Vent: My sister told me my kombucha SCOBY looked like a horror movie prop

We were at my place last weekend and she saw my jar on the counter. She straight up said, 'That thing looks like a dead jellyfish, it's gross.' I've been brewing for about 8 months and never thought twice about it. But her comment stuck with me because maybe it turns new people off from trying fermentation. On one hand, it's a living culture and looks how it looks. On the other, should we make it more approachable for beginners? Has anyone else had a friend freak out over the look of a ferment?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlesj462mo ago

Oh man, my mom said the exact same thing about my SCOBY hotel! She called it a "science experiment gone wrong" and refused to come near the kitchen counter. It's totally a normal reaction for people who aren't used to seeing living ferments. I just laugh it off now and call it my pet mushroom. Honestly, the weird look is part of the charm for me. It's a good filter to find friends who are brave enough to try the finished kombucha.

dakota_rivera2mo ago

My last SCOBY looked like a failed skin graft.

noahs821mo ago

Calling it a pet mushroom is where you lose me.

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