Kombucha

How to Brew Kombucha from Candy at www.keepingthehome.com

Kombucha is one of the most healthiest things you can consume. It is also naturally carbonated, and can taste quite delicious. The strange thing about Kombucha, is that two of the ingredients in brewing it isn't necessarily healthy - black tea and white sugar.

However, that is not "food" for you, but for the Kombucha Scoby. The Scoby is a Scimbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. The sugar and tea are the "food" for the Scoby. Just like you feed sourdough starter flour and water, you feed a Scoby sugar and tea. The sourdough starter "eats" the flour and water, and turns it into a natural, sour leavening agent. The Scoby eats the sugar and tea, and turns it into a very healthy, naturally fizzy drink.

WHAT YOU NEED

- A very large glass jar (do NOT use metal or plastic, a Scoby can leach the toxins out of metals and plastic)

- A double layer of cheesecloth to cover the large jar, and a rubber band to secure the cloth on

- 1 Kombucha Scoby (if you don't have one, then refer to the article called "Growing a Scoby" on this site to find out how to get one, or grow one yourself)

- 4 black tea bags (organic if can you get it)

- 1 cup white sugar (organic if you can get it)

- Water

- 1/2 cup of Kombucha liquid, OR apple cider vinegar

- Patience ;-)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. In a large stew pot or stockpot, bring 3 quarts (12 cups) of water to a boil.






2. While you're waiting for the water to boil, pour one cup of sugar into the bottom of your large brewing jar.





3. Pour the boiling water on top of the sugar, and mix it, until the sugar is completely dissolved in the hot water.

4. Put in the four bags of tea, and leave them in there for a long time.

5. Leave the tea out, and let it cool to room temperature, then remove and throw away the tea bags.

6. Pour in 1/2 cup of Kombucha liquid, or apple cider vinegar. Do NOT forget this step, or your brew will likely mold.

7. Wash your hands thoroughly, and make sure you are not wearing any rings that could touch the Scoby, then get the Scoby out of its home/jar:






The above is a picture of a Scoby that I have been growing and fattening up for about two months. As you have probably guessed, that Scoby was grown in a large square jar - that is why the Scoby is square, instead of round.

8. Gently float the Scoby on top of the tea mixture. Most Scobies will float, but some sink. Either way is fine.

9. Cover the brewing jar over with a double layer of cheesecloth. Secure the cloth on with a rubber band.

10. Set the jar in a dark cupboard, away from any plants, chemicals, and contaminants. Leave the jar there - undisturbed for one week.

11. ONE WEEK LATER - Your brew should smell like vinegar. If not, then gently insert a straw into the liquid - pushing the Scoby out of the way. If it tastes anything like tea, then let it brew for a few days more, then taste it again, and brew longer, if needed. Otherwise, if there is a vinegar smell, then your brew is probably done.

NOTE - If there is any mold on or in your brew, then throw away the brew, including the contaminated Scoby. However, don't confuse brown yeast spots with furry mold. If your brew molds, the mold should look like spores or be furry, and will likely be white, blue, or green in color. Yeast cultures on the Scoby will be brown and slimy, and are normal for a healthy Scoby.

12. Your Scoby should have a new baby Scoby grown on top of it. You can keep the baby on the mother, or separate the two, which are held together by a thin membrane. Now you can start two brews, if you'd like. You can do one brew with the mother, and another with the baby. Each time you brew, your Scoby should grow another Scoby on its top. When a Scoby is getting old, it'll turn dark brown, and should then be thrown away, or ground up and used as a skin ointment, etc.

13. Put your Scobies into a jar, filled with some of your fresh brewed Kombucha, and store that jar in your brewing cupboard. A simple one-quart mason jar, half filled with Kombucha, and with the Scoby pushed under the liquid is good enough, and should preserve your Scoby just fine. In fact, if you forget about it for a month or two, then it'll probably have a new, and very fat Scoby floating on top.

14. Meanwhile, pour your freshly brewed Kombucha into glass bottles, and store them in the fridge. It's a good idea to pour the Kombucha through a very fine strainer as you are pouring it into the bottles, to strain out the little, brown yeast globs. It's perfectly fine if you accidentally swallow some yeast globs when you drink Kombucha, however, most of us don't like the feeling of it going down our throats. Therefore, you may want to strain your Kombucha before you drink it.

You can also flavor your Kombucha. One of my favorites is ginger. Just grate up a few tablespoons of ginger, and put it into the bottom of one of the bottles you pour the Kombucha liquid into. You can also do this with fresh strawberries, cherries, grated lemon peel, etc. Lemon peel and fresh ginger go well together in Kombucha.