Kombucha does not float (does not rise): reasons, what to do

In America, kombucha or medusomycete is very popular; a drink made from it, called kombucha, tastes like kvass and is sold in every supermarket. Russians and residents of neighboring countries prefer not to pay money for something that is easy to cook on their own. But the strange gelatinous mass, which produces a tasty, healthy drink, requires care and sometimes behaves incomprehensibly. Why the kombucha drowned, whether something needs to be done, and in general whether this is normal or not, is not difficult to figure out.

Why doesn't kombucha float after splitting?

It is normal for the kombucha to sink to the bottom of the jar after dividing. This is a living organism; when one or more plates are torn off, it is injured and must recover.

How long it takes for kombucha to rise to the top depends on several factors. The main body of the medusomycete, after successful division, when placed in the usual nutrient medium of water, tea leaves and sugar, may not drown at all.It is considered normal if it lies at the bottom of the jar for up to three hours.

After separation, kombucha does not float for a long time if two or more plates were taken, or the operation was carried out carelessly. This is a significant injury and can remain at the bottom for up to three days. The medusomycete is sick, there is nothing good about it, but it’s too early to sound the alarm.

The young thin plate should not float up immediately. It will begin to work when it gets stronger; shoots will appear in the lower part, processing the nutrient solution into kombucha. Before this, the kombucha lies at the bottom of the jar. For successful adaptation, the amount of liquid should be minimal.

The time when it is worth paying attention to the symbiont of yeast fungus and acetic acid bacterium that does not want to float up from the bottom of the jar directly depends on the method of division and the thickness of the body of the medusomycete:

  1. An old kombucha with 5-6 plates should rise immediately after a carefully performed operation. If it does not pop up, the alarm should be sounded after 2-3 hours.
  2. When the owners know that negligence was made when separating the records, for example, the hand trembled, the parts were forcibly torn, or a knife was used, it will take more time to adapt. You may have to wait 3 days.
  3. Young kombucha can lie at the bottom of the jar from 3 days to 2 weeks. The nutrient solution should barely cover the body of the medusomycete.
Important! If you immediately pour 2 liters of nutrient solution into a jar with the top plate separated, it is unlikely to float up at all. If the situation is not corrected, he will get sick and die.

List of reasons why kombucha does not rise

The fact that kombucha sinks and sinks to the bottom of the jar while brewing kombucha should not in itself cause alarm. It’s another matter if it doesn’t surface for a long time.A mature medusomycete, consisting of several plates, should rise in 2-3 hours. If you follow all the rules and use high-quality tea leaves and water, it may not sink at all.

Advice! If an adult kombucha sinks for 1-2 days each time at the beginning of preparation, then floats up and starts working, the owners should reconsider their actions.

They do something wrong, which is why the medusomycete gets a shock and is forced to spend time adapting.

Any disturbances in the “working” of kombucha require careful study; perhaps the medusomycete is sick

Violation of the indoor microclimate

Kombucha should not be left in the sun. But it is also impossible to deprive him of access to light. If you put a jar of medusomycetes in a dark place, it will first sink to the bottom, as the yeast bacteria will stop working, then it will get sick and die. This will not happen immediately; there will be enough time to correct the situation.

The optimal temperature for keeping medusomycetes is 23-25 ​​° C; already at 17 ° C the gelatinous substance can die. If it's cold, it will definitely sink to the bottom of the jar.

Important! The temperature should be checked first.

Violation of the rules of care

Kombucha does not float in the jar because it is sick. Sometimes everything goes away on its own after a few days of adaptation, but this delays the preparation of kombucha. The body of the symbiont is lifted upward by bubbles of carbon dioxide released by yeast fungi during fermentation. The medusomycete does not work while it lies at the bottom.

He can get stressed for the following reasons:

  1. If it was washed with tap water rather than boiled water, which is, in principle, possible to do, but not recommended due to the high content of chlorine, lime and other impurities.It takes time for the medusomycete to recover from the shock of contact with these substances.
  2. When carrying out hygiene procedures, cold or too warm liquid was used. Short-term exposure to inappropriate temperatures will not have time to cause serious problems, but will “incapacitate” the medusomycete for several days. You need to use water at room temperature.
  3. The infusion did not drain for too long. All the sugar has been processed, the kombucha has turned into vinegar. First, the medusomycete will sink, then the upper plate will become covered with dark spots, holes will appear, and the process will move to the lower layers. The mushroom will die.
  4. If you prepare a drink in a dirty container, nothing good will come of it. The jar needs to be washed regularly and scalded with boiling water. Whether the kombucha will die, simply drown and will not work, or the drink will turn out to be of poor quality, depends on the degree of contamination and the chemical composition of the substances that have entered the body of the medusomycete.

