Seeing as I have time because I'm waiting for my tea to cool for my next brew, I figured I'd finally get around to this.
Kombucha. "Kombucha is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea" according to Wiki. This is the simplest and most effective definition I've found. Fuck Lindsey Lohan and her banning Kombucha for some time before its return to health stores. Kombucha ferments and produces alcohol, but such a minimal amount that it's basically undetectable.
A lot of people believe that Kombucha is weird only because they know it includes a yeast-y bacteria form called a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). A scoby is also called a "mother" because it produces a new scoby for every fermentation. I'm going to paste a big chunk of Wiki information here that explains the limitation of alcohol produced and how it's really not rotting tea:
A kombucha culture may contain one or more of the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii, and Zygosaccharomyces bailii. Alcohol production by the yeast(s) contributes to the production of acetic acid by the bacteria. Alcohol concentration also plays a role in triggering cellulose production by the bacterial symbionts.[citation needed]
Although the bacterial component of a kombucha culture comprises several species, it almost always includes Gluconacetobacter xylinus (formerly Acetobacter xylinum), which ferments the alcohols produced by the yeast(s) into acetic acid. This increases the acidity while limiting the alcoholic content of kombucha. G. xylinum is responsible for most or all of the physical structure of a kombucha mother, and has been shown to produce microbial cellulose.[1] This is likely due to artificial selection by brewers over time, selecting for firmer and more robust cultures.
The acidity and mild alcoholic element of kombucha resists contamination by most airborne molds or bacterial spores. As a result, kombucha is relatively easy to maintain as a culture outside of sterile conditions. The bacteria and yeasts in kombucha may also produce antimicrobial defense molecules.
The kombucha culture can also be used to make an artificial leather.[2]
So, I'll go through basic directions for brewing Kombucha now that you know exactly what it is, assuming you read the above info. Things you'll need:
1 large glass jar (perhaps a gallon)
4-6 bags of tea (do your research on what teas you're interested in using)
1 cup of white sugar (per gallon)
About 1 cup of already brewed kombucha
A scoby-you can get one in a Kombucha starter kit or if you know of someone in your area who's brewing, ask them for their next baby.
Glass containers with screw on lids or swing-tops for bottling. I suggest mason jars or starting a collection of sauce, beverage and any container ever.
A dark corner in a cabinet or drawer for storing
Fresh fruit or juice for flavoring (optional)
MAKE SURE all the materials you're using are clean and you've run them under hot water if not boiled them before using. Figure out how much water fits in your big glass jar, fill it almost to the top but not full, you're going to add more. YOU MUST boil your water, not just for brewing your tea but the chlorine in tap water will kill your scoby. Wait until it's boiling for at least 5 minutes
By the way, you will basically never use the lid for your big glass jar, but hold on to it if you're using it for other projects (like cold brew coffee!). I use gallon jars so I use 1 cup of sugar, the ratio is easy to work with. You can add as much or as little sugar as you feel comfortable with, it's something you learn after your second of third brew. I suggest adding the sugar to the jar before adding the boiled water so it blends easily.
Once you mix in the sugar, add your tea bags. I keep the strings up with a rubber band around the mouth of the jar. I've seen other people use clothes pins, whatever you find easiest. ALSO-did you know you can brew tea bags more than once, and most times they brew better the second time? Wise tea drinkers in my life have taught me that. I keep mine dried on my fridge with a magnet (how do they work?).
I usually leave my tea bags in until the brew is at room temperature but some people remove them after about 10 minutes. This usually takes 1 hour+, so get other things done in the mean time. Don't add ice to the hot tea because that water hasn't been boiled and still has chlorine in it, be patient. You seriously must wait because the hot water can also kill your scoby, let it cool, be chill bro. Once everything's at room temperature you can add your scoby and your cup of already brewed kombucha.
A scoby is weird and slimy and leathery when it's a few brews old but don't be scared to touch it. Seriously, it's almost fun and you might have to pull apart babies from mothers. The brown gunk on it is only dead and live yeast, don't worry about cleaning/rinsing that off, seriously don't put it in anything that's not boiled or at room temperature because you will kill it, I've said it a few times already but hot water and chlorine will lead to certain death. When everything is in the jar, cover it with fabric and put the rubber band around the top. Place it in your dark cupboard and begin your wait.
