kombucha

[wantfreeenergy]

Does anyone have experience with kombucha? While at my brothers place this past week he was brewing it. He didn't have enough to allow me to drink his batches everyday but I did get to taste his the day I arrived. And from then on I was buying bottles of it from the health food store. The stuff I bought was raw and organic. I just wanted to mention that because from what I've read there is stuff being sold that is pasturized and non-organic.

Anyhow I was drinking from 16-32oz every day for about 8 days. And on the fourth to last day my one brothers girlfriend became sick. Sore throat and such. My mom also got the sore throat and began chugging nyquil about the same time maybe a day later. Then my brothers became sick the day my madre and I left. But alas I never became sick. I know it's stated that kombucha helps boost your immune system and I was drinking plenty of it. I was the only one not to become sick. Even three days later I still feel healthy. My brothers and my one bros girlfriend did drink some kombucha, but it was more like they drank probably a few bottles while I was there. Each bottle is 16oz. None of em drank anywhere the amount I was drinking.

I should also mention that my brothers are into a healthy lifestyle. Healthy mind and choosing healthy organic foods first. He also had a juicer that they recently bought and we were juicing like mad scientists. MMMmmmmmm. I also have a strong immune system naturally. When others got sick around me I don't catch it. Sometimes I can feel it a little bit, but I typically stay very healthy and my body eliminates the bugs before I succumb to any real sickness.

Anyway, I was thinking it was the kombucha that kept me feeling totally healthy while others around me became sick. And I was wanting to mention it.

The kombucha itself is a tasty drink. Kinda like a cider/wine/vinegar/fizzy soda. It's hard to pinpoint what it tastes like cus it's unique. And if you brew it yourself the taste can change depending on many factors.

It's good stuff from what I gather and I was wanting to share about it. Also to see if others here brew it. I've done a search here and only found one link to it. Someone was saying they were gratefull for many things and mentioned their kombucha.

Here's one site I've read about it from. Kombucha Tea - Make it for FREE I've seen many others too but this is the first good one I found while searching.

[wantfreeenergy]

My kombucha is doing great. And it tastes oh so good. I still haven't bottled any yet that had an amount of carbonation similar to the ones that can be purchased in the store. I typically don't let my bottles sit around long enough before they are consumed. I did have one last week that I bottled up and it had a small amount of carbonation.

This week I bottled em up at seven days instead of the usual ten and I'm gonna see if that'll help create more carbonation. But I still drink em before I've allowed em to generate any carbonation. There is one though that I have in my fermenting box that has a little bit of carbonation going in it.

Also I'm bottling up my brew in the GT's Organic Raw Kombucha bottles that I saved after drinking tons of it at my brothers place in CA.

I was also wanting to mention that many sites teach you how to grow your own scoby by purchasing a bottle of kombucha at the store and using it as the starter. Something that I noticed is that it takes a long time for the scoby to form and for the tea to ferment. I saved all the little scoby's from the bottles I drank in one bottle and used it as a start. I had probably ten little scoby's saved in that bottle and it was full of the tea. A 16 oz. bottle. It took three weeks before a decent scoby formed that is probably less than a 1/4 inch thick. I brewed it in a quart jar. Then I took that scoby and tea and dumped it in a gallon jar with probably 3/4 gallon of sweet tea. After two weeks the tea was still sweet and the new scoby is still very thin. Less than an 1/8 inch. So I bottled the tea I could and put the scoby's into a quart jar, poured enough of the tea on em and put the lid on real tight. Then I stored it in the cold basement. It's just too slow for me to use to make me some kombucha. But I do love the GT brand flavor of kombucha. So if you do use this method to make a scoby and brew some kombucha just know that it may take a while to brew your tea. I should also mention that the box I have is just a cardboard box with a heating pad on the bottom of the box with a smaller box on top to keep the jars of kombucha from touching it. And another heating pad taped to the wall on the inside. I keep the pads on all the way. Then I just cover the box with a towel. It stays an average of 76 degrees in the box on the opposite side of the heating pad taped to the wall.

I also really like the flavor of kombucha I brew using the scoby my brother gave me. It's a very healthy culture. Everytime I have a look at it it's always producing carbonation bubbles. And that's supposedly a sign of a healthy strong scoby. It grows very quickly in it's box that stays at a constant 76 degrees. I've been checking into buying a wooden cask with a wooden spigot that'll hold five gallons. That would definately keep me in the bucha. LOL But I would need to talk my fam into buying it for me, so another day another time, the glass jar is working pretty well.

