Hey everyone!
First, thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post, Raw Chocolate Lava Cake. Your comments were all so sweet...no wonder I love you all:)
Today's post is a quick update for those of you who may be interested in brewing your own kombucha. I have quickly learned how fascinating and fun this process is. I just LOVE it!
Check out my previous post where I actually grew my very own baby SCOBY from a bottle of commercial kombucha:)
My homegrown momma SCOBY was happy to reside in a brand new batch of tea. I used both green and black tea this time. The most fascinating thing to me is watching the ever changing brew, especially the interesting bubbles and yeast formations. This cluster looked like a tiny dancer to me...yeah, I have a vivid imagination:)
It was so exciting to see the bubble line between momma SCOBY and the beautiful new baby that formed on top:
After about 1 week I used a straw to taste the kombucha. Just dip the straw, and cover the top end with a finger, and release the sample in a shot glass.
It tasted wonderful to me and had lots of bubbles. Time to bottle this batch, and get a good look at the new baby!
The new baby SCOBY was well formed and even a bit larger than momma:)
I saved about a cup of this kombucha and separated the 2 SCOBYs for the next batch of brew.
The sparkly new kombucha was well sampled:) and bottled.
For bottling this time, I used re-cycled commercial kombucha bottles. A helpful tip to remove the old labels: use a hair dryer to warm the bottle and the sticker peels right off:) Any glue residue can be scrubbed off using a drop of oil and a homemade scrubbie:) The smaller jar was a spice jar filled with kombucha from my first brew...I called this my 'baby booch' :)
For the next batch of kombucha, I made a gallon of sweet tea to fill 2 half gallon jars, using both green and black tea again. Each new jar contained a SCOBY, and some reserved tea from the first batch. At first, Momma SCOBY went to the top of her jar, and baby went to the bottom of his:
After a few days, each started to form a new baby SCOBY on top:
The mature SCOBYs floated around a bit, and both were almost vertical while the new babies grew on top.
The newly bottled kombucha was also placed on the shelf for about 3 days for a 2nd ferment. Since the weather was still pretty warm, I was afraid to let it go too long at this stage since some people have written about the bottles exploding if left too long...yikes!
In another day or two, this new batch should be ready to bottle*. I am glad the weather cooled down a bit because it's been brewing too fast for me!
*New batch is delish!
And the latest brew is ready to go:)
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I just had the last of my previously bottled kombucha and...
I'm not positive, but I think there was a tiny baby SCOBY in the bottle. EEK!!! Can any home booch brewers advise me about this. It was strained out since I noticed it before pouring:)
Next time about 2 gallons will be brewing, so I would also appreciate any tips on how to keep it from taking over the house:) Some day I'd love to get a system like Averie, check it out:) So awesome!
Well, I probably won't be posting much more than a quick update on kombucha from now on and get back to more raw food:) so...
Cheers everyone!
Have a wonderful day:)
25 comments:
I miss Kombucha! I can't have it while pregnant because of the detox effects, so I am not too upset about GT being off the shelf! I hope it's back when I give birth! :) Love those glasses!
Thank you hun for the detailed description and pictures. I haven't ventured into kombucha land yet but there is so much of it around the 'sphere that it makes me want to try making it really bad:)
i love your kombucha posts...i can't wait to brew my own!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
i have a question for you...can you use any tea? or does it have to be a specific flavour?
and the scobies in your pics actually are quite cute!!!
=)
Thanks for your comments, everyone:)
@Nelly...most info online said to use only organic, unflavored green or black tea with caffeine. Rebel that I am...lol...I used a flavored tea in my 1st batch but it still worked. My first kombucha post has some great links at the bottom to site that may be helpful:)
I'm loving your kombucha updates, it's going so well for you! I found a seller on etsy that sells a kombucha kit that I think I will get to get me started.
Going to make one of the new easy raw recipes I learned for dinner tonight. My husband is actually really excited about this one!
Ok, so you only do a 3 day second ferment. I have read those need to be at a lower temperature. We just put it lower down to the ground and are hoping it will stay at room temp which is in the low 70s. (yes, seattle is awesome in the summer.) If you wanted to cool it, you could put them in a cool water bath. We did that with our kraut.
