More about Kombucha

[so lucky]

I know we had a kombucha thread going a couple of weeks ago, but I can't find it now. I think I have finally made the perfect batch of kombucha. Mine had been getting too vinegary as I waited for the sugar to be eaten up, but I sampled a batch I started on Aug 3rd, this evening and dang it is good! and carbonated! So I sliced some fresh ginger into the individual jars that I strained it into, filled them about 1/8th inch from the top, used wax paper to protect the liquid from the metal screw top, and capped them up tight. I will leave the jars on my counter for only 24 hours this time, then stick them in the fridge. The last batch I had turned really vinegary after I put the ginger in and left to carbonate.
You know, they always say don't use any fruit or juice while it is brewing, because the fruit might kill the scoby, which makes sense. But this batch grew a nearly 1/4 inch new scoby on it, on top of the floating ginger pieces! So much for killing your scoby!
If it is not gingery enough, I think I will try juicing some ginger and putting it in the bouch. Trying to get it as much like Synergy Ginger as I can. If anyone knows any other ways to get it ginger tasting, maybe you can share? Thanks.

 

[KnittyGritty]

I've done a lemon ginger on the second ferment, using 3 T. lemon juice and 1 T. slivered uncrystallized candied ginger (from Trader Joe's), but it wasn't flavored stongly enough for me. I think next time I'll try 4 T. lemon juice and either 2 T. slivered ginger or even try fresh ginger. How much fresh ginger did you use per individual bottle?

 

[Emerald]

I like the ginger kombucha too and had a problem getting enuf ginger taste in my secondary ferment. I used about three slices about the size of a quarter and then sliced them into chunks to get them in the flip top bottles and it was okay.
My favorite fruit combo is fresh pineapple and ginger.. But... be very careful opening the bottle.. for some reason the fresh pineapple and ginger combo would make it super fizzy and if you shook the bottle too much getting it out and opening it you got a kombucha fountain! Made me and the whole kitchen nice and sticky one day.

 

[so lucky]

I use about three or four quarter size slices of ginger, too. The last ginger I bought was organic. I think it has more juice than the stuff walmart has. I have been super pleased with the kombucha. It foams like beer when I pour it into individual pint jars to do the second ferment. I think I'll go get some now.

 

[KnittyGritty]

I just opened one of my latest bottles (I recycle beer bottles and use a bottle capper) that I added 2 T. slivered candied ginger instead of 1 T. It tastes MUCH better! I'll try fresh ginger next and compare.

 

[Emerald]

I just opened one of my latest bottles (I recycle beer bottles and use a bottle capper) that I added 2 T. slivered candied ginger instead of 1 T. It tastes MUCH better! I'll try fresh ginger next and compare.

Thanks for that bit of info... I made a batch of candied ginger last month and have a couple jars of it put in the fridge.. gonna try that next batch!!

 

[Boogity]

At the risk of hijacking this thread (please excuse me "so lucky") I would like to ask a question about how you guys brew your kombucha.

Here's how I do it:
3 Qt. water
2 teabags of organic black tea
2 teabags of organic green tea
3/4 C. sugar
Bring water to a full boil for 5 min. - turn off heat and steep teabags for 10 min. - remove teabags and add sugar - stir w/wooden spoon - allow to cool to +/-90F and pour into glass bowl - add SCOBY and 1 C. of old kombucha - cover w/cloth and allow to "work" for 7 days at room temperature - remove SCOBY and pour liquid into a clean 1 gal. plastic milk bottle w/lid and place in 'frig.

I sometimes allow it to "work" for 8 or 9 days but it usually gets too vinegary for me when I do. I have never learned how to do a second fermentation. And I have never learned to add fruit. I store my SCOBY and 1 C. of the new kombucha in the 'frig in a plastic bowl with an air-tight lid.

I sometimes mix 3 oz. kombucha and 3 oz. grape juice but my brew never tastes very good no mater what I do. I drink about 4 to 6 oz. with breakfast about 3 times a week. Since it never tastes very good I find myself drinking it less and less as time goes by.

Can someone help me get back on the right track? I'm a little bit frustrated and about to bail out on the whole kombucha idea after two years of trying. Also does anyone actually notice any health benefits or any digestion effects or do you think it may only be the power of suggestion.

Thanks.

 

[KnittyGritty]

Sounds similar to my method - I use 4 qts. water, 5 tea bags (usually 2 black and 3 green), 1 C. sugar. I bring the water to a boil, add sugar and boil 3 min., turn off heat and add tea bags, steep 10 min. Then cool and pour into jug (I have a 1-1/2 gal. with spigot), add starter liquid and SCOBY. I let it brew for 1 week, remove SCOBY and about 1 C. kombucha, rebottle with whatever flavorings I want, or just plain with 1/8 t. sugar for it to feed off of for the next 2 days, put on the bottle cap, and let it sit for 2 more days. Then I refrigerate. If I'm not starting another batch right away, I keep my SCOBY in its liquid on the counter, covered with a towel. I've read several places to never refrigerate your SCOBY, but I've also read that you CAN refrigerate it if you're not going to make more for awhile, so I'm not sure. When I let it sit awhile, it grows another thin SCOBY the size of the jar it's in; I just put it in all together when I make my next batch.

