Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Stir in the sugar and tea.




3. When tea returns to room temperature (I typically just let it sit over night.) pour it into a gallon sized or larger glass container, add the scoby, and cup of kombucha.



4. Cover container with rubber towel and rubber band.**
5. Let sit in a warm still place for 5-12 days. (I put mine in the top of a cabinet.) The longer it sits the more it will ferment.  A baby scabby will grow on top of the mother.  A longer ferment time mean it will be less sweet, i.e., have a more vinegary taste.***




6. Pour kombucha into mason jar and store in the fridge.  As you pour, you will notice the carbonation and if you are like me will experience and odd sense of completion and giddiness.



7. You can separate the baby scoby from the mother by peeling them apart.  Now you have two scobies and can make two batches, reunite them in one batch, give or throw one away.

*Kombucha is the only thing I’ll use white sugar for because of the fermenting process there is not a lot of sugar left when the kombucha is ready.

** Despite what most directions say you can actually cover it with a lid and it will still ferment.  I know this because I one day I accidentally screwed on the lid in place of the towel and got a really delicious brew. I suspect because there was less oxygen for it to ferment.  I wrote Cultures for Health asking them if I could brew kombucha with a lid and they kindly wrote me back saying, “An air tight lid is fine—as you discovered the kombucha will brew up nicely.  The reason we don’t recommend it is that during the fermentation process a considerable amount of gas builds and when you go to remove the lid, there’s a significant danger of the lid flying off and causing injury to the face.  There’s also a chance of the kombucha spraying everywhere.  A towel over the lid though and downward pressure and complete control of the lid during opening can negate those issues though.”  So there you go, use a lid at your own risk.  I have since gone back to using towels just to be on the safe side.

***I’ve noticed that 5-10 days seem to be the ideal length of fermentation for me.  If it’s cooler I let it ferment longer or shorter if it’s warmerl. The few times I have let it ferment 10+ days it has been too vinegary for my taste and reminds me of apple cider vinegar.

A few more things to keep in mind.

1. Alway wash your hands to avoid contamination.
2. Use clean towels.  (I know 1 and 2 are so “duh”.  Really, I know you’re smart but I feel like I need to say it anyway.)
3. Use a clean glass container.  Metal and plastic can supposedly cause some problems for the scoby.
4. Some people say you shouldn’t clean the utensils with regular dishsoap and tap water.  I do and haven’t had a problem.

5. Scobies can vary in appearance from batch to batch.  Both of the above scobies are healthy.  While I’ve never had it happen they can mold so keep an out for a funky smell or weird spots.

So why even drink kombucha tea?  I can only speak for myself but I drink it for a few reasons variety, the health benefits, and if you serve it in a wine glass and try hard enough it can even feel romantic.

There is a long list of health claims for kombucha tea but very few studies if any (I couldn’t find them if they exist.) to back them up.  Like most of my food choices, I go with my gut feeling. Figuratively and literally. My gut tells me that if people have been drinking this for hundreds of years for good health then there must be something to it.  Literally, my gut tells me it needs a healthy dose of probiotics to function at its best.  Kombucha is an easy, tasty, and inexpensive way to get some of these healthy little living organisms. Plus one of my friends (whose is not a nut job)  told me a story of his grandma who had breast cancer and started following a traditional food diet and brewing kombucha.  The cancer disappeared without any treatment.  I just don’t see and reason not to drink it when there is a myriad of potential benefits including improved immune system, protection against cancer, and eternal youth. (I’m being facetious with the eternal youth but one can hope.)

As far as any sort of risk that may be associated with kombucha tea, I’m not worried about it.  At all.  Personally, I think I’m taking a bigger risk when I occasionally pass through a drive up window than when I pour myself a little glass of homemade kombucha.

Do you drink or make kombucha tea?  Any advice?  Did I leave something out?  Know of any studies relating to Kombucha?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we plan to take a year long road trip through the United States!

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