Violation of cooking rules

Kombucha does not rise if errors were made during the preparation of the drink. The most common:

  • too little or too much sugar, it should be from 80 to 150 g per liter of liquid;
  • use of low-quality tea leaves;
  • the water must be clean, boiled, filtered or spring; tap water is not suitable as it contains unwanted impurities that cause the kombucha to drown for several hours or days;
  • You cannot sprinkle sugar on the body of the medusomycete or the bottom of the jar undissolved;
  • The temperature of the liquid should be room temperature; cold water will definitely drown the kombucha, and hot water will kill it.

Reasons Why Kombucha Stands Upright in a Jar

Sometimes the medusomycete stands on its edge. There may be several reasons:

  1. Capacity too small.If the substance was grown in a three-liter jar and then put into a liter jar, it simply will not be able to straighten out there and will take a vertical position.
  2. The same thing will happen if they try to keep the young plate in a container narrower than the one in which the old mushroom was floating. The diameter of the medusomycete will remain the same; due to the tightness, it will turn on its side.
  3. A young single plate will take an unnatural position if there is too much liquid in the jar.
  4. An adult medusomycete should float on the surface. If you fill the jar more than 2/3, the mushroom will rise to the neck, will not be able to straighten out, and will turn over on its side.
Comment! The vertical position adopted by the medusomycete for a short time in the process of rising from the bottom should not cause alarm.

If a kombucha stands on its edge, this does not always mean it is sick

What to do if kombucha does not float for a long time

What to do if the kombucha sinks and is not going to float up after correcting the errors depends on the duration of its stay in this state. Usually he needs help.

In a young medusomycete, the volume of fluid is first reduced. If less than 150 g of sugar per liter was added, add syrup.

Check the conditions of keeping adult kombucha. When temperature and lighting meet the body's requirements:

  1. Take out and wash the kombucha with boiled water at room temperature.
  2. They inspect it carefully. If the outer part is darkened, remove it. If the medusomycete is too thick, 1-2 upper plates are removed.
  3. Wash the container and return the mushroom there. Fill with a liter of nutrient solution sweetened with the maximum amount of sugar (150 g).
  4. Place in a dimly lit place with a temperature of about 25 °C.

If the medusomycete still does not float up, drain off some of the liquid. Even after an illness, the mushroom should rise within a maximum of 1-2 weeks. Then it is placed in the usual volume of nutrient solution.

How to care for kombucha so it doesn't droop

In order not to look for reasons why the kombucha drowned, you need to properly care for it. First of all:

  • completely dissolve the sugar before adding to the jar;
  • for care and brewing, use clean boiled water at room temperature;
  • pour out the finished drink in a timely manner;
  • maintain the temperature around 23-25 ​​°C;
  • fill the jar with nutrient solution no more than 2/3;
  • provide a bright, but protected from direct rays position;
  • Wash the medusomycete and the container for preparing the drink in a timely manner;
  • use high-quality tea leaves;
  • Do not immediately fill young, recently separated plates with a large volume of liquid.

Conclusion

If a kombucha drowned, before sounding the alarm, you need to understand the reasons. Sometimes it does not immediately float up because the medusomycete is too thin, or there are undesirable impurities in the water. Even when the fungus is sick, it can be cured if optimal conditions are created.

Comments
  1. I got a wounded mushroom with a hole.Apparently they were separated inaccurately. Lying at the very bottom. Added sugar, drained the water to a minimum. I look at him and hope that he will get better.

    06/05/2022 at 09:06
    Maria
  2. Thank you very much for the clarification, my fill was too cold, I added warm water and it doesn’t sink anymore

    01/15/2021 at 10:01
    Alexei
  3. Thank you so much. Simply huge. I got a mushroom, but I don’t know how to care for it. Your information could not have come at a better time. I almost went into a panic. I almost killed the baby. But now everything has fallen into place. Thanks again .Do not be ill.

    04/02/2020 at 06:04
    Irina
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