No, it’s not safe! If there is mold then you should throw the tea and the SCOBY out. As for why this happened, there are a couple of possibilities. Sometimes people do not use the right ratio of sugar and tea to starter culture, and so the tea doesn’t ferment properly. Be exact in your measurements. The other cause can be airborne molds in the house. I have had a few people develop this problem because of a leaky roof or by placing their pot in a closet that had poor air circulation.

Having said that, many times people who are brewing their kombucha see what they think is mold, but it’s actually just normal discoloration that is part of the fermenting process. Unless you are absolutely sure that there is mold, send us a picture of your brew, and we’ll let you know.