KOMBUCHA TEA, A to Z!

Nature's Probiotic! Did you know the United States is one of the only countries that does not drink kombucha tea as a daily beverage choice?  It is true.  A quick internet search will teach you about the benefits of this tea due to its fermentation process, and furthermore, probiotic properties.  Probiotics are a necessary bacteria to the human and animal stomach alike (YES, you can feed kombucha to your pets!).  As a quick reference, they are the "live cultures" your yogurt container alerts you to.  

Kombucha is a far cheaper and alternative source of probiotics from the refrigerated capsules at the health food store.  It is naturally fermented using a living fungus called a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast, or SCOBY, as you will hear them called in the health world.  It is a common practice in most countries passed down from generations that when a daughter leaves to be wed and create her own household with her new husband, the mother gives the daughter one of the babies of her SCOBY that her mother had also given to her.  Thus, the SCOBY continues to live and thrive and serve its family's health.

One can acquire a SCOBY from an online health store, local health food store, or the best way: from a loving friend.  This is how I got my SCOBY, and we've been together ever since. ;-P  Keep in mind though that through the process of fermentation described below, a SCOBY is a living organism and therefore requires care, however minimum.  The basic items to remember is that your SCOBY needs to breathe air as well as being filtered from airborne germs at the same time.  It also responds poorly to plastic storage containers.  Extreme heat and cold can also kill your SCOBY, so take care, especially when brewing the tea.  Without any further ado, let me walk you through what I do every five days in my kitchen to harvest this wonderful, CHEAP, probiotic for my family!

SCOBY fungus inside glass container with spicket

Materials Needed:
- SCOBY
- GLASS gallon container (I use a glass iced tea dispenser from a garage sale. A lid is NOT needed)
- 1 to 3 cups of a previous kombucha brew to jump start the fermentation process
- 4 to 6 black tea bags (the better the quality of the tea, the better the kombucha will be)
- 1 cup pure cane sugar, or organic sugar (no Stevia or other substitute will work)
- 4-5 cups boiling water


Step 1: Boil the water, turn off the heat, and steep tea bags for 10 min. Remove tea bags and compost.

Step 2: Add sugar, stir well.

Freshly brewed black tea awaiting 1 cup sugar

Step 3: **LET TEA COOL** before pouring over SCOBY and previous tea brew in your gallon glass container.  This is the most common mistake with beginning brewers...the hot tea can wound or even kill your SCOBY. Fill remaining space of container with filtered water. (We use a homemade Berky-like system. Instructions in an upcoming post!)

Step 4: Cover gallon container with a breathable lid/covering.  I use an old, clean washcloth and rubber band.

Step 5: Let the brewing begin! Place your glass gallon container in a cool, dry place out of the sun.  Your SCOBY prefers to be undisturbed while he works.  Over the next 5-10 days, your SCOBY is going to use the sugar as fuel to microscopically spread throughout the new tea and turn it into good bacteria for your body.  

Step 6: After 5 to 10 days, begin this process again.  Start by draining out all but 1-3 cups of your newly brewed kombucha to use as a base for fermentation for your next brew.  This is why I chose a gallon iced tea dispenser because it has the handy spout at the bottom and there is no moving of the SCOBY (he can get sick from any germs on your hands).  The day you choose to begin the next batch of tea depends on how you like your tea.  The more you let the tea ferment, the more akin to vinegar it will be.  Since I am giving my toddler this tea daily, I chose to bottle the kombucha on day 5, sometimes 6.  Others like their tea a little more acidic, so they have day 7 or even 8! Experiment to see what you (and your taste buds!) prefer.

Bottled Kombucha with rhubarb juice added.

Step 7: Bottling. ONLY BOTTLE IN GLASS.  I cannot stress this enough.  Kombucha tea highly dislikes plastic and metal, so if your kombucha tastes poorly (it should taste like slightly fizzy apple juice with a hint of vinegar), check your bottling choice first.  I stock up on glass drinking containers such as "Yahoo" chocolate milk or "Calypso" drinks.  However, there's nothing wrong with the 'ol Mason jar with an old mayo lid screw top.

Adding flavor!  Life comes with flavor, right?  So why not add some to your kombucha?  When bottling, I make sure to leave 1/4 of the container empty at the top and pour in a juice of choice.  Ones that I have found work well are apple, pineapple, and rhubarb juices (see an upcoming June post on making and canning rhubarb juice!), but the sky is the limit!  Top the bottles and let them sit undisturbed on the counter overnight to gain a fizzy texture.  The next morning, refrigerate for consumption!  Happy Healthing!

Kombucha FAQ's

1) I am going on vacation for a week. Is my SCOBY going to die?

No, he is most likely not going to die IF you keep your house a reasonable, liveable temperature.  Anything nearing 45 or increasing to 90 might be a little dangerous for a long period.  Your SCOBY will continue to ferment as much of the tea as possible while you're gone, so just be prepared for some really vinegar-like tea when you return.  My suggestion is, upon your return, simply rebrew and wait a new fermentation period before your next kombucha sip.

2) How do I know if my SCOBY is sick or dead?

As you get to know your SCOBY, you will be able to tell signs of sickness, age, or death.  An extreme discoloration (black), patch of brown or black, or mold is a sign something is wrong.  Yes, I understand Mr. SCOBY is in fact mold, but any added or different mold (blue, yellow, etc) is a bad sign. 

3) I heard SCOBY's have...babies!?

YES!  Your dear SCOBY will become a parent and grandparent many times over in his lifetime.  Most sets of fermentation, if left properly undisturbed, will produce a thin, cloudy, slimy circle on the surface of the fermenting tea.  This is a baby SCOBY, and may be given to friends in 1 cup of that kombucha brew to begin their own kombucha journey.