The Blob

I recently read that after bottling kombucha, it still has active yeasties and bacteriumumumumums in it.  These can multiply, continuing to ferment the drink and feed off any leftover sugars and foodstuffs.  Depending on how long the drink is left lying around, especially on countertops rather than in the fridge (which slows down the reproduction rate of the yeasts and bacterium), these new little colonies can create what kombucha makers refer to as "blobs."  They are jelly-fish-like blobs of goo, pretty much.  They are said to be a surprise to many drinkers, but that they are safe to consume.

I was rather hoping I'd stumble across one of these and so tonight, I inspected one of my bottles before consumption, hoping to see one such jelly fish blob floating around in my kombucha.  I saw nothing.

Disheartened, I drank some.  I drank some more.  I kept drinking.  All of a sudden, SURPRISE!!  Uh... slimy, weird, blobby, chewy thing.  What the... Oh wait, is this the infamous blob??  It is indeed.  Larger than expected, and very difficult to see... it was floating sideways by the time I located the half-spit-out blob in the kombucha.

My drink made a blob.

I tried to eat it but ... just couldn't, somehow.  I held it up for Dale, comparing it rather scientifically to booger snot as it hung down from my fingertips, swaying slimily as it oozed downward yet somehow held together, dripping kombucha off of itself.  Dale agreed with the booger snot comment, making a rather contorted face as if one of disgust, and said he wouldn't drink it, either.  Well, of course he wouldn't, he doesn't like kombucha.  Zheezh.  ;)

Anywho, I've got a Blob.  I suppose I can't put it in a jar of kombucha now because I spit on it and human spit contains more icky bacteria than a kombucha colony has good.  I guess I'll compost it instead.  The plants might like it.  :)

~w