Anyhow onto the main reason for me wanting to post another message. I'm on my fourth batch. I think it's the third one from where I've poured off the tea and drank it actually. The very first one I only added 2 quarts of sweet tea with the scoby and tea my brother gave me, which was probably a cup or two of his brewed tea. And then let it sit for ten days or so to generate a new large scoby. I also did it so that there would be a strong enviroment of the fermented tea already in there to keep any mold from growing. And everytime I make another batch I get another scoby that's about 1/4 inch thick or so. So if anyone is wanting to brew some kombucha and wants a healthy strong scoby lemme me know. The next time I pour off some tea will be anywhere from the 19th to the 20th, depending on how my bottled tea tastes this week. Actually I'm enjoying the taste a little more when I let it go for ten days instead of the seven like I did this past week. I just went seven instead to see if I could keep a little more sugar in the tea to generate more carbonation when I bottle em up. So far I don't enjoy the taste as much and I haven't noticed any carbonation. So I think it's just a matter of bottling up a batch and allowing it to sit for another week or two instead of drinking it up so quick. Dang, anyway. I'll have at least four scoby's I can give away. I have a 2 gal glass container that has probably a 12" diameter opening and so the scoby grows that big. I can cut up the scoby into quarters and send a cup of starter tea with it. I'll probably be purchasing another 2 gal container so I may only have the four to give away. Depending on what it looks like after taking the one off to send away and the other one to create another batch I may have eight. But I'll have to look when the time comes. I'll have four for sure. Just send me a PM with your info if you want one. Also here gomes my greedy nature. If you wouldn't mind compensating me the cost to ship it I would be very much appreciative. I've been checking usps for rates and there's a flat rate box for five dollars for anything under 70lbs. And I don't know how many people will want one. It's not imperative nor necessary, simply appreciative incase lots of people begin asking for em. And I really would enjoy learning and sharing with people here that choose healthy foods and choices. Everytime someone makes a choice to raise their vibration it helps me and everyone else in the world in a way that is difficult to explain unless you already understand it. So lets get this show on the road.

dang on and on I type. Maybe I need to type a book called "ranting" LOL "I think I need a different word other than rant. I'm trying to convey that I just keep on typing and typing. Not trying to imply the actual definition of rant. See what I mean I could just stop typing but on I go."

[Athena]

As you know, I used a bottle of GT's Raw Kombucha as a starter to grow my own Scoby. Started it on 1-18-10 and it's pathetically thin. Probably because my house is at 67-68 degrees. LOL I thought about using the heating pad too--I'll follow your tip.

So if anyone is wanting to brew some kombucha and wants a healthy strong scoby lemme me know.

I do! I do! Do you take PayPal? I don't mind paying for shipping at all--it's only fair. Check your PM box.

"I think I need a different word other than rant. I'm trying to convey that I just keep on typing and typing. Not trying to imply the actual definition of rant. See what I mean I could just stop typing but on I go."

Venting?
I have the opposite problem, one where it's hard to put into words what I want to say.

[wantfreeenergy]

Rambling. That's the exact word I'm thinking of. Cus I tend to just ramble on and on. It was the first word I thought of when I woke up a few mornings ago.

I still don't have the carbonation that you get when you open a store bought of the GT kombucha. I've heard that to get that carbonation one needs to leave it bottled for anywhere from a week to two weeks. I'm also re-using the GT bottles that I've saved. And it's possible that they could be seeping gas, but I'm not sure yet. I'm gonna order some grolsch bottles though cus I've heard they are awesome and they last for such a long time.

A couple other things. Most of this is all over the place on the internet, but I think it's worth repeating. It's okay to make the tea in a stainless steel pot, but only let it ferment in glass. Plastic and metal will leach into the fermented tea when in contact with the acids that the scoby makes. Also I've read somewhere that use only clear glass because colored glass can also leach stuff into the brew.

