Kombucha

[j4Christ]

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

Since I started brewing some months back, I have 5 hours more energy a day (up from barely 1) & just today my body made me aware that the arthritic pain & stiffness in the low back has diminished significantly!

That is awesome!! I sure could use that kind of energy! How much KT do you drink a day? Do you drink it throughout the day?

[Selahgal]

Originally Posted by j4Christ

That is awesome!! I sure could use that kind of energy! How much KT do you drink a day? Do you drink it throughout the day?

I need some of that energy too!!!

[iamfaithful]

I can't believe this!

Took 30 min to type in a reply this AM & it got lost....

Basically- when I started brewing in June I barely could function most days-a plethra of health issues- Now I have energy to spare but find I have to use caution and pace myself as I am not sure yet how my muscles will respond...

I drink a glass Maybe 12oz 1st thing in morning & then maybe more later in the day ~ sometimes I stick a straw in a brewer when I pass. This morning I was running short as I just rebuilt everything so I went to the Hotel.... My body is craving what is in the KT & it feels like I am getting a younger body!

Now that is desperate! Yes, I poured out a glass & drank it! It was OK! Better than none! Saved enough to start a batch & leave some for the SCOBIES or me again if I get desperate..

I had a dream about KT in April & found this thread.. Researched & bougt a bottle of GT's Original.. Tasted it in the store & bought a 2nd immediately. Started a SCOBY & ordered a case drom another place because I was not going to pay $4.98 + tax for more than the 1st 2.

The rest is history - this thread got revived, we are active & "gifting" and Metqa's giant SCOBY is now at home in my large brewer with black tea & a bag of egg shells tucked nicely underneath her. Day 1 and counting...

BTW ~ Porcupine thanks for the LBKKF 898 so

My white tea started Friday is making a nice baby but seems it is FOREVER til I can drink it! Maybe black tea will hurry up!

[porcupine73]

That's wonderful!

I received my SCOBY from metqa today too! Wow it is huge! What should I use to brew this in? I have a gallon glass jar set up with the tea in it, but the SCOBY is much much larger around than the jar. Should I use a larger dish? I have something like a casserole dish that would be about the size of the SCOBY? Thanks!

[metqa]

Cut it to size. You can chop it in two and put both halves in your jar, then when a new scoby forms pull one out to start a hotel, or make two batches with each half, or three or four.

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by porcupine73

That's wonderful!

I received my SCOBY from metqa today too! Wow it is huge! What should I use to brew this in? I have a gallon glass jar set up with the tea in it, but the SCOBY is much much larger around than the jar. Should I use a larger dish? I have something like a casserole dish that would be about the size of the SCOBY? Thanks!

If it is like mine I agree!
You could:
1 Squash it down under your tea & it will form baby on top.
2 Cut in thirds & go get 2 more gallon jars & brew more tea, & more hankies etc.
3 Nibble off the edges & swallow the pieces, until it is the right size.
4 Trim it to size & put the clippings in a jar with sweet tea & start a hotel.
5 PM Metqa and request her ideas.
6 Any but #3

You only need a piece of a SCOBY to brew your KT

More jars = More KT = better health!

[porcupine73]

Great thanks for the info faithful and metqa, and thank you metqa for sending the enormous SCOBY! Do you think this will be alright? I took a large dish that pretty much fits the SCOBY, poured the extra tea in the bag on top, then covered it with a t-shirt? The masking tape idea is from Eat Fat, Lose Fat.

The tea was a little over 3 quarts water, 8 Tetley black tea bags, let it cool, added 1 cup sugar, then put it in the bowl.

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by porcupine73

Great thanks for the info faithful and metqa, and thank you metqa for sending the enormous SCOBY! Do you think this will be alright? I took a large dish that pretty much fits the SCOBY, poured the extra tea in the bag on top, then covered it with a t-shirt? The masking tape idea is from Eat Fat, Lose Fat.

The tea was a little over 3 quarts water, 8 Tetley black tea bags, let it cool, added 1 cup sugar, then put it in the bowl.

Looks great! I don't have a dish that big!

[porcupine73]

Thanks for all the help! The baby is resting on top of the refrigerator. I just wasn't sure if that setup was going to work. For some reason I thought you had to use a jar. That is a 5qt I believe dish from Walmart. I have a couple because it is the largest dish I can fit in my toaster oven so I use them for roasts.

LBKKF 898 - Local Brotherhood of Kombucha and Kefir Fermenters

[iamfaithful]

I know of people (U-Tube) that use bowls etc-

5 qt??? You must have a big toaster oven. Mine will do a 12" pizza but I don't think a dish that big will fit.

I think we use jars cause they are easier & easy to come by. Remember your baby SCOBY will be the same size as the top of your liquid cause it forms on top.

[porcupine73]

Thanks for the info! When I get the next batch going I will probably cut the baby to fit the 1 gallon jar because that will take up less space too. I hadn't thought about the baby becoming the size of the dish...that means it is going to get even bigger. Did you ever see the movie Little Shop of Horrors?

