Kombucha Tea is part of my daily routine to heal my gut and improve digestion. In a previous post, I discussed what it is and the tremendous health benefits. I encourage everyone to find at least one fermented food that you like and eat it every day. I started making a continuous brew about 4 years ago and it has been going strong ever since.
Can’t you just buy it in the Store? Yes! Of course but for just 15 minutes every 10-14 days and the cost of making sweet tea I can make a whole gallon. Since I drink it every day--this is a huge savings.
Use these instructions for making Kombucha or you can watch my Facebook live video where I demonstrate how easy it is to make this delicious fermented beverage.
Brewing Ingredients
#1 – SCOBY = Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria & Yeast (use vinegar to handle a SCOBY) It is a living colony of beneficial organisms that serves as the mother ship to the colony of bacteria and yeast that work in symbiosis to convert the nutrient solution into healthful acids and probiotics. SCOBYs are often called “Mushrooms” and “The Mother” as it is the parent culture that creates the tea. It is an unattractive rubbery disc that covers the surface of the brewing liquid to seal it off from the air. This allows fermentation to happen in an anaerobic (air free) environment. During the brewing process, the SCOBY also often creates a “baby” or secondary culture on top of itself, which can be used to brew other batches. You can purchase a SCOBY with starter tea in my Etsy Shop.
#2 – Starter Tea - Quality, powerful starter tea contains yeast strands that jumpstart and protect the brew. All fermented foods (sour dough bread, yogurt, etc.) require a bit of the old batch in order to start the new batch. Every time you brew, you will keep a cup or two of mature Kombucha as Starter Tea for the next brew.
#3 – Nutrient Solution /Sweet Tea – A tea and sugar mixture to feed the culture. When combined with starter liquid and SCOBY, Kombucha will brew. Suggested Teas: White, black, green, white peony, jasmine green, oolong, rooibos, yerba mate or combination of these. Love this one.
Other Supplies and Important Information about Brewing
Brewing Vessel
Use only glass or stainless steel containers (no other metals) with plastic lids
Cloth Cover
Use a closed weave cotton cloth with a rubber band to hold it on tight so that bugs can’t get into the brew. If using a jar, a coffee filter works really well.
Select a Brewing Location
Kombucha should be brewed out of direct sunlight (darkness). It likes airflow, so do not place in a closed cabinet and it should not be disturbed during the initial 7-day brewing process.
Good locations: out of the way pantry shelf, on top of the refrigerator, or back corner of your counter Bad ideas: under the sink (too damp), any tightly enclosed space (no airflow), or next to a window (sunlight, hot/cold)
The ideal temperature for brewing Kombucha is about 78 degrees (72-84 degrees). In the colder months, I use a small heating pad and wrap it around the jar.
Brewing Instructions
I make my continuous brew in a gallon container in which I changed out the metal spout for a plastic one. You can just as easily make a small batch in a jar.
1. Heat 4 cups dechlorinated water – turn off just before boiling. (To dechlorinate water, allow to sit out overnight or boil for 10 min. then cool to needed temperature)
2. Add hot water to 6-8 tea bags or 2 T for loose leaf. Steep for 5-10 minutes.
3. While the tea is steeping, harvest the brew into glass jars or bottles with plastic lids (don’t use metal). There is carbonation so fill as full as possible and refrigerate. This stops the fermentation. Keep back at least 20% of starter liquid with the yeast strands.
|
Container Size |
Tea |
Sugar |
Water |
Starter Tea |
|
One Quart |
1-1/2 t loose tea or 2 tea bags |
¼ c |
2-1/2 c |
½ c |
|
Half-Gallon |
1 T loose tea or 4 tea bags |
½ c |
6-1/2 c |
1 c |
|
Gallon |
2 T loose tea or 8 tea bags |
1 c |
13 c |
2 c |
4. Remove tea bags. Add 1 cup organic cane sugar and stir to dissolve. Use a plastic or wooden spoon to stir.
5. Add 4-6 c (depending on size of container) cold water to tea mixture. The cold water will bring down the temperature of the mixture quickly.
6. Test the temperature of the mixture – DO NOT add tea to SCOBY until it has cooled to lukewarm or below. Add sweet tea mixture to SCOBY and starter liquid.
7. Cover with cloth cover and secure with a rubber band. Put away in a warm, dark place. Do not disturb for 7 days. – Patience! The first couple of batches will probably take longer to brew.
8. After 7 days, insert straw beneath the SCOBY to take a sip. If too tart, then next time reduce your brewing cycle. If too sweet, allow to brew for a few more days, checking once a day.
Bottling & Flavoring
To flavor your Kombucha you can do a second ferment or just flavor the Kombucha.
Flavoring: Add small pieces of fresh berries or the juice of any fruit, slices of ginger, fresh flowers or herbs. For a 16oz bottle: 1/2 c fruit or ¼ c juice. Put your chosen flavoring directly into the bottles, place a funnel in the mouth of the bottle and slowly decant your Kombucha into the bottles. Remove as much air as possible from your bottles by filling to nearly the top and then capping. Put into refrigerator. When ready to drink, strain off the added fruit or herbs.
Second ferment: Adding fruit will feed the Kombucha sugar which will add flavor and carbonation. Add the fruit and then cap the filled bottles, and leave in a dark place for 1-2 days, checking for built up carbonation every day or so, then move to the fridge to keep from over-fermenting or exploding. Yes, exploding! Store your bottles in a box or other location where nobody will be hurt should that occur. Place bottles in the refrigerator to reduce the amount of carbonation or leave at room temperature to reinvigorate the carbonation. The natural carbonation that occurs from the fermentation process is one of the things many Kombucha drinkers report enjoying the most. If left open, Kombucha, like soda, will go flat.
Favorite Flavors
Start drinking!
Start slow and drink 2 oz in the morning on an empty stomach. Follow with a glass of water. Then slowly build up to 8-12 ounces a day. Fermented foods should improve your digestion. Drinking plenty of water helps with the cleansing of toxins. Listen to your body. Should you experience a healing crisis (rash, headache, depression, runs, etc.), cut back the amount you are consuming and drink more water until the reaction subsides (usually a day or two). This is rare but normal. As the toxins release into your bloodstream, they may express in these symptoms. Drinking Kombucha 20 minutes prior to your meal can help to curb your appetite or drink it with or after meals to improve digestive function.
If you want to give it a whirl -- you can purchase a SCOBY and starter tea in my Etsy Shop. I really enjoy drinking this each evening as I am preparing dinner and I hope you will try it too. CHEERS!