Ever wondered what makes up Kombucha?

Here’s a breakdown of the layers you’ll find in your Kombucha:

Pellicle

A pellicle is a byproduct of the Kombucha fermentation process. The gelatinous cellulose disc forms on top of your Kombucha to prevent dirt and bad bacteria or microbes from coming into contact with the brew—creating an anaerobic environment for the bacteria and yeast to thrive in. A new pellicle constantly forms from each fermentation process, and an old pellicle gets replaced by a new one that grows above it. Once the pellicle reaches 1” of thickness, you can throw it away to avoid overcrowding of the jar. 

Yeast

Don’t worry about these weird brownish-looking things! The yeast can be light to dark brown. They’re the guys doing the legwork of fermentation, turning sugar into Kombucha. The squirmy-looking stuff floating in the liquid are yeast strands separated from the yeast layer. A combination of yeast and bacteria build-up settles to the bottom during brewing, known as spent yeast.

Liquid SCOBY

This is your Kombucha liquid, a.k.a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). This is the delicious liquid you consume at the end, which holds many health benefits.