Love the cute stickers. Makes it so much more fun!
yum yum! And I love how you decorated your glasses! Awesome - so happy too! And thanks for the tip on getting those darn stickers off. I ended up throwing them away (recycled - and yeah, i know bummer that I did but I was also moving) because I couldn't get all the residual glue off and it was horrible. I wasn't about to use the heavy duty glue-off stuff so out they went. Oh well. We have lots of canning jars so I'm still set. Love your booch updates. Your batches look yummy and healthy.
@bitt...the room where the kombucha brews was around 80-84 degrees all week, so I only did a short time for the 2nd ferment. Here is a great link I found today that answered a few of my questions:
http://users.bestweb.net/~om/kombucha_balance/
Good thing there is so much info out there, I have a lot to learn!!! :)
Cheers, Angela!
Oh my! I think I'm super green with envy!! Love those bottles...very artsy and cute:) You rawk! Can't wait to birth some baby scoby's. hee,hee! Looking forward to trying this out someday soon, thanks!!! Hope you're having a lovely week. =)
I want a baby booch ;)
Hi Angela,
It's fairly normal to get the new scoby started in the bottle -- I've had some new growth happen too. It looks like you've definitely got ideal growing conditions there. All that bubbling and growth, they look like happy scobys!
Angelique
Just another of your many skills. =) I'd love to try some homemade kombucha...wondering if it tastes significantly different from the store-bought variety.
Your booch is look great!! I want to get a scoby from Averie so bad, but I really have NO space and 3 roommates to share the fridge. I don't know if I could drink it fast enough! Hmmm, I'm so tempted, it just looks so fresh!
Hey this is so nice post of Kombucha..I have never tried at home but your post is inspiring for me and I will also try like you.I also want to say that you have nice bottles which have butterflies on it.
I love those jars and the hot stuff looks so pretty and clear! Nicely done Angela!
Enjoy!
xoxo
thank you for this! i am so kombucha deprived!
That Lava Cake looked so good!
I am your newest follower from the blog hop. I hope you stop by and visit my blog, I have a couple of great giveaways going on right now.
http://shining2save.com
Have a great day!
Kari
Everybody's making kombucha lately. One of these days, I need to try brewing some myself. Looks good.
The homemade kombucha looks delicious. I liked it very much. I can't wait to prepare it myself. I must say I appreciate the way you have designed your glass too.
It is very nice thing that you quickly learned fascinating and fun process of Kombucha. It looks very delicious. I love to know the whole process of making this kombucha. It is very easy to make it. I had a wonderful time to visit your blog.
Wow! It's been a while since I've brewed up a batch of organic Kombucha. I've been drinking the commercial brew but it's so expensive. You've inspired me the next time I buy a bottle I'll start a new batch.
I am new to Kombucha making and I too have little babies growing inside my jars for the second fermenting period. They have been out for 3 days now so should I put them into different jars and remove the little babies or just put it all into the fridge as is? Also is there a special way to bottle Kombucha or will any old bottles and lids do?
Thank you so much for your advice!
Hi Sarah...sounds like your kombucha is doing great! I have been leaving mine in the same bottles even if a baby forms, and either strain it or chug it after chilling.
As far as the jars, my favorite are the recycled booch bottles and swing top beer bottles. Most any very clean bottle seems to work fine for me. I have been rinsing them before filling with white vinegar as an extra step.
The only thing that did not work well for bottling was a mason jar with a seal and ring...the seal blew off and flew across the room (like a Frisbee) when the ring was removed, lol!
Thank you for your advice Evergreen! I have two new questions for you all. 1. My baby scoby doesn't ever grown evenly. Some spots are thick, some are thin, and it is rather bubbly. Is that ok? And how much Kombucha should someone consume on a daily basis?Thanks for you continued advice! Happy Brewing!!!
~Sarah~ As far as I know it is fine if your baby scoby is uneven as long as it is fermenting the tea properly. All your lovely bubbles are probably causing the thin spots!
About how much to drink a day...I usually have 16 ounces, divided. I've read it is best to start with small amounts, and increase over time.
The following link may give you some answers:
http://www.kombuchacultures.com/faq_how_much_kombucha_tea.html
Hope this helps :)
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