Kombucha

[BikerAng]

I have a large glass sun tea container w/ a spigot. The spigot is plastic, would that be a problem? I may have to try this continuous brewing method, sounds interesting!

[metqa]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Since that tea would not have a scoby- would it be ok to use my plastic tea jug with the spigot?

And speaking of scobies, Colleen is really growing! I just did a taste test (early, I know) and she is really well built! More solid than I had thought. Igor is some kind of Master Scoby![/COLOR]

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Yup, it's just tea. just like the summertime sweet tea you'd normally use it for. It's just that the kombucha can become so acidic it may cause trouble for some materials, hence the warnings about the brewer material.

Cool Beans for Igor and Colleen!

I just put one of my 12 inch scobys on the dehydrator. I've never dried one as thick as this. i've dried one that was floating in a bottle before. If this works my scobys will be immortalized as wallets or shoes or dream catchers or whatever I can think of.

Gee, I'd better figure out how to make all that stuff, huh?

[Faia]

Originally Posted by metqa

I just put one of my 12 inch scobys on the dehydrator. I've never dried one as thick as this. i've dried one that was floating in a bottle before. If this works my scobys will be immortalized as wallets or shoes or dream catchers or whatever I can think of.

Gee, I'd better figure out how to make all that stuff, huh?

But are you wearing a white lab coat and giving a sinister laugh while you do it?

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Ok- this may get me kicked out ot the Kombucha Klub, but after drinking the sweetened/vinegared liquid from my beets, I think I might try to make beet juice (from real, not canned ones like at supper) and add it to the second ferment of a couple bottles. Beet Kvass, sorta. Supposed to be healthy for ya, and I love beets anyway, soooooooooooooo...[/COLOR]

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[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Ok- this may get me kicked out ot the Kombucha Klub, but after drinking the sweetened/vinegared liquid from my beets, I think I might try to make beet juice (from real, not canned ones like at supper) and add it to the second ferment of a couple bottles. Beet Kvass, sorta. Supposed to be healthy for ya, and I love beets anyway, soooooooooooooo...[/COLOR]

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[COLOR="Green"]Hey, I am up for any kind of Kombucha experimentation - is there a "law"/recipe that says that kombuch has to be brewed with sweet tea? My impression is that anything sweet qualifies - although I am more of a tea person than a beet person - I am more apt to brew with tea than beets, but heck, you have more than proven your worth as far as kombucha is concerned and you would never be excommunicated in my book.

I don't consider this group very traditional with regard to kombucha and if you find something that works that is outside of the kombucha realm well, all the better for us! [/COLOR]

[metqa]

My BF is insisting on his "kombucha' being brewed with red grape juice!

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by metqa

My BF is insisting on his "kombucha' being brewed with red grape juice!

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]I think they call that wine...[/COLOR]

[metqa]

He doesn't like wine, except for the table wines that are 5% or less alcohol and fruity juice flavored!

ETA: And he despises Beer! Not a big alcohol fan. though we'll occasionally indulge in multifiltered vodka.

[Faia]

Victor arrived today.

A few days ago I had purchased a jar with spigot, which today we discovered leaked somewhere it shouldn't.

Luckily another non-leaking jar with spigot was to hand, so Victor did not arrive to find himself homeless. Tea was brewed, a 'moving in' party was held, Victor is now hopefully recovering from his ordeal with the Post Office.

I also got a gallon jar of pickles today (it was on sale). The foundation for the Dollhouse has been laid. We just need to figure out what to do with a gallon of pickles in the next 8 - 14 days...

[pepperette]

Originally Posted by Faia

I also got a gallon jar of pickles today (it was on sale). The foundation for the Dollhouse has been laid. [COLOR="Red"]We just need to figure out what to do with a gallon of pickles in the next 8 - 14 days...[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Do what DS did...he ate the pickles!

Congrats on Victors safe arrival![/COLOR]

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[Faia]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Do what DS did...he ate the pickles!

[/COLOR]

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Can I borrow him? We have a lot of pickles. And they're big pickles, they won't fit in pint jars.

