Highlights 1
Updated: Apr 9, 2021
Our first two weeks on this project! See what we already accomplished.
Last Wednesday, our group met for the first time to kick off the cybernetics course. We were assigned the kombucha project, which entails the exploration of different usages of kombucha and the design of a system to implement the use of kombucha for regular prototyping for IO and IPO students.
tags: team2, kombucha, kickoff
In the very first lesson of the cybernetics course, we came in touch with kombucha. It has a leathery appearance with quite a strong smell of vinegar. The slabs of kombucha are flexible and have a waxy feeling. These slabs are made by drying scoby (a mixture of bacteria and yeast) which is used to make a drink called kombucha.
tags: kombucha, research, biomaterials
To discover the properties of the kombucha, we experimented on small pieces and observed how these react to several conditions. We tried to heat it up which makes it soft at first but gives it a spongey appearance when heated further. The slabs can be flattened when heated and pressed. The kombucha deteriorates when it comes in touch with water. If pure alcohol is applied to the surface of the kombucha, the top layer gets bleached, but this effect disappears after a while.
tags: kombucha, biomaterials, experimenting
This week, we had an online meeting with Jasper Bloemen from Glimps. Jasper has experience working with kombucha and was eager to teach us the ins and outs of growing kombucha leather. Unfortunately, Jasper could not make it that week, but we have an appointment next Wednesday.
tags: kombucha, online
Last Wednesday, we started cooking some tea according to Jasper’s instructions. The tea is a suitable environment for the scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) to grow in. It must boil first so that it will be sterile but needs to cool down until below 30 °C or the scoby would die.
tags: kombucha, tea, experimenting
In the first week, we received a sheet of kombucha leather on which we experimented with water, heat, and alcohol. The remaining part was now used to check if it can be cut and engraved using a laser cutter. The experiment was successful.
tags: kombucha, experimenting, lasercutting
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