More about Kombucha

[KnittyGritty]

I agree about the importance of using glass. One thing, though - I've always read that although you can use green tea, you must use at least one tea bag of black for a proper brew. Anyone know if this is true?

 

[Boogity]

. . . you must use at least one tea bag of black for a proper brew. Anyone know if this is true?

Yeah, that's what I was told also. Something about the tannin (or tannic acid) in the black tea starts the process.

 

[Emerald]

I go by what Dom's Kombucha site says.. you can use any type of tea(that is tea*) in any combination or straight. From green teas to black teas to white teas to the green macha Japanese teas.. There is a bit of tannin in all tea types. But I've never even read that it is the tannin that kombucha works with. Most information that I have looked up in the past says that it works on the sugar you add and the caffeine in the tea(kinda). ETA: http://users.bestweb.net/~om/~kombu/FAQ/part01g.html FAQ about kombucha
A fine thread about kombucha and how to do second ferments is at Motheringdotcom and is by Wild Iris. it is the one I started with and if you don't like to read don't bother it was over 60 pages long when I stopped going there. but was full of great information on how to start a scoby from GTdaves kombucha and how to keep it going and how to do second ferments.
There are so many good sites on the internet about kombucha now that a few minutes surfing can really answer many questions. When I started brewing and drinking there were not as many. The only ones you read with a grain of salt are the ones that are "selling" a product.. you kinda have to read around some of their claims.

*When I say tea I mean the plant Camilla sinises and it's many forms. You don't use herbals for this. I only add different stuff after I've brewed the kombucha and am doing a second ferment. Dom claims that you may "change" the type of bacteria and yeasts in the Scoby if you add things that are not tea.. But he is experimenting with kefir and kombucha.


I am also just telling about the kombucha that I personally have brewed and drank. Sorry if I sounded like a know it all..

 

[so lucky]

Nope. You just sound like you know what you are talking about. How long is your second ferment? I just tried adding in a chunk of fresh pineapple, with the ginger, to the second ferment, and OH. MY! It is good! and a lot of carbonation! I haven't blown anything up yet, but sort of have a fear of that, so I don't leave my second ferment any longer than about 36 hours. I also wonder if I can freeze pineapple, as I don't always have it lying around fresh. I'm going to have to start making more than a gallon per week, because I can drink all that and it doesn't leave any for DH!

 

[Emerald]

I've frozen pineapple in small amount so so I could use it in my kombucha. I normally in the summer let it sit out or in cupboard for a couple days only and then it all goes in the fridge. the longest I've had one in the fridge was about 2 months.. one got pushed to the back of the fridge.. only thing I noticed was it started to grow it's own scoby. It was nice and fizzy still.
in the winter I keep the house quite cool and it takes up to a week to 10 days for my second ferment to get that same fizz.
Now I need to get my kombucha revamped it has been about 5 months since I brewed a batch. hope my mother isn't too tired from being ignored!

 

[so lucky]

I've frozen pineapple in small amount so so I could use it in my kombucha. I normally in the summer let it sit out or in cupboard for a couple days only and then it all goes in the fridge. the longest I've had one in the fridge was about 2 months.. one got pushed to the back of the fridge.. only thing I noticed was it started to grow it's own scoby. It was nice and fizzy still.
in the winter I keep the house quite cool and it takes up to a week to 10 days for my second ferment to get that same fizz.
Now I need to get my kombucha revamped it has been about 5 months since I brewed a batch. hope my mother isn't too tired from being ignored!

Hehe, when my mother is ignored, she e-mails me.

 

[Emerald]

I've frozen pineapple in small amount so so I could use it in my kombucha. I normally in the summer let it sit out or in cupboard for a couple days only and then it all goes in the fridge. the longest I've had one in the fridge was about 2 months.. one got pushed to the back of the fridge.. only thing I noticed was it started to grow it's own scoby. It was nice and fizzy still.
in the winter I keep the house quite cool and it takes up to a week to 10 days for my second ferment to get that same fizz.
Now I need to get my kombucha revamped it has been about 5 months since I brewed a batch. hope my mother isn't too tired from being ignored!

Hehe, when my mother is ignored, she e-mails me.

I am so glad I wasn't drinking anything! I'd of ruined my laptop!!!!

 

[Candy]

I make mine with ginger tea
and or ginger lemon tea
and ginger green tea bags

Its soooo good!

I use those giant vlasic pickle jars and always one cup of sugar.

When you make new batch save one cup of the old batch and add it with the scoby

 

[Dawn419]

I've got a Kombucha starter kit ordered and it should be here by the end of the week! Wanted to make my own but cannot find the raw, organic Kombucha locally.

Since I'm reading everything I can find on it, I thought I'd add some of the threads that I found here on the forum to this one.


Kombucha Q&A

Is my Kombucha suposed to taste like this?

Make your own kombucha scoby

New To Kombucha Making.....

Double fermented kombucha

Kombucha scoby clothing!

Interesting ways/ideas for your Kombucha!

SCOBY ISSUES

kombucha scooby ?

Kombucha Tea - gave it a taste

Will add more links here as I find them.

 

[Dawn419]

I think I'm suffering from information overload...

We are rural enough that this is not known in our area, hence me buying in the starter kit. Our favorite health food store has closed down and the ones locally that are left do not carry bulk teas and look at us like freaks for asking about them.

So, my question is...where are you getting your teas to continue brewing. I don't want to use the 100-count crap from WallyWorld and that is about my only option, locally. Looking on-line to buy bulk, loose to and am feeling overwhelmed...

Help!!!