To avoid mold make sure to use enough starter tea like 10-20% from the last batch. The fermented tea has all sorts of goodies that inhibits mold growth. I've read of people pouring off all their tea and then putting in their new batch of sweet tea and mold would form. I've not had to deal with mold because I've left enough kombucha from the last batch in the glass container to keep the scoby in the enviroment it likes. If you don't have enough starter kombucha I've read of many using distilled vinegar. When my brother gave me a scoby and some kombucha I only brewed up like 2 quarts of sweet tea because I didn't have all that much kombucha as a starter. Then after two weeks I had a nice new thick scoby growing in my 2 gal glass container. Then I added 1.75gal of sweet tea without drawing any kombucha off.

I've also found it simple enough to just pour off the kombucha I'm gonna bottle up and then replace that with sweet tea. I beleive it's simply a type of continuous fermentation. Also continuous ferment has more of the good stuff in it.

Ramble. LOL

[Athena]

I have plenty of glass containers and Mason jars. I saved 2 GT bottles--getting the labels off was a chore! For your brew, are you using black tea and regular white sugar or another combination?

Don't worry about the rambling...my hubby does that.

[wantfreeenergy]

For the sugar I've been using organic cane sugar. Nearly every video I've watched and every page I've read said to use white sugar. But my brother was using cane sugar and I've been using it too. I may get a few smaller jars going so I can experiment with different types of sugar. From doms kombucha site he says that you can use honey, and it's the only place I've read that says you can do this. Everyone else says to never use honey cus it'll kill the scoby. But I think he mentions not to do it with your first scoby. Here's doms kombucha site Dom's Kombucha/vinegar in-site

I still need to get a backup scoby stored away too. Luckily the one my brother gave me will fit in a quart jar.

And for the tea I've only used organic green tea. I've wanted to try pu-erh, but I couldn't just pick it up at the store. I need to order it, so I've just stuck with the green. My brother has used black tea though.

LOL. It's funny about the bottle labels. I picked at one for less than a second and said, yup not gonna bother with that. LOL. I can only imagine what a buggar they were to get off.

[Flattlander]

I have a book with a recipe for Kombucha and it says "White sugar, rather than honey or Rapadura, and black tea, rather than flavored teas , give the highest amounts of glucuronic acid. Non-organic tea is high in fluoride so always use organic tea." Glucaronic acid, which you probably already know is a potent detoxifying substance that a normal healthy liver will produce, but because we are exposed to so many toxins, it's probably not enough. Just thought I'd throw that in there. It also says never to wash your kombucha bowls in the dishwasher. Probably because it leaves a film or soap contamination on the bowls. In fact if you do use a dishwasher at all, you should always double rinse the dishes. I've never made Kombucha, I've been dying to try it but I don't have any bottles to put it in yet. I buy it from the health food store ocassionally and it is so yummy.

Stacey

[wantfreeenergy]

Stacey,

If you're buying the GT brand in the glass bottles with the plastic lid...then you can save em and re-use em to bottle the kombucha in. While I was in CA visiting my brothers I saved, I'm guessing fifteen of them bottles. And they work good to do the bottling in. Also I don't wash my bottles, or at least I haven't yet. I've got a spigot that pours near boiling water and I just rinse the bottles out with that then turn em upside down on a cloth to dry. Also you can find a decent brewing vessel at wal-mart. I bought a 2 gallon glass container for 13 dollars.

And when you want a scoby lemme know. I'll ship one to ya for cost. I thought I could get the scoby into a 5 dollar flat rate box, but my local post office is out of em so I don't know if they'll fit or not. The box is thinner than I thought it would be compared to what the post office clerk was showing me with her guesstimations. The scoby I just shipped was twice the amount I thought it would be. 11 dollars. But when they get new flat rate boxes in and if you/anyone wants one I'll see if I can stuff a scoby in it.

But I've just brewed my new tea batch and I won't have any scoby's for another ten days. And I only have probably one or maybe two with my next batch. Unless enough people want em then I can cut the scoby in half or quarters.


The black tea with white sugar giving the most glucuronic acid is something I didn't know. That's good info cus, I've been thinking about trying black tea. And I just purchased a second brewing container too. I've also read that by doing a continuous ferment you allow more of the good stuff to form. Something about that it takes up to two weeks sometimes before the really good stuff begins showing up.

[wantfreeenergy]

kombucha kimchi

I made some kimchi about a month ago following the recipe in nourishing traditions. I didn't have any whey so I used 2 TBS of salt. And for me when I tasted that kimchi it was way too salty for me. Actually it's still sitting in my fridge.

Last week making my second batch of kimchi I decided I was gonna try something I had been curious about. Why not add some kombucha and see if that works. And it worked very well. I just ate some and it is delicious.

