How to Kombucha!

Hooray! You've adopted a Kombucha culture, a scoby, and are beginning a journey of enjoying fermented beverages - kombucha bliss for ever and ever. I've heard of scobies living on for 40+ years so if you treat this little mother right, she could be a lifelong friend.

Here's the basics of getting started. I highly recommend looking online, searching YouTube, and experimenting for yourself after you've done a couple batches! There are many right ways to brew kombucha.

*** Be sure to clean all supplies and hands with soap and water before handling and transporting scobies! Bad bacteria can spoil your kombucha and could cause illness.

1. Make tea. 

- Fill about a quart-size Pyrex cup (or other large, durable glassware) with boiling water.

- Add a couple organic tea bags or equivalent loose leaf (be sure to strain leaves out before brewing): use green, oolong, or black tea

- Add about 3/4 cup sugar per gallon 

- Let tea steep and sit until it reaches about room temperature (you don't want to burn your scoby, killing bacteria/fungi with hot water)

2. Combine tea with scoby and liquid Kombucha (starter culture from your last batch- you always need leftover Kombucha for your next batch!)

- Use a jar that's at least 1 quart in volume (I prefer a gallon, and sun tea jars are perfect in size plus pour off spout - you can usually find these and other great jars at goodwill)

- Put a paper towel or cheese cloth over your brewing jar to allow your kombucha to breathe (as bacteria and fungi eat sugars, they release gas! You want to prevent your jar from exploding and provide a barrier to dust/bad bacteria)

3. Brew!

- Set your jar in a dark-ish space where it won't be disturbed and the temperature is 75 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This space should also not be exposed to chemicals or smoke in the air.

- Leave it undisturbed for the brew time: 1-2 weeks! You can tell the kombucha is about ready by smelling the top and finding a light vinegar smell, or using a straw to carefully take a sip and see if you like it!

- If you let your kombucha brew for too long it will turn to vinegar (which can be used in cooking/salads), be sure to take care of your scoby if you take a brake from brewing! You can put it in a smaller jar in the fridge to slow fermentation way down. And feed it some sugar. :)

4. Bottle!

- Use clean, glass bottles with lids that can fasten tightly. Pop top style bottles work best!

- Put a spoonful (approx 2 Tblsp per liter to start) of sugar, jam, or syrup in the bottle. This gives your lingering culture something to ferment and produce effervescent gases!

- Carefully pour Kombucha in bottle with a small funnel, seal the lid, and swish to stir in your sugar-flavor 

- Store bottles at room temperature for about 4 days, then refrigerate and enjoy! 

 Troubleshooting 'exploding' kombucha:

Upon opening your bottle of kombucha, it's common for the entire beverage to dramatically shoot skyward and leave you with kombucha on your ceiling. This means that your microorganisms were very happily producing tons of gas in your pressurized bottle. To avoid the ceiling mess, be sure you always open a new bottle of kombucha when it's COLD because cold liquid dissolves more gas. You can also experiment with your bottling flavors & sugar quantities. Most of all, be careful when opening the bottle! If you see a rush of bubbles, you can quickly reseal the bottle and slowly leak the air out.

Here's a video for you if you're tired of words and want some basics on science, potential health benefits, and other things (I doubt this guy has made kombucha before, but he gives you the well-researched 3-minute low-down)

                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPs8GcYcEgA 

Finally, enjoy your kombucha and share both the beverage, culture and instructions with friends! Every time you brew a batch you'll gain a new 'daughter' scoby that you can either leave in your batch (the scobies merge together quickly) or you can easily share with someone!