Kombucha Tea - gave it a taste

[big brown horse]

I just fold the scoby up and put it in a glass canning jar and fill it with filtered water. Learn from my mistakes, mark a date on the jar and replace it with a fresh one now and then (monthly? Don't know.) You will have plenty, as you now know!

I did use a crock with a spigot, and you know those thready, filmy things in the finished kombucha? They will lodge in the spigot and clog it ultimately, and will be all but impossible to clean out. I went back to using my gallon glass jars!

Thank you!!

 

[big brown horse]

My latest batch is pretty vinegary, but drinkable. Did I ruin it?

My last batch tasted lemony and a tiny bit sweet...really good, but perhaps not quite finished? Anyone want to comment on how their tea tastes?

 

[freemotion]

Ah, the joys of fermented foods....always an adventure! Vinegary means it fermented a bit too long, still drinkable, but....Sweet means it needs a little more time. Room temperature makes a difference, too. In the hot summer in my house, a week can do it. In the winter, 3 weeks!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Just wanted to report that I got my mother today. It's huge!!!! about 5-6" wide, and about 1/2" thick. thei instructions I got said to make a liter (quart) to start. couldn't a mother this big make a biger batch of it?


Anywyas, I've got my black tea cooling and will add the mother later on tonight. I'm very excited about it.

Oh, and the guy I bought it from let me have a taste of his. It tasted like sweet iced tea, with a bottle of sprite or somehting added to it.--like a fizzy iced tea. It was quite delish! Kinda lemony, but not vinegar-y.

also, ity says to start it with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, since I don't have any premade kombucha.

 

[big brown horse]

Does the ACV have to have the "mother" in it? Like Mrs. Braggs?

Good luck to you!

 

[miss_thenorth]

No, he said it can be regular ACV, but I think I am going to use my braggs anyways Why is ti, that when you make a cup of coffee, it cools down extremely quickly, but if you are waitng for a litre of tea to cool down--it takes forever. i'm supposed to wait for the tea to cool down before i add the mother and ACV.

 

[freemotion]

I make two gallons at a time, and I boil the tea the night before so I don't have to check it every five minutes, being the patient (NOT!) soul that I am....

I don't see why you can't make a gallon (four liters!) the first time, I did and it was fine. Maybe he wants it to have a little rest the first time, and have a chance to get going again.

The acv or a bit of finished kombucha is to protect it from mold while it is getting going converting all the sugar.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, I tried my tea this morning... I couldn't get over how much it tasted like apple cider. It was quite good! So, now I hve two new batches brewing,--i read up online alot, so I thought I'd be brave enough to make bigger batches. I was able to get two -one gallon- pickle jars, so they are now my new kombucha jars.

There is no turning back now .

 

[me&thegals]

I love your enthusiasm, MTN! Isn't it fun? I like the option of feeding mine to the chickens in their waterers when I get behind on drinking mine.

My MIL and FIL are now drinking kombucha. Wowza! And, my dad wants me to get him set up. My mom, weary of his health fads, had asked me to please not get him started. <evil laughter>

 

[miss_thenorth]

I love your enthusiasm, MTN! Isn't it fun? I like the option of feeding mine to the chickens in their waterers when I get behind on drinking mine.


My MIL and FIL are now drinking kombucha. Wowza! And, my dad wants me to get him set up. My mom, weary of his health fads, had asked me to please not get him started. <evil laughter>

My mom has said she is willing to try making it. My dh and kids want to drink it. And my dh's friend is interestd in making it. Other than that, I think the composter will be getting lotsa little babies. But, if the health benefits are what they say they are, it will be all worth it to make. I'm looking forward to it!!