That 5qt is the largest that will fit in the toaster oven, but just barely. Actually the door won't quite completely close with it in there. When my oven broke, I just picked that one up at Walmart because it had the rotisserie built in with it and wasn't too expensive.

[j4Christ]

Faithful-the KT seems like a miracle elixer for you. That is awesome. Did you lose the 20 lbs. doing modified Dukan? How did you modify? I've been interested in the plan.

Well, scoby #1 wasn't as layered as I thought so I just plopped her into the white grape juice (WGJ) to get that brew going. I hope the filmy new scoby that was forming in CB didn't get disturbed too much and can keep CB going.

[iamfaithful]

[QUOTE=j4Christ;14945115]Faithful-the KT seems like a miracle elixer for you. That is awesome. Did you lose the 20 lbs. doing modified Dukan? How did you modify? I've been interested in the plan.QUOTE]

It was on Dukan & thanks for the info on the link. Looks like they went from a main link to the monthly so I guess I have a lot of reading to do and I will jump in there too.

As I stated what I wound up with was what worked for me ~ Best of Dukan & what works for my body and brain!

This is wierd cause I am actually on a computer and all the keys are in the wrong places but at least I can use 10 fingers! Tomorrow I go back to being all thumbs again

I also drink a lot of Kefir both water and milk. I cant remember, do you do either or both

Either of them (and the KT) you could use on Dukan (modified). Milk Kefir is so nourishing and when made with 2% milk very Dukan... but I like to think of it as a new lifestyle of eating not somebody's diet plan....

[metqa]

Faithful the grains came Yesterday, Thanks/

[iamfaithful]

[j4Christ]

Patiently waiting on WGJ brew (need a toe tapping, arms crossed smilie)

Faithful, I looked over the Dukan website and I like alot of the ideas. I think I will stick w/ a meat/egg plan and add vegies when desired. I just can't seem to give up 1/2 & 1/2 in coffee (skim milk just doesn't cut it). I am going to get some oat bran and skim yogurt and along w/ KT that should be a pretty healthful, weight loss plan

Sorry, ladies and gents, didn't mean to turn this into a Dukan discussion

Hope all is well on the brewing front!!

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by j4Christ

Patiently waiting on WGJ brew (need a toe tapping, arms crossed smilie)

Faithful, I looked over the Dukan website and I like alot of the ideas. I think I will stick w/ a meat/egg plan and add vegies when desired. I just can't seem to give up 1/2 & 1/2 in coffee (skim milk just doesn't cut it). I am going to get some oat bran and skim yogurt and along w/ KT that should be a pretty healthful, weight loss plan

Sorry, ladies and gents, didn't mean to turn this into a Dukan discussion

Hope all is well on the brewing front!!

I'm sorry please translate WGJ for me..
I cant get used to this laptop but still easier than thumbs
It scrolls funny and the owner is NOT here to explain its operation not that I would understand

If you cant give up the half n half then DONT! remember my theory- If it is hard or difficult to follow ~ it probably wont work. The little bit you have every day certainly wont kill you or do you drink a quart a day? Oh and for the yogurt might try Milk Kefir... better for you and you can make it for pennies... I can probably send you some grains in a couple of weeks when the ones I got from Sandy sjl330 XX (multiply). Let me know, I can mail to your church if DH would rather it not come to your home.

We are if not flexible here.... nothing is off limits ~ well some things are !
Who knows, if you had not said there was a Dukan thread I might not have looked for it.

Email or PM me any time you want!

[porcupine73]

Thanks again metqa for the huge SCOBY! The baby (well ok it is a big baby) is brewing away it looks like and has formed the second little baby on top.

Also, the storebought Kombucha baby you instructed me to start was doing quite well, so I put it in a gallon of sweet black tea last night, and poured some of the liquid on top! That was KT's raw kombucha (which also had chlorella and some other stuff in it, which looked like it settled to the bottom, so I just poured it liquid off the top).

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this comment I saw in Eat Fat, Lose Fat. It said to use organic black tea because non-organic tends to have higher levels of flouride?

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by porcupine73

Thanks again metqa for the huge SCOBY! The baby (well ok it is a big baby) is brewing away it looks like and has formed the second little baby on top.

Also, the storebought Kombucha baby you instructed me to start was doing quite well, so I put it in a gallon of sweet black tea last night, and poured some of the liquid on top! That was KT's raw kombucha (which also had chlorella and some other stuff in it, which looked like it settled to the bottom, so I just poured it liquid off the top).

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this comment I saw in Eat Fat, Lose Fat. It said to use organic black tea because non-organic tends to have higher levels of flouride?

No clue on the last part! People use lots of kinds & types of tea... What they like, what they can afford. Guess it is how much of a purest they are as well.

I was talking to someone about white, green, black tea. Can't remember who- so if you are reading this, PLS correct me if I tell this wrong.

I "think" I was told - black tea is fermented longer than green & green longer than white.

OK I know white are youngest leaves, green - next & black most mature - at least I think I know...

Now what I wonder ARE TEA LEAVES FETMENTED? Maybe you computerized internet wizards can answer that for me.

We were talking about why black KT brews quicker than green and green quicker than white...

