Preparing for the arrival of my new Scoby!!!

[FarmerChick]

when she gets her scoby (the slimy squiggly thing that makes it kombucha


good gracious---the slimy squiggly thing


YIKES

The BLOB sounds like a good name for it.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

LOL! Well it is sort of slimy & squiggly.

When DH brought mine home (he got it from a friend while visiting family out of state) his whole family had to gawk at it and debate what it really looked like. Most of them thought it looked like a blob, so you're probably right.
Here's one

 

[big brown horse]

Noobie, you make yours with other tea flavors? I didn't know you could do that.


My tea tastes like a sparkling lemon drink. I drink it plain, undiluted.

 

[FarmerChick]

HOLY MOLEY!!!

that almost looks alive..HA HA

scary actually.

WOOF!

and you drink from this thing??????
you want to drink from this in the jar????


you got me laughing...LOL


OK---name it The Thing from the Adams family!!!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Dace, I'd brew the tea the day the scoby comes in. You don't want it sitting too long and growing germs or mold. If you brew it at night and let it sit, covered overnight, you'll be at the perfect temp. Leave the scoby on the counter too, so it and the tea will be at the same temp. There's good instructions on the Kombucha Tea thread.

BBH, I've used a mix of black & green tea to do the actual brewing, so far. Micah (my friend that sent me the scoby) has brewed with every type of tