Hi Friends!
At some point in your brewing process, you are going to want to create a SCOBY Hotel. This vacation spot for your SCOBYs is the perfect place for them to chill out until an emergency arises.
WHY HAVE A SCOBY HOTEL?
*Your culture gets infested with fruit flies, vinegar eels, mold
*Your friend wants to make Kombucha too
*You are experimenting with different teas, roiboos, yerba mate, raw honey, etc
*You are going on vacation and can’t brew KT on your regular schedule
HOW TO MAKE A SCOBY HOTEL:
1. Grab a clean jar – at least a quart size or bigger
2. Put an extra SCOBY in the jar
3. Cover with Kombucha Tea
4. Hide in the back cupboard
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STORING YOUR SCOBY HOTEL:
You can cover this jar in a couple of different ways:
a. With a cloth cover; the liquid will evaporate more quickly and you will need to check it more frequently.
b. With a screw on lid; it’s ok if this lid is metal, provided it doesn’t come in contact with the KT in the jar. This will cause the liquid to evaporate more slowly.
Whenever you encounter any problems with your brewing process, use a SCOBY from your Hotel. It’s great to have a couple, three of them hanging out, just in case.
From time to time, make sure there is enough liquid in the jar and refresh with unflavored Kombucha Tea when it starts to get low. That’s it!! The SCOBYs will just hang out in the pool until you need them!
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Hannah Crum is 
Thank you for all the wonderful info! I first made kombucha five years ago, but have never used green tea or fresh fruit and jams- always black tea plus herbal tea. Thanks again!
Melissa
HI! Thank you for your wonderful blog! I am a seasoned kombucha maker, but I have always used black tea + herbal tea. You have given me quite a few new things to try
Thanks again!
Melissa
Hi – I'll be out of the country for 11 days next month. Can I put the SCOBY in the fridge or would you leave it in the 'hotel' in room temperature? Thank you – Sandra
Hi Sandra! I'd definitely leave it out. You will come home to a fat, happy SCOBY and lots of great starter liquid to start your next batch. Just make sure you leave plenty of liquid for the culture so it doesn't dry out.
Thanks so much Hannah, I will do that!
Hello. My SCOBY seems to have developed some black spots. Is this normal?
Here is a picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariepoling/4883737313/
Hi Marie,
Thank you for your photo. The black spots could be tea leaves. Could some tea have gotten into the brew? The black spots seem to be inside the SCOBY rather than on top of the SCOBY where mold would grow.
Please provide some closer photos, from a side view and I'll have a better look
I'd love to hear about your brewing process to see if it could be anything else. Email me the deets at kombuchakamp@gmail.com
☮ & ♥
Hannah
Hi Hannah, thank you so much for your tips and videos! I have a small SCOBY hotel, too, but I wonder if there might be too less sugar in, when there are so many SCOBYs in. Usually I take 100 g sugar per 1 l KT. Do you know a rule of thumb, how much sugar I need (per SCOBY)? Thx!
Cheers from Germany,
Kathrin
Halo Kathrin! Wilkommen! Okay, my German is not that great – so thank you for sharing your comment in English
Because the cultures in the SCOBY Hotel are not there to make more Kombucha, it is okay to have less sugar. This allows the yeast to relax and further cultivates the bacteria (which makes for great starter liquid!)
I would make your Kombucha recipe in accordance to the size of your vessel – if you keep the cultures in a 1 gallon vessel, you will want to fill it half way (1/2 gal. water, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tea bags)
It is taking my brain a minute to figure out the conversion – why aren't we all on metric??
Also, based on the conversion, it sounds like you are using double the amt of sugar (200g=1 cup – 1 gal=4 litres – so divide by 4 means 50g of sugar per litre) PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!
For 1 litre, you'd want 1/2 litre of nutrient solution (1/2 litre of water, 25g of sugar, and 8g of tea). Hope that helps and that my math is right =)
Thank you very much for your help, Hannah! Formerly I took per 1,2 liter Kombucha or SCOBY-tea: 1 L water, 10 g loose tea (60 % green + 30 % black + additionally 10 % mate or lapacho), 80-100 g sugar and 0.2 Liter nutrient solution. In future I will reduce the sugar amount and advance the amount of nutrient solution. Thanks
Kathrin
Hannah, I am so grateful for your help, thank you. And from this old grandma… you are such a cute chickadee!
Dear Melissa,
I'm wondering how many SCOBY's can be used at the same time in a gallon Jar, to make some Tea- filled with one gallon water with the approtpriate amount of brewed tea and sugar? I have my origional SCOBY in the jar as well as it's offspring. Both of them are there, IS THIS TOO MANY and if not, how many more can I leave in the Jar??
