This is a recipe to grow a cellulose pellicle from a living microbial culture. The bacteria cultivated here is called *acetobacter* and can be found in a fermented tea drink called kombucha. This recipe describes how to cultivate a kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast), which is often used to ferment sugary tea, because it can transform sugars into acids. Acetobacter is a bacteria strain that requires oxygen to live and grow; it is *aerobic*. As a result it slowly forms a cellulose pellicle where the liquid is in contact with air (i.e. at the surface).
This is a recipe to grow a cellulose pellicle from a living microbial culture. The bacteria cultivated here is called *acetobacter* and can be found in a fermented tea drink called kombucha. This recipe describes how to cultivate a kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast), which is often used to ferment sugary tea, because it can transform sugars into acids. Acetobacter is one of the important bacteria in the bacteria/yeast culture, and requires oxygen to live and grow; it is *aerobic*. As a result it slowly forms a cellulose pellicle where the liquid is in contact with air (i.e. at the surface).
When dried, the cellulose pellicle can be used as leather alternatives and paper-like thin materials. Following this procedure will grow a thin pellicle to start with, it will get thicker as you start to use it more. See also this [recipe for Kombucha Paper](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/kombuchapaper/).
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@@ -265,4 +265,5 @@ Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam,
-**Kombucha 101: Demystifying the Past Present and Future of the Fermented Tea Drink** by Christina Troitino for Forbes, 1 Feb 2017:[link](https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinatroitino/2017/02/01/kombucha-101-demystifying-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-fermented-tea-drink/)
-**Why is PH important for brewing kombucha?** by Fermentaholics, n.d.: [link](https://fermentaholics.com/why-is-ph-important-for-kombucha/)
-**Kombucha: the balancing act** by Len Porzio, n.d. [link](http://users.bestweb.net/~om/kombucha_balance/)
-**What's in my kombucha?** by Cultures for Health, n.d. [link](https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/kombucha/kombucha-bacteria-yeast/)
