Kombucha tea

  I started brewing my own Kombucha tea after I received a SCOBY from Mike's parents.  I was thrilled because it is SO expensive in the store ($3-3.50 for 16 oz.) and I like it so much. Besides the health benefits, I like it because it is a carbonated beverage that doesn't have a ton of sugar.  If you have never heard of it, you can read about it, but basically it is tea that is fermented by yeast.

 

  Once you have a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacterial Yeast), it is super easy to make.  The hardest part is the wait.

 

  You boil about a gallon of water and dissolve some sugar into it (that's what the yeast eats).  Then you steep black or green tea (with no added flavors) in the sugar water.  Let it cool to room temperature.

 

  Next you add in your SCOBY.

  The white floating thing is the SCOBY.  There are actually two there, another one is forming below the top one.  Then you cover with a cloth (so it can breathe) and let it sit for 1-3 weeks.  I always check mine (taste test) after 1 week and have noticed with the warmer weather it is done by then.  I basically taste for sourness, if it is too sweet then the yeast has more work to do.

 

This is what it looks like after the rest period.  Kind of looks like a jellyfish.

 

  I remove the SCOBY and enough Kombucha to cover the SCOBY and put it into another container until I want to make more.

 

  I bottle them into mason jars and add a few slices of ginger.  There are different flavors of Kombucha and my favorite is GT's Gingerade.  My brewed version tastes the same as the Gingerade.

 

  Then I let them sit out on the counter for 2-4 days.  This allows them to ferment a bit longer and the natural carbonation builds up in the sealed containers.

  There is enough bacteria going on in the individual bottles that after a couple of days a new SCOBY forms.  Do you see it?  If I wanted to, I could save those SCOBYs and let them get a little bigger and more robust and use them to brew another batch.

  After they have sat out for a couple of days, I just put them in the fridge or else they would just continue to ferment and get too sour.  When I start to get low on bottles in the fridge I brew up another batch.

 

  Of course, working with bacteria can be a tricky thing.  I have had a few batches of failed Kombucha.  One time, some mold grew on the SCOBY and so I had to throw it all away.  Another time, I let it go too long and it was SO sour.  I am learning as I go for sure.

 

  If you want to make your own, you just have to get a SCOBY.  If you are ambitious you can make your own from a bottle of store bought Kombucha.  Summer project!

 

 If you come over, we can sip Kombucha out on the porch.  If this totally freaks you out, I know how to make some iced sweet tea or my iced chai is excellent!  :)

 

Friday is only two days away!  I'll have Kombucha ready for you, little sister!