After drinking a few of my candied ginger bottles, I think it's too sweet. I'm going to try just straight fresh ginger next.

 

[KnittyGritty]

............but I do enjoy eating the candied ginger slivers from the bottle after I drink the kombucha - mmmmmm!

 

[Emerald]

At the risk of hijacking this thread (please excuse me "so lucky") I would like to ask a question about how you guys brew your kombucha.

Here's how I do it:
3 Qt. water
2 teabags of organic black tea
2 teabags of organic green tea
3/4 C. sugar
Bring water to a full boil for 5 min. - turn off heat and steep teabags for 10 min. - remove teabags and add sugar - stir w/wooden spoon - allow to cool to +/-90F and pour into glass bowl - add SCOBY and 1 C. of old kombucha - cover w/cloth and allow to "work" for 7 days at room temperature - remove SCOBY and pour liquid into a clean 1 gal. plastic milk bottle w/lid and place in 'frig.

I sometimes allow it to "work" for 8 or 9 days but it usually gets too vinegary for me when I do. I have never learned how to do a second fermentation. And I have never learned to add fruit. I store my SCOBY and 1 C. of the new kombucha in the 'frig in a plastic bowl with an air-tight lid.

I sometimes mix 3 oz. kombucha and 3 oz. grape juice but my brew never tastes very good no mater what I do. I drink about 4 to 6 oz. with breakfast about 3 times a week. Since it never tastes very good I find myself drinking it less and less as time goes by.

Can someone help me get back on the right track? I'm a little bit frustrated and about to bail out on the whole kombucha idea after two years of trying. Also does anyone actually notice any health benefits or any digestion effects or do you think it may only be the power of suggestion.

Thanks.

I know that this is going to sound a bit "preachy" but here goes..
STOP WITH THE PLASTIC! acid of any kind will leach things out of the plastics. I am a known plastiphobe and have been switching almost everything I cook with/eat off of/ drink out of to glass or stainless steel. Every thing that I have read on line says not to brew kombucha or store it in plastic( sending Mothers/SCOBYs thru the mail in foodsaver bags is about the only thing I have seen ).
I see you go to the expense of buying organic teas but yet put your brew in plastic milk jugs?
I like vinegar so to me even if mine gets a bit too vinegary I still drink it.. but when it gets to total vinegar I used it like vinegar.. mix it right into my salad dressings to make vinaigrette. I haven't pickled anything with it yet tho. (not sure of the %acid it has)
Do you like the GT Daves store bought kombucha? To me that is what the second ferment gets me.. not quite as fruity as some of that brand but nice and fizzy.
Also if you think it is too strong flavored try brewing it just with green tea or even white tea. Try to find a spot that is a bit cooler and let it brew slower. Taste it and when it is almost to the tart dry stage but you still taste the sweet bottle it in glass bottles. the little bit of sugar in the kombucha will finish the ferment in the bottle to make the fizz. Hubby bought me the brown beer type bottles with the swing bale tops for making root beer and they work great for Kombucha. But big fido jars would also work to keep the fizz but let the pressure not build to bomb levels.
This is also when I put in the flavorings like a few tablespoons of raspberry puree or a few chunks of pineapple(not canned ever.. that tinned taste is repulsive in kombucha) and even ginger. The Grape juice I buy is frozen concentrate(organic) and put a tablespoon in but for some reason it just never tastes as good as GTDaves.. never that nice fizzy grape soda flavor.
I go in huge steaks of drinking kombucha and then not. I have noticed that when I start again after a few months of not drinking it, when I shower in the morning it almost smells like my sweat run off in the water is coppery or metallic for about three or four days. I do feel better when I drink kombucha. It does seem to balance my insides. I have no gallbladder as I had to have it removed and for those who are gall bladder free they will know the tummy issues that happen after you have them taken out.

I found that the bigger and thicker my mother is the faster it will brew a batch(made in one gallon glass pickle/relish/olive jars that my BIL gets me from his restaurant). It also seems to brew super fast in the summer and mega slow in the winter as I keep the house cold in the winter. I guess what I am trying to say is-- it is a bit of an art to balance what you want your kombucha to taste like and knowing when to get the second ferment going. I am gonna tell ya when I first started brewing there were a few batches that the chickens got to drink.. And there were some batches that were like champagne to drink they were so lovely.