In a hot Florida climate, we can wait as little as 10 days. You can definitely wait longer to brew it stronger, I've heard of people in other states brewing it up to 30 days. Your kombucha will not go bad, if you let it ferment long enough it'll turn to vinegar. That post-it on my drawer has a date on it so I don't forget how long it's been in there. When you think it's ready and it smells kombucha-y try it with a spoon or a straw. The shorter the brew, the sweeter and the longer the brew, the more vinegary it becomes.
Next, you will transfer it to smaller, sealed glass containers. You can stop here if you like your kombucha the way it is. You should still remove the cultures and store it in the fridge though or it will continue to ferment. The second fermentation is what gives that extra fizz when you pop open the bottle and allows for specific flavoring for each container.
(Ignore the dark container behind the glasses, my cold brew was left on the counter, it is not a kombucha project gone wrong.)
I like to recycle jars and glasses from other beverages, jams, peanut butter, pickles, cocktail onions, etc as long as they're glass. You can also buy mason jars or flip top bottles, check your local brewery to see if they're selling any flip tops or check a hardware store for mason jars. Have you ever noticed the funk that remains in glass jars after you've washed them multiple times? You can get rid of that smell by putting a dash of baking powder mixed with water and letting it sit over night. Most of the smell is trapped in the lid so I leave mine on the counter overnight upside down. Make sure the bottles you're using have a tight lid, if not your kombucha will turn out flat and probably won't taste right.
This is the time in the process to add flavor to your booch! I've read about some people who do the entire brew with fruits or juices blended in from the start but I like use the second fermentation process so I can have multiple flavors from the same brew. You can choose to add basically whatever you want to flavor your brew including spices which many people forget about (one of the best flavors I've ever tried was cayenne pear).
Congratulations! You've been bestowed your first baby scoby. It's gestation period was however long you left it locked in your dark cabinet. There will be bubbles underneath the baby so what may seem like the surface of your booch is actually a thin membrane, aka, your baby. You should create a "nursery" for it when you remove it from the batch. Remove the scoby and move it to another container along with 1 cup of your brew to keep it alive. Your baby's diet is simple: sugar, so give it a teaspoon or tablespoon and you can leave it alone as long as it's covered with fabric in your dark cabinet. You can put it in your fridge although it will go to "sleep" and your next brew won't likely be as strong. Sometimes a baby will have attached itself to the mother if it's been brewing long enough. If you plan on spreading the goo to your friends or selling it you should separate them but if not, there's no need and a thicker scoby is a stronger one.
Once you've taken care of your baby you can get real creative with your flavoring. I went with a black tea which is pretty basic so you can add almost anything. The amount of fruit in each container is your choice, if you want a more condensed flavor, stack it high; for a more subtle taste that lingers i suggest using 20% fruit, 80% booch. I decided to go for some fruit and some spices:
Vanilla Bean & Pumpkin Pie Spice
(Half a vanilla bean in each and 1/4 a tsp of spice.)
I made two containers of each flavor but you can make an entire batch one flavor or a different flavor for every bottle. My gallon brew gave me 10 containers, each a cup and a half, plus the extra for the scoby nursery. When you've finished the bottling process you can stick them back in the drawer for 3 days to a week. Note: the longer kombucha ferments, the more alcohol it will produce, it won't produce more than 0.5% but be weary.
I've heard adding a bit of sugar to the second fermentation makes it fizzier, go for it it if you'd like but regardless I suggest you open your containers in the shower, over a sink or even outside. You can strain it or not (to rid of the fruit or the yeast/slime floating around inside. none of it will hurt you), refrigerate it or not, or mix it with other libations or juices, the possibilities go on.
If you have any questions, comments, tips, corrections feel free to contact me. If you're interested in starting to brew I'd be able to send you a scoby in the mail as long as it's continental US. Share your stories, get creative, spread the goo!
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