Thanks Karen =)
Hi Anonymous,
I keep 2-3 cultures in my 1-gallon sized brewing batches. The more cultures that are in the vessel, the faster the fermentation and the less Kombucha Tea because of the liquid the cultures displace.
For the Hotel, I'd keep 3-5 as backup unless you plan on doing experiments with different types of tea, or herbs.
As you grow more cultures, you can trade out the older ones for newer ones.
Hi Hannah! How long can I keep my scoby hotel? I have about 3 in there right now and am not sure when I will brew next. How long can I keep them without them going bad? Thanks!
Hi Lindsay,
Just keep them covered in mature KT (or even add some sweet tea if you want) and they'll last basically forever.
H
Hanna what is kt?
I just figured it out kom tea, hello?
You got it, Loretta!
I just found your blog for the first time today. What a great resource!!
I was brewing my own kombucha for a while, and stopped when I moved to a new apartment. I put my scoby's in a glass jar with some kombucha and have had them in the fridge for 10 months. Do you think they'll still brew?
Hi Sara B,
As long as it remained wet the whole time, your SCOBY should be fine. However, it will likely take a longer time for the first brew to mature, then maybe even a few brew cycles to completely "wake up" all the yeast and bacteria and repopulate the SCOBY completely.
Thanks for the compliment!
H
Hi EveryOne,
If you plan to give away or use your SCOBY from the hotel to make more KT you should always keep it covered with a breathable cloth secured with a tie or rubber band. The SCOBY needs air to stay healthy!
Metal tops should not be used because condensation can form and drip from the top into your hotel.
Great video just an important point of clarification.
Peace, Love and Harmony,
Bev
Hi Bev,
Thanks for your comment. I agree that the SCOBY needs air to propogate, but as a storage option, I still believe it is okay to have a lid on your jar.
Now, that said, COMMON SENSE is important. If you see rust on your lid, just like with any food preparation, you should immediately replace your equipment. Most metal lids have a lining to prevent this kind of scenario, but if you are using just a straight metal lid, you are right Bev, that has to be monitored closely!
But again, with any food, you must inspect your equipment regularly.
P&L,
Hannah
I have my scobys in a hotel but I was told to keep them in the fridge. They have been there for about 2 months. Are they ruined or can I still use them? How long can they keep in the fridge too?
Hi Michael,
Keeping them in the fridge for a short time doesn’t ruin them, but it does make them go to sleep. Just take your SCOBY Hotel out of the fridge, leave out with a cloth cover and allow them to wake up naturally over time. Then if you need one, it will be ready instead of requiring a few batches to awaken. SCOBYs cannot go “bad” so I always leave mine at room temp and allow the living stuff to keep percolating in there.
P & L,
Hannah
Hi Hannah, I received a scoby from a friend and found your website. I now have three gallons brewing at a time. I am experimenting with different flavored teas. My favorite is Ginger Peach. I now bottle them like beer! I bought bottles, caps and a capper. It’s fun and delicious hobby. Thanks for you website, it was very useful.
Ric
Hi Hannah,
I have a question about the hotel. I have a two scoby’s in the hotel but it seems to be taking a long time to make a new scoby. I have it covered with a cloth like you said in your advance video. Should I make new tea and change it out with what is in the jar? Hope this makes sense. I want to make more scoby’s just in case I need more. I have given away 2 already from when I was doing batch brews. I have a continuous brewer now which I love and my oh my has that baby grown like crazy. I just don’t think my hotel is doing very good. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks…oh I LOVE your site. So much great info. I refer to it alot and gave your site to both people I gave scoby’s too.
Hi Penny – If you want to grow more culture more quickly, then add some nutrient solution to the hotel as well. That will stimulate the yeast and boost the fermentation process.
Thanks for sharing Kombucha Kamp with your friends =)
My scoby hotel is in really vinegary kT.. How do I calm this down?
Since you aren’t drinking the KT in your Hotel, this shouldn’t be a problem. If you are using some of it as starter liquid, then you can use less. If you want to reduce the acidity, then add nutrient solution (sweet tea) to the Hotel next time you need to add liquid.
What about keeping them in plastic Ziplock bags? I am running out of Jars and Jar space…
Hi Hannah! I hope you are well. It’s been awhile since we’ve spoken. I just got a scoby a couple weeks back from a friend and my first batch is ready to bottle. I was just perusing your site for tips.
My question is, what is a vinegar eel? That sounds horrid!
I have a similar question, can you put your scobies in a hotel that the top is sealed? Like a jar with a rubber sealable lid? I also had another question; if I have a scoby that is large from a bigger jar that I was using to brew, can I cut it in half or smaller pieces?