Here's the recipe from memory, that I used. One napa cabbage, one bunch of green onions, 1 TBS ginger, 1 cup grated carrot, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp crushed red flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 TBS kombucha. I added all the vegetable ingredients in a large bowl and squished em all up in my hands. Then after the squeezing with my hands for a little while I added the salt, pepper, and kombucha. Then I mixed and squoze by hand a little more. After a little bit I put it all into a quart jar about an inch from the top and made sure it was covered with liquid. Wiped down the inside of the jar down to the liquid then put the lid on tight and left it at room temp for 3 days.

I was gonna let it sit longer but the pressure warped the quart jar's lid and left a crease in it. So I put it in the fridge after the three days. I bottled it on 2/25 and I just opened it a few minutes ago and gave it a taste test. It even had a little carbonation in it as I unscrewed the lid.

Also I wanted to mention on my first kimchi batch with the 2 TBS of salt I never saw the lid crease and there was no carbonation when I opened it.

So all in all I beleive this works like I was imagining it would. Just use some kombucha for fermenting your vegetables.

Next batch I'm gonna make a couple of jars and I'm gonna just put a tea cloth over the mouth of one jar and secure it with a rubber band just like one does when brewing kombucha. Then I'll let it sit for a little while before I put a lid on it then either I'll refrigerate it right away, or I'll let it sit with the lid on for a couple of days then put it in the refirgerator.

I think I recall in my minds eye a picture of someone making kimchi and using the cloth over the jar opening. This may cut down on the pressure build up so that I can just put the jars in cold storage in the basement without the need of the fridge.

Yeah kombucha The next thing I'm gonna try is adding kombucha to my fresh made juice to see if it extends the life of the juice.

Gonna go get some more kombucha-chi. MMM, it's so tasty.

[Athena]

Thank you for sharing a kombucha scoby--it's producing a nice, healthy-looking baby scoby. I sampled the brew this morning, and oh wow, it's wonderful!!! I passed the glass to my hubby and he made a face , shook his head and said, "ewww, no way!" He would rather drink those horrible diet drinks even though he knows those aren't healthy. I tried, what can I say?

I like that idea of using kombucha to culture the kimchee (or kraut) instead of whey. Thanks for sharing your recipe. If you like sauerkraut, try adding a couple of thinly sliced apples to the mix. Yummy!!!

If you can find a store that sells beer- & wine-making supplies, you will find a gadget similar to this one which allows the gases to escape and keep the fermenting smells from overtaking the kitchen. To weight the veggies down, I used a couple of round river rocks that I had boiled for a while because I had a problem keeping the veggies submerged once the fermentation started. Some sources suggest a wooden disk or a small plate to use as a weight.

How's that chicken coop coming along, wantfreeenergy?

[wantfreeenergy]

Yeah it's funny the responses some people give. I've been told ewww too. I've also been taunted by another saying, "you're not gonna poison yourself now are ya." LOL And that's a question from someone that swallows 20 or so different pills per day.

That's a good idea on that air lock. It may be something I need to order. And I've been wondering how fruit would taste. I'll have to try an apple in there on my next batch.

My chicken coop is finished. I finished it a little bit ago. It took me a while cus I would only work on it for a couple hours every other day. I actually took some pictures of it a few days ago when the sun was shining. I'm gonna put it up for sale. If I get it sold then I can build another one and basically have all the materials paid for. I may build a beehive too. A top bar hive actually.

Gonna go bottle about 2.5-3 gallons of kombucha.

[Flattlander]

That's a great idea to use kombucha. For me, it's easier to make whey because I don't live in my own home so I don't really have my own space to make stuff. I bought some kombucha a while ago and let my dad taste it. He didn't like it so much either!! By the way you are lucky. I made some beet kvass a while ago and the jar exploded. LOL what a mess. When I am ready, I might hit you up for a scooby. thanks for the offer!!

Stacey

LOLOL scooby!!! of course I meant scoby

[Flattlander]

I just found this article and I thought you would find it interesting and maybe useful.

Continuous Brewing: Tastier, Easier and Superior Kombucha

Stacey

[Flattlander]

soda pop

Here is another article/recipe. This one is about home made lacto fermented soda or soft drinks.

Old-Fashioned, Healthy, Lacto-Fermented Soft Drinks: The Real "Real Thing"