Alright, I admit it looks funkadelic. Those are bacterial tendrils trailing from a floating SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). My SCOBY is content because the tea, which has colored the water, has created just the right environment for them, and the dissolved sugar is giving them nutrition. Before you gag at the sight of my daily drink consider some of your other favorite foods grown on SCOBYs: cheese, bread, yogurt, wine, beer, sauerkraut, and pickles.