm water into a cup, carefully lower the mushroom into it and clean the surface with gentle movements. The rules for caring for kombucha are simple, and if you follow them, you will have tasty, refreshing and very healthy kvass on your table for an endless amount of time, which can be drunk by both children and adults.

Over time, the medusomycent thickens and the layers are visually clearly visible. The mushroom is ready for division when its thickness is 2 cm and separation is already visible. It is not recommended to keep a mushroom that is too thick, since in this form it already begins to lack oxygen for active symbiosis. The separated parts can be placed in new jars, distributed to friends, or simply thrown away.

Adult, ready to divide, kombucha, photo:

So, to separate the “jellyfish”, take it out and carefully pull the already slightly separated parts. Division should occur without difficulty. If you feel that the mushroom is tearing, then leave it to ripen for a while.

If everything went well, use the separated layers at your discretion, and leave the “mother” mushroom in the same jar, continuing to care for it as usual.

Sometimes the medusomycete separates completely on its own, then the lower part itself sinks to the bottom, and the separated upper part remains on the surface of the liquid.

To get kvass from a new separated layer, you need to wait a little longer - 5-6 days. Don’t be alarmed if it floats vertically at first; after a few days the mushroom will take the desired position on its own.

How to grow kombucha from scratch from kvass

You can grow a new kombucha from kvass itself. This process takes much less time than growing from fresh tea leaves.

Pour the finished tea kvass into a clean jar, cover with gauze and put it in a quiet place. In a week, a film of young medusomycent will already appear on the surface. After about a month, you will have a full-fledged fresh mushroom.

What else can you infuse kombucha with?

As mentioned above about kombucha and the rules for caring for it, it is better to infuse it only when brewed. But it is not necessary to always use black tea; green tea will also work.

You can brew tea with the addition of herbs, for example, chamomile, calendula, thyme, then the beneficial properties of kvass will only increase, and the drink itself will have a fragrant note.

Kombucha diseases

Since a “jellyfish” is a whole colony of living microorganisms, it can succumb to negative external factors and get sick.

Most often, the cause of the death of the mushroom is the owners themselves, who do not properly care for it. Poorly dissolved sugar and tea leaves can leave burns on the delicate mucous surface layer of the body. If there is severe mechanical damage, for example, unsuccessful division, the mushroom may sink to the bottom and die. If you notice that it has been at the bottom of the jar for more than 5-6 days, try taking it out, rinsing it and placing it in kvass, pouring enough of it so that the liquid only slightly covers the body of the mushroom. In such a concentrated environment it will be easier for him to recover.

It happens that algae grows in kvass. They have a grayish-blue-green color and collect near the walls of the jar; the solution itself becomes cloudy. This happens when the jar has been left in direct sunlight or exposed to cold for a long time. To get rid of algae, you need to wash the mushroom and put it in a clean jar with fresh tea solution.

Mold may grow on the surface of a young mushroom, which does not yet produce such a concentrated acid. If the slightest stains of mold are detected, the medusomycenta should be washed and placed in fresh tea.

The smell of kvass attracts midges, and if the jar is not covered with gauze, some of the insects happily lay their larvae in the body of the mushroom. Therefore, it is very important that the neck is always protected with a thin layer of material.

Don't forget that kombucha is a living, breathing organism. And all living things, one way or another, interact with each other. Love your “jellyfish” and it will protect you from hundreds of different diseases.

Kombucha is sometimes popularly called Japanese. It is a combination of the resulting acetic bacteria and yeast.

This organism is also known under other names: medusomycete, sea kvass, tea jellyfish.

The vital activity of kombucha is characterized by the following biochemical processes. A yeast-like fungal formation begins to interact with sugar. As a result, alcohol is formed. The presence of bacteria has an oxidizing effect on the resulting alcohols, acetic acid is released.

The infusion is covered with a thick film of mucus that floats on the surface of a translucent amber liquid.

To provide favorable conditions for growth, in addition to tea, you can choose another nutrient medium, such as sweet juice.

Once the source organism is present, there are three main methods.

Division

The first method is to divide the original organism. The procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to harm the adult kombucha.

It is necessary to separate the plate or a certain amount of them from the main organism, guided by the thickness of the mushroom body. Under no circumstances should an adult mushroom be cut into two halves or pieces cut off from it.