Thank you!
Hi Aaron. Yes, you can store your cultures in a closed jar, though I recommend using a plastic or glass lid rather than a metal lid to avoid rust. Yes, you may cut a culture in order to start 2 batches.
Hi Hannah, thanks for all your great info. It’s helped me so much! I do have a question RE the hotel. I kept my SCOBYs in a hotel as you suggested, but I placed a metal lid on top of the container instead of a cloth. Not sure how I missed that step
They sat that way for a couple of months. Now, my brew is flat and lifeless. Is there any hope? Or do I need to start w/ new cultures? Please HELP! Thanks 
How is your brew now? Sounds like some of your yeast may have died off – however, since they are often present in the air “wild”, they ought to come back in a few cycles.
Thanks for all your advice. I have started my own SCOBY and because we are in summer in SOuth Africa my brew is fast and my scoby doesnt get that thick but results are fine. I also bought another thick SCOBY and it is slow and it produces a much different taste to myu own, with a much sweeter finish. I was wondering whether the originating tea when the Mom was made does not infliuence the taste of kt? How does kt from Rooibos taste like, in more general terms, more on the sweet finish or vinegar???
Sorry if I confuse the matter
I’m not totally clear from your comment if you are using ONLY Rooibos or if it is in combination with other tea (green, black or white). If the tea is too sweet, then it needs to ferment longer or it could indicate that the culture isn’t active. Give it another batch or 2 and see if it doesn’t come around. Do make sure you are using tea as your nutrient solution (tea & sugar).
How long can the continuous brew go on without having to clean out the container? Also, does it make so many scobys that they have to be harvested as well. Should you pull out the older one and leave some newer ones to continue on? I just picture the container filling up with scobys like a kt hotel. Thanks.
Hi Hannah,
Just found your website and have watched a couple of videos. I am new to Kombucha, and in fact just finished my first bath. The scoby I had gotten (unfortunately not from you) was oddly shaped with a couple of long legs sticking out. Lol. Is that okay? All the ones I’ve seen in your videos are nice and round and pancake like.
Also, I didn’t know you WERENT’T supposed to keep the brewing jar in a dark cabinet, so mine probably didn’t get much air circulation. Does that harm the KT? Should I just start over?
Lastly, since my first batch is done, I was just trying to start a new batch because they take so long to brew and I haven’t built up a lot of scobys yet, and I forgot I was supposed to cool the tea before I put the scoby in. It wasn’t freshly boiled, but it was still fairly hot (probably around 160 degrees). Do you think I damaged the scoby by doing that?
Thanks! And sorry for so many questions. I’m excited and anxious to do this properly.
Jenny Ambotolis
Brewing KT is simple and fun once you get the hang of it. You definitely want to let the water cool down or you risk harming your yeast (they are temperature sensitive). Here is the Kombucha recipe I recommend using. Airflow is also important – a great place to brew it is on top of the fridge as it gets some warmth from the exhaust fan and is usually out of direct sunlight with plenty of air!
Thank u for showing me how to store the scobies in the scoby hotel
hi hannah,
I found your videos and entire site very informational and helpful. I got my scoby from a trusted friend and have completed 3 brewing, and results have been fine. However, every time there’s an extra scoby on top of the mother it always attaches to mother. I would like to have a scoby hotel or use those babies to experiment different flavors. Should I separate them? What do I do?
Yes, you can separate them into your SCOBY Hotel. Gently tear them apart or use a pair of sanitized (vinegar) scissors.
I have the same question as Jessica, What is a vinegar eel? I am new at making kt i have only been doing it now for about 2 months, so far my first batch came out good, but my second batch I guess I didn’t let it brew or ferment long enough. Hopefully my next batch will be better.
A vinegar eel is a harmless nematode. They are often raised as food for baby fish. They aren’t good for KT though because they eat the SCOBY.
Hi Hannah- Life got away from me and just saw my two poor scobys languishing in ziplocs. Bags seem filled with gas. Too late? Also at the moment don’t have unflavored kt to make hotel. Your thoughts are welcome!
Not too late Randy! Liberate the SCOBYs and get brewin! You will have more culture later to start the hotel.
Hi Hannah,
Question:
I am speculating since we can brew in a Food Grade Plastic (#2) bucket, that it is acceptable to use that bucket for a SCOBY Hotel.
Is this true?
I just hadn’t seen this asked of you yet?
THANK YOU for your joyous dedication to health and healing.
Bliss and blessings,
Gail
Thank YOU Gail for your kind words =) Yes, the bucket will work fine!