|
|
Post by Karmady on Jun 30, 2014 19:22:57 GMT
I'm going to try this week and I'm looking for advice and/or recipes.
Thanks
|
|
quiltz
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,840
Location: CANADA
Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
|
Post by quiltz on Jun 30, 2014 19:35:33 GMT
I have never heard f kombucha tea. What is it like? regular tea?
|
|
|
|
Post by annabella on Jun 30, 2014 19:36:25 GMT
I buy it bottled but I'm impressed you're going to make your own!
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 11:25:37 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2014 19:39:39 GMT
I haven't done it yet, but my local Whole Foods recently started carrying a kombucha starter kit, that includes a SCOBY (which has been what's held me back until now - for some reason, I didn't want to order one online). I'm going to get one the next time I'm there and give it a shot. I love kombucha, but the $3-4/bottle get awfully expensive awfully quickly! I plan to use these instructions. Let me know how it goes! |
|
|
|
Post by Karmady on Jun 30, 2014 19:41:47 GMT
It's a fermented tea. I've bought it bottled as well. The ginger kombucha tea tastes like old fashion ginger ale. Through the fermentation process, it gets fizzy and pop like. It's full of probiotics and very healthy for your digestion. The lady at our co-op food store said that it's easy to make and told me that she will give me a scoby to start my process. SCOBY=symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast  ETA: thanks for the site busy pea. I was told to watch the cultures for health videos. |
|
|
|
Post by annabella on Jun 30, 2014 19:44:37 GMT
Wow those instructions ask for 1 cup of sugar. Do the calories melt off?
|
|
|
|
Post by Karmady on Jun 30, 2014 19:48:31 GMT
The sugar feeds the bacteria as part of the fermentation process. There is little sugar in the final product.
|
|
grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
|
Post by grinningcat on Jun 30, 2014 19:57:44 GMT
One of my friends makes it. I can't drink it though because for some reason the concept of kombucha really freaks me out.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 11:25:37 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2014 20:11:54 GMT
Wow those instructions ask for 1 cup of sugar. Do the calories melt off? The SCOBY consumes the sugar. Unless you add sugar or something else for flavor in a second fermentation, kombucha is extremely low calorie and virtually sugar-free (<1g/serving). |
|
BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
|
Post by BarbaraUK on Jun 30, 2014 20:15:24 GMT
It's a fermented tea. I've bought it bottled as well. The ginger kombucha tea tastes like old fashion ginger ale. Through the fermentation process, it gets fizzy and pop like. It's full of probiotics and very healthy for your digestion. The lady at our co-op food store said that it's easy to make and told me that she will give me a scoby to start my process. SCOBY=symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast ETA: thanks for the site busy pea. I was told to watch the cultures for health videos. Thanks for the explanation, I was just about to look it up as I didn't know what it was and then spotted this! |
|
|
|
Post by MonkeysInk on Jun 30, 2014 20:31:31 GMT
I do. I bought my SCOBY off Etsy and it might qualify as the weirdest thing I've ever received in the mail. It's so easy and really delicious! I've had a lot of fun brewing it and because it's so cheap to brew vs. buy, I can drink as much of it as I want.
|
|
|
|
Post by Karmady on Jun 30, 2014 20:43:42 GMT
What do you add for flavouring?
|
|
tonya
Shy Member
Posts: 44 
|
Post by tonya on Jun 30, 2014 20:50:57 GMT
I don't but many of my friends do. I don't trust my skills enough not to kill myself with fermented product. |
|
sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,580
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
|
Post by sharlag on Jun 30, 2014 21:03:31 GMT
One of my friends makes it. I can't drink it though because for some reason the concept of kombucha really freaks me out. I concur!  |
|
georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846
|
Post by georgiapea on Jun 30, 2014 21:18:23 GMT
My dtr and both granddaughters make it. I drink it when it's offered but don't find it overly enjoyable.
|
|
mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,073
|
Post by mimima on Jul 1, 2014 1:13:21 GMT
I have a friend who brews it, so I just get jars of it from her. However, she keeps encouraging me to start brewing at home. We'll see.
|
|
|
|
Post by dazeepetals on Jul 1, 2014 1:18:03 GMT
I've always wanted to try it since I love Kombucha, but it can be quite pricey per bottle at the store. I almost started doing it before I got pregnant, but decided to lay off drinking it while pregnant. I did have a few glasses during my 3rd trimester but that's it. I've had a few since then while still nursing and I still love it. Especially the gingeraid flavor.
|
|
|
|
Post by Karmady on Jul 1, 2014 2:16:51 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by tracyarts on Jul 1, 2014 3:00:42 GMT
Yep.
I'm actually getting ready to bottle the batch I currently have going, and start a new one in the morning.
Some tips and hints. I use spring water, you don't have to, but I do because the water here is sometimes iffy, even when filtered. I only use pure white granulated cane sugar. The the one time I used the slightly tan organic granulated cane sugar I lost my batch because it grew mold. So only pure white cane sugar from now on. I brew my initial tea extra strong, half again as strong as I'd brew it if I were drinking it as-is and I only use black or green tea. I make sure the sweet tea is room temperature before putting in my SCOBY and starter kombucha. I use pieces of plain cotton muslin to cover my brewing jars. The jars have lips so I drape a clean fabric round over the top and secure with a piece of elastic. You want to make sure that your cover allows air flow but is tightly woven enough to keep out dust, and other things that could contaminate your brew.
I like it plain just fine. But for flavoring, I really like strawberry. I've tried all kinds of flavors when I do the second fermentation, but strawberry is my favorite. If you are going to do a second fermentation to get some "fizz" to it, be sure to put your bottles in a box lined with a double layer of thick trash bags. If one explodes, you want the mess contained. I bottle mine in flip top bottles if I am going to be doing a second ferment. Supposedly if too much gas pressure builds up, they will just pop their top instead of exploding. If I don't want any fizz, I just use Mason jars with plastic lids, or recycle used kombucha bottles from the store. If you are using flip top bottles, don't put chunks of fruit in them, it's hard to clean afterwards, so use juice instead.
Once you get a few brews behind you and you have a nice healthy culture to work with, set aside an old SCOBY in a jar of sweet tea in the pantry, and replenish the tea now and then. That way if a batch fails from mold or whatever, you have a backup and can just start right up again.
When you are working with your kombucha, make sure that everything is scrupulously clean. As if you were canning or homebrewing.
|
|
