On the kombucha, I got my scoby pancake from someone locally. They grow so there are always people willing to peel off a pancake to give or sell. I always used sencha green tea which I drink anyway. But you can use any kind of tea. Sometimes I would add a fruit tea bag. A big olive jar works great for a scoby pancake on top of the tea. Make the tea first on the counter the day before. so you can remove the tea bags before you add the scoby.