Division is carried out precisely by stratification. Often this process occurs naturally; you just need to find a cleft on the solid surface of the mushroom.

An ideal option for propagating kombucha would be a transparent film on its surface. Such a film often forms on the upper side of the body. Just carefully remove it and put it in a new jar of sweet tea.

Infusion

Often the main organism independently gives life to a new one.

For this purpose, the healing infusion must be left alone for two weeks. At the same time, it should not be exposed to direct and very bright sunlight.

As a result, a translucent and very thin layer will appear on the surface. It will gradually become thicker, grow and turn into an independent organism.

Rebirth

Kombucha can be propagated by degeneration. If an adult organism is not removed from the container for a long time, it will sink to the bottom. As soon as this happens, a thin layer should be separated from the upper edge of the adult mushroom. He is a new, reborn culture.

In this case, the old organism must be removed from the jar and thrown away, since with age it begins to produce excessive amounts of acetic acid.

To obtain a fresh infusion, simply dip the new film into a fresh sweet solution.

How to grow at home

Kombucha can be grown without the main organism. To do this, you will need apple cider vinegar without preservatives or other artificial ingredients.

Add heavily candied tea to the apple cider vinegar (in a ratio of vinegar to tea of ​​1:10) and pour the liquid into a large glass container. The resulting mixture should be left alone for a period of 2 weeks to 2.5 months, until ready.

Kombucha is sometimes popularly called Japanese mushroom. It is a combination of the resulting acetic bacteria and yeast. This organism is also known under other names: medusomycete, sea kvass, tea jellyfish. The vital activity of kombucha is characterized by the following biochemical processes. A yeast-like fungal formation begins to interact with sugar. As a result, alcohol is formed.

The presence of bacteria has an oxidizing effect on the resulting alcohols, acetic acid is released. The kombucha infusion is coated with a thick film of mucus that floats on the surface of a translucent amber liquid. To provide favorable conditions for the growth of this fungus, in addition to tea, you can choose another nutrient medium, for example, sweet juice. Kombucha propagation methods Once the source organism is present, there are three main methods for Kombucha propagation.

It has been established that the infusion, especially the 7-8-day infusion, contains antimicrobial substances, possibly of an antibiotic nature, which to some extent retard the development of certain types of pathogenic microbes (streptococci, dysentery bacillus, etc.). There are indications of the beneficial effect of the infusion for atherosclerosis, tonsillitis, and diarrhea.

Kombucha division

The first method is to divide the original organism. The procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to harm the adult kombucha. It is necessary to separate the plate or a certain amount of them from the main organism, guided by the thickness of the mushroom body. Under no circumstances should an adult mushroom be cut into two halves or pieces cut off from it. Division is carried out precisely by stratification. Often this process occurs naturally; you just need to find a cleft on the solid surface of the mushroom. An ideal option for propagating kombucha would be a transparent film on its surface. Such a film often forms on the upper side of the body. Just carefully remove it and put it in a new jar of sweet tea.

Kombucha infusion

The second method of propagating kombucha is infusion. Often the main organism independently gives life to a new one. For this purpose, the healing infusion should be left alone for two weeks. At the same time, it should not be exposed to direct and very bright sunlight. As a result, a translucent and very thin layer will appear on the surface. It will gradually become thicker, grow and turn into an independent organism.

The rebirth of Kombucha

Kombucha can be propagated by degeneration. If an adult organism is not removed from the container for a long time, it will sink to the bottom. As soon as this happens, a thin layer should be separated from the upper edge of the adult mushroom. He is a new, reborn culture. In this case, the old organism must be removed from the jar and thrown away, since with age it begins to produce excessive amounts of acetic acid. To obtain a fresh infusion, simply dip the new film into a fresh sweet solution. How to grow kombucha at home Kombucha can be grown without the main organism. To do this, you will need apple cider vinegar without preservatives or other artificial ingredients. You need to add heavily candied tea to the apple cider vinegar (in a ratio of vinegar to tea of ​​1:10) and pour the liquid into a large glass container. The resulting mixture should be left alone for a period of 2 weeks to 2.5 months until ready. Kombucha can be considered grown when a film at least 1 mm thick forms on the surface of the vinegar infusion.