[j4Christ]

Morning all...still waiting on WGJ (white grape juice) brew. A bit too sweet for me. It's back to school for me so I'm kinda scarce these days

[porcupine73]

Hi faithful. I looked into tea fermenting, here's what I found:

Originally Posted by http://www.tenren.com/fermentation.html

The term fermentation when applied to tea is something of a misnomer, as the term actually refers to how much a tea is allowed to undergo enzymatic oxidation by allowing the freshly picked tea leaves to dry.

Non-fermented and Very Light Fermentation: These teas retain quite a bit of their original flavor. Green teas fall in this category. Examples of Non-fermented and very light fermented teas: Green Tea, Dragonwell Green Tea, Pi Lo Chun, Steaming Green (Sencha), Jasmine scented Green tea, Yellow Tea, White Tea.

Semi-fermented: Tea which are allowed to undergo 10% to 80% fermentation fall into the broad category of semi-fermented teas. Tea brewed from semi-fermented tea leaves have a slight yellow to brown hue and possess a subtle fragrant aroma. These teas can be further classified into three categories based on their levels of fermentation:

Light (10% - 20%): Jasmine Tea (Pouchong scented with Jasmine petals), Pouchong Tea.
Medium (20% - 50%): Oolong, Tung-Ting Oolong, Ti-Kuan Yin, TenRen's King's Tea.
Heavy (50% - 80%): Champagne Oolong.

Fully-fermented: Black teas are fully fermented. Tea from Black tea leaves have a dark red hue and a sweet aroma of malt sugar. Example: Black Tea.

Post-fermented: Teas which are allowed to ferment and then have the processed stopped and later fermented again are known as post-fermented tea. Example: Pu-Erh Tea.

[metqa]

Tea naturally contains FLOURINE not flouride. they are different.

[iamfaithful]

OK Porcupine is the internet gru and answered my question...
Metqa answered Porpucine's question..

Gee... we might answer all the questions in the world if allowed enough time...

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by j4Christ

Morning all...still waiting on WGJ (white grape juice) brew. A bit too sweet for me. It's back to school for me so I'm kinda scarce these days

Good luck at school, we are pulling for you.
The only thing I have to fear is fear itself.... cant remember where it comes from.

Waiting with you on the grape experiment...

BTW the picture to the left is me every day!

[j4Christ]

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

Good luck at school, we are pulling for you.
The only thing I have to fear is fear itself.... cant remember where it comes from.

Waiting with you on the grape experiment...

BTW the picture to the left is me every day!

Thanks!! And I don't believe your avi is you every day, but it sure gave me a giggle

[iamfaithful]

Yep! I was surprised to find something that fit my personal way I feel! I thought "THAT IS ME!"

Kinda strung out, kind of goofey, & a lot wierd!

[porcupine73]

Metqa the big SCOBY you sent me has been in the tea nine days now. How long should I leave it brewing? It has formed another huge thick SCOBY on top. I sampled the liquid with a straw but it still tastes sweeter than I would like. Maybe I used too much sugar? Thanks!

Thanks for the flourine info too!

The scoby formed from the store bought KT's kombucha set in a jar for a week or so is also now brewing in a separate gallon jar, thanks for that tip!

[j4Christ]

Originally Posted by porcupine73

Metqa the big SCOBY you sent me has been in the tea nine days now. How long should I leave it brewing? It has formed another huge thick SCOBY on top. I sampled the liquid with a straw but it still tastes sweeter than I would like. Maybe I used too much sugar? Thanks!

Thanks for the flourine info too!

The scoby formed from the store bought KT's kombucha set in a jar for a week or so is also now brewing in a separate gallon jar, thanks for that tip!

Same with my WGJ brew. Scoby is growing!! but brew tastes just like sweet grape juice Hopefully someone will enlighten us!!

[iamfaithful]

Porcupine, mine is still brewing too. I put it in my 2.7 gal brewer. First with 1 gal then 5 days later a 2nd gal.. I am slowly rebuilding the tank but forgot to put a spice bag around the inside og the spigoy!

A week is way to short for starting a brew! 10 - 14 days is normal at warm temps. The ones I posted on FB 2 weeks ago I bottled plain last night but added 1/4 tsp sugar /16 oz because of the fizz factor. I did 4 16oz & 4 1liter bottles. They were white tea- don't know why the lack of fizz-might be cause I dumped all three in a big -- pan then strained into pitcher & poured through funnel into pitcher. Enoug to UNFIZZ anything!

Now the wait for 2nd ferment... Hoping CB is done by then! I miss drawing off a glass a day! But I still have 4 bottles I confinscated from #1 son.

I am tired today.. Spelling not good. Had kiddos last night. Tomorrow is a day to catch up on sleep!

[iamfaithful]

Originally Posted by j4Christ

Same with my WGJ brew. Scoby is growing!! but brew tastes just like sweet grape juice Hopefully someone will enlighten us!!

J4Christ let it go! It is an experiment anyway! GJ has a lot of sugar in it!

I am in the NFL (No Fun League) today. Too pooped 2 pop! I am too old for high energy kids... 1 more hour then to grammas to care for her the rest of the day! Tomorrow is mine!

Have fun!