Have extra kombucha SCOBYs that you don’t need right now, but want to hold onto? Make a SCOBY hotel! Here’s everything you need to know about making and maintaining your five star kombucha SCOBY hotel.
If you’ve been brewing kombucha for any length of time, you’ve probably run into the all too common problem – you’re drowning in 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. While you can brew kombucha without the SCOBY, using a SCOBY helps to quicken the fermentation while protecting your brew from contaminants.
But the thing about SCOBYs is…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! Get her checked into your deluxe, five star SCOBY hotel, where she can hangout until you need her again.
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 last for a very long time (sometimes 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 brewing 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 moldy.
- Sharing: You’ll always have extra SCOBYs to share with friends and family.
- Starters: It becomes a factory for potent starter tea, which you can use to fuel your first fermentation.
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 (tap water should be fine)
- ยฝ cup (100 g) white sugar (sugars you can use in kombucha)
- 4 black tea bags (teas you can use in kombucha, opt for black or green tea instead of herbal teas for the SCOBY hotel)
- 1 cup (240 mL) unpasteurized, unflavored kombucha
- All of your extra SCOBYs
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE A SCOBY HOTEL
- A largeย glass containerย or fermentation-safe brewing vessel
- Tightly woven cloth (coffee filters, paper towels, napkins, cheese cloth)
- 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 for at least 20 minutes (or until tea has cooled).
2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature. Quicken this process by boiling just 2 cups of water, dissolving the sugar, and steeping the tea for 20 minutes. Then add remaining 5 cups of cold water, which will bring the mixture to room temperature faster. Test that the tea is room temperature by drawing out some tea with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the kombucha in the straw.
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 60-85ยฐF (16-29ยฐC), 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.
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 clean your hands and equipment well before working on your SCOBY hotel.
“I left my scoby hotel for for almost a year in a dark cupboard – are they safe to use or should I throw them all away?”
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.
“can new SCOBYs appear in the hotel?”
It’s normal for a baby SCOBY or new SCOBY layers to form in your hotel! It’s still a living fermentation, so it will continue to grow.
SCOBY hotel don’ts
The do’s and don’ts of SCOBY hotels are 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 you SCOBYs in plain water. Always sweet tea + starter liquid.
- Don’t store SCOBYs in tea without starter; 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.
Feel free to comment below with any questions. I’ve been brewing for over a decade and personally check comments daily! Happy brewing! -Sarah
I was blessed with a scoby hotel when I started my kombucha journey. I have topped up sweet tea as the starter tea was not enough. My first attempt of brewing F1 failed due to mold forming. Today is Day 6 since I added sweet tea to the hotel. It is not bubbling and my scobies are not floating.
1. How do I know if it is ready to start my F1?
2. Is it normal not having bubbles nor floating scobies in the hotel, though it did on the first few days when I added in sweet tea..
Appreciate your guidance ๐
Hi Han!
1. F1 can start at any time. You just need 2 cups of starter kombucha (either from this hotel or storebought). Make sure the tea is quite tart when you start, otherwise you’ll just need to use store bought.
2. Yep that’s normal! It’s also normal for them not to float. As long as the flavor is slowly changing to tart, then the fermentation is happening ๐
Hello! I started brewing my kombucha but it’s been a couple weeks past the 21 day fermentation period. I’m not sure how to add tea to the batch or if I can, or if I should start a scoby hotel and start over? I think their is just about or under 2 cups of liquid in the current batch. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I would just use that tea as starter tea for a new batch, then start a new F1 (but give it a taste, if it tastes good you could bottle it!)
I won’t be able to do any brewing for one month, or tending to my Scoby. Can a Scoby hotel be maintained for that length of time…?
That amount of time should be okay! ๐
My scoby wants to float and I’m afraid if I don’t have enough liquid to cover it, it might mold or disrupt it? And also more baby scobys form, and i might not have enlighten liquid before i want to make another batch. What are your suggestions?
Also, are you suppose to add kombucha from fresh batch to the hotel every time?
It’s okay if your SCOBY floats! Just push it back down every few days. You won’t need to add fresh kombucha, just fresh tea! The hotel is making kombucha on it’s own.
Hi! My friend gave me SCOBY in a mason jar today. I unknowingly put it in the fridge and realized a few hours later (4-5)after reading this I should take it out. Do you think itโd still be ok to use at this point? Assuming Iโd cover it with cloth and leave out at room air! Thanks
It should still be okay! ๐
Thank you so much for your help with my questions on my Scoby. Sometimes when making new batches it looks like actual tea(dark color) on my scoby. It doesnโt smell, itโs not fuzzy. I do use tea bags in my starter tea. I have cleaned up the scoby by wiping the scoby off under running water. It seems to be ok. I just finished a new batch with it. Do you know what it might be? And is it ok to rinse the scoby off to clean it up?
It sounds like it’s probably indeed just tea! It’s totally okay to rinse the SCOBY off ๐
I really enjoy reading about all the do’s and don’t. I am new to brewing.
What stores can I find plain Unflavored kombucha at to start growing my first scooby? I canโt find anything but flavored at my local grocers ….. Iโve checked several stores. What brand should I look for? What do you use?
Look for GTs brand! I have info on where to find unflavored kombucha here ๐
Iโm making Jun kombucha and I am wondering do I need to make the same sweet tea for the starter for the hotel as Iโm using in the first format?
Yep!
Hello, I made a scoby over 90 days ago and have not used it yet. It is still fermenting and the scoby has grown to bout two inches thick. I do not feed it or change the liquid as you have stated in a scoby hotel. Is it possible that my scoby is still good?
Yes! As long as there are no signs of mold then you should be fine! ๐