Kombucha

I started making kombucha about 3 1/2 years ago. At first, it seemed like a daunting task and I wasn't too sure if I was doing it "right." But after accomplishing it a couple of times, I realized how easy it was!

I know that not everyone brews kombucha the same way. I am not an "expert" and I don't claim to have the perfect way to brew it. This is just what has worked for us, and many others that I know.

So, what exactly IS kombucha? It's a tea fermented with a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The SCOBY resembles a spongy mushroom-looking thing. It is placed in black tea with white sugar. The yeast and bacteria eat up the sugar and the caffeine in the tea, causing it to ferment. This fermentation process produces several things. The main one is glucuronic acid. Glucuronic acid is produced by the liver and used by it to detoxify the body. It binds toxins and takes them to the excretory system. Once they are bound by the glucuronic acid, they cannot be reabsorbed by the body. Kombucha also contains acetic and lactic acid. Lactic acid promotes the growth of healthy gut flora in the intestines. This awesome tea boosts the immune system and helps the body detoxify.

Some important things to remember are, always use CLEAN, STERILE utensils when making kombucha. Your SCOBY can become contaminated with bacteria easily, and will not work properly anymore. Never use stainless steel or other metals with the SCOBY or tea. This will interefere with the yeast and bacteria. Never store the tea in plastic or metal, only use clear food grade glass. Mason jars are perfect for storing the tea. Always use cold water. If you are on city water or do not have a water filter, use bottled filtered water (you can get it gallon jugs). City water contains flouride and chlorine, and these will ruin your SCOBY. If at any time, the SCOBY grows mold on the top of it, throw it and the tea away and get a new SCOBY. It is normal for the SCOBY to have stringy things hanging off the bottom of it, though. If you have never had kombucha, it's important to start SLOW! Since it helps the body detox, it can cause symptoms like upset stomach, headache, diarrhea, etc. if taken in too large an amount. Start small and see how your body reacts, then work your way up to drinking a normal amount (a glass or so a day).

Here is how I brew my kombucha - makes 1 gallon:

You will need:
plain black tea
white sugar
gallon glass jar
mason jars
coffee filters
rubber band
SCOBY
washable coffee filter

Put your SCOBY on a dinner plate, and cover it with another plate to keep it from bacteria.


Put the filtered, cold water into a pan and bring to a boil. Add 5 plain black tea bags, per gallon of kombucha (I use organic). Let sit for 5-10 minutes.


While tea is brewing, add 1 cup plain white sugar to your gallon glass jar. Remove tea bags from pan, and pour tea into jar with sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes or so until it cools off.


Next, fill the gallon jar with cold filtered water, leaving about 2-3 inches at the top. Stir well. Add about 1/4 cup prepared kombucha to the tea, then place the SCOBY in the jar. It's okay if your SCOBY doesn't float or sit right on top. Cover with a clean coffee filter and rubber band.


Place the gallon jar with the tea in a dark, cool place. Leave it alone for 7-14 days. I let mine go 14 days in the winter when it's cold. Warmer weather makes it ferment faster, so it only goes 5-7 days in the summer.

After the fermenting time, remove coffee filter and take out the SCOBY and put it on a plate again, keeping it covered with another plate like before. Use the washable coffee filter, and pour kombucha through the filter into a pourable mixing bowl.



Transfer prepared kombucha to clean mason jars or other glass containers and cap. Leave a small amount for the next batch you prepare. Store mason jars with kombucha in the fridge.


Prepare another batch following previous directions. The "mother" SCOBY will have produced a new "baby" SCOBY on the top after each batch is brewed. You can peel the baby off and use it for another gallon, or you can leave it on. I throw my mother SCOBY's out every couple of months or so when they start to look dark and yucky, and I keep the baby for the next batch. (Meaning I just peel off the bottom layer of each SCOBY and throw it away.) It is normal for the tea to be nice and fizzy when it's harvested. It should not taste like sugar, that means it wasn't brewed long enough. Also, after sitting in the fridge a few days, the mason jars with the kombucha may start to have stringy floaty things in it. This is normal. If they gross you out, filter the tea through your coffee filter again before drinking it. It will continue to ferment while in the fridge, just slower. So the flavor will change and become more sour the longer it sits in there.

If it makes you sick, stop drinking it and try other things that will help your body detox. Then you may be able to try introducing it to your diet again with better results. :)
For more info on kombucha, visit the WellTellMe forum and type "kombucha" into the search bar. There is a ton of great info there!