[JoSkids]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]I have 3- 1 gallon jars going, but things are going slow. Starting from scratch is a long process. But patience is a virtue....[/COLOR]

[micatee]

This sounds so confusing to even try! Saw it in whole foods but didn't buy it because my cart was full and was afraid I'd be short at the cashier!

[micatee]

Do you use regular tea bags in this? And do you grow your own mushrrom??

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by micatee

Do you use regular tea bags in this? And do you grow your own mushrrom??

[COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]You have to have a starter. You can get a mature scoby/mushroom from somewhere (there are people on this list who can send you one - and they are pretty hearty, from what I understand - the scoby is hearty - not the people, well maybe they are too... but that is a different topic all together ) Then you put your scoby/mushroom in sweet tea (made from tea bags and sweetened with sugar - yes sugar ) cover with cloth or coffee filter and let it "brew" till done (about 7-14 days, I think)

OR

you can start from scratch. Dump a bottle of Kombucha into your sweet tea and let it "brew". The sediment on the bottom of the bottle is basically the start of a scoby/mushroom. This way takes longer - believe me, I am doing it this way and I think people have already bottled some of their kombucha and mine is nowhere near ready. Either that or I am really impatient

It's not as complicated as it sounds, really you just gotta jump in and brew. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain considering the price of a bottle of kombucha!

[/COLOR]

[pepperette]

Originally Posted by micatee

This sounds so confusing to even try! Saw it in whole foods but didn't buy it because my cart was full and was afraid I'd be short at the cashier!

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]
Have you tried a flavor yet? If not, go get a couple and try them, then if you like them, you can decide if you want to brew your own. That's what I did, and fell in love with kombucha with the first drink! Now I am in the midst of my first brewing and can hardly wait till it's done with the first ferment.[/COLOR]

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[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]
Have you tried a flavor yet? If not, go get a couple and try them, then if you like them, you can decide if you want to brew your own. That's what I did, and fell in love with kombucha with the first drink! Now I am in the midst of my first brewing and can hardly wait till it's done with the first ferment.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR="Indigo"]Pepperette, when did you start your first brew - how many days are you into it now? Do you think it is almost ready to bottle?[/COLOR]

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Jo- I got Igor on the 4th. I tasted the tea Sunday (10th) and it was still sweet- kinda like apple juice, but room temp. Wed. will be day 10 and I was thinking originally to taste then, but since it was sweet Sun. I may wait till Fri. to taste again. [/COLOR]

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[metqa]

Your Blog is funny Pepperette!

[pepperette]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Thanks. Did you see your name there?[/COLOR]

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[metqa]

Originally Posted by pepperette

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Thanks. Did you see your name there?[/COLOR]

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I did.

[Kamalam]

Hey gals, can my scoby come over and play with your scobys? LOL. Just saw this thread and wanted to jump in. I haven't read all 14 (eep!) pages, but it's almost midnight so I'll catch up in the next few days.

We bought a continuous brewing system from gotkombucha.com and have been on a wonderful journey of experimentation and fizz seeking. We recently starting adding a little fruit juice (the concentrated kind, pure fruit juice from Trader Joes) to the carryout bottles (the second fermentation stage) and have been loving that, though I can drink it easily on its own.

Just had a couple of questions: Do any of you use a heating pad? We are reading how the scoby loves a temp of 86 degrees... It seems to take a week (week and a half?) of brewing in the crock, then we pour out about eighty percent of the mixture into the individual bottles where they sit for another week. Seems to be a rather long process... Or is that normal? I had read that with the heating pad, the first fermentation stage can be cut down to five days....

Oh, and do you think it's ok to leave the bottles fermenting on the counter or should they immediately go into the frig? I've read conflicting reports on that..

Thanks... I actually have a ton more questions but I'll save them for later(!)

[Faia]

Originally Posted by Kamalam

Just had a couple of questions: Do any of you use a heating pad? We are reading how the scoby loves a temp of 86 degrees... It seems to take a week (week and a half?) of brewing in the crock, then we pour out about eighty percent of the mixture into the individual bottles where they sit for another week. Seems to be a rather long process... Or is that normal? I had read that with the heating pad, the first fermentation stage can be cut down to five days....

Oh, and do you think it's ok to leave the bottles fermenting on the counter or should they immediately go into the frig? I've read conflicting reports on that..

Thanks... I actually have a ton more questions but I'll save them for later(!)

A commercial (home use) heating pad may not have the precise thermal control needed for something like this.

Bottling and going immediately to the fridge will slow or stall your secondary fermentation.

[Kamalam]

Thanks Faia for your input! I should have mentioned that the heating pad is from the kombucha website - apparently it's designed with the thermal control you mention. I think it was originally developed to help grow sprouts(?) so it's also waterproof... some people even buy two and wrap them around their crock. That would be a bit expensive for me right now, but I can see the advantage... On the other hand, the process we have now works, just takes a bit long. We're a family of three and we fight for that last bottle - long before the next batch is ready!

[metqa]

I think it's a way to make more money. One of my friends lives in maryland and couldn't do kombucha this winter cause the average house temp was 40-60!

If you room temperature is "room temperature" I don't think two weeks is too long to wait. more than that and I'd suspect something.

i've seen those ring pads that wrap around the jar. Very interesting.

YOur continuous brewer is probably large like mine so on top of the warm fridge is not an option, eh?

I think a week and a half is a good average. As the temps warm it will get shorter.

Leave your second bottles out at the same temp as your brew. You want them to keep working a bit before you chill them.

[Faia]

Originally Posted by Kamalam

On the other hand, the process we have now works, just takes a bit long. We're a family of three and we fight for that last bottle - long before the next batch is ready!

It is still a bit on the cool side, so this batch will run slow (a film on top is already forming), but in a few weeks things will be ideal. And a few weeks after that will have swung to too hot.

We're just hoping we can make enough to get through all of the flavor ideas we have.

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by metqa

I think it's a way to make more money. One of my friends lives in maryland and couldn't do kombucha this winter cause the average house temp was 40-60!

If you room temperature is "room temperature" I don't think two weeks is too long to wait. more than that and I'd suspect something.

i've seen those ring pads that wrap around the jar. Very interesting.

YOur continuous brewer is probably large like mine so on top of the warm fridge is not an option, eh?

I think a week and a half is a good average. As the temps warm it will get shorter.

Leave your second bottles out at the same temp as your brew. You want them to keep working a bit before you chill them.

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Being in Northern California, we have fairly moderate temperatures and I think mine is going to take a while - especially since I started from scratch. My jars are in a small free standing cabinet and I thought that I could put a heating pad in the cabinet - not near the kombucha (on another shelf) and just turn it on for a little while each day - that would warm up the cabinet a bit, but not overheat it and it wouldn't be in direct contact with the jars in case the heating pad got too warm - which they do.. OR I could just be patient.[/COLOR]

[metqa]

I nearly killed my first and only scoby with a heating pad so I'm a bit wary. It wasn't designed for it but I still feel scared to use it. Maybe one with a thermometer and auto adjust would be cool.

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by metqa

I nearly killed my first and only scoby with a heating pad so I'm a bit wary. It wasn't designed for it but I still feel scared to use it. Maybe one with a thermometer and auto adjust would be cool.

[COLOR="Olive"]Heating pad would be last resort, my brew is coming along - albeit slowly - I don't think I will mess with it.

The heating pad would not be in direct contact with the jar - it would be on a completely different shelf (not on for long periods of time) just to warm up the environment.

I have triplets - think of the pyschological damage if one of them were to bite the bullet - years of scoby therapy for the surviving scoby's - what a heartbreaking thought & a lot of $$ [/COLOR]

[metqa]

Scoby Psychiatry!

Thanks JS for the heating pad tips. I can't wait to start making yogurt again. My heating pad is warm enough to keep them happy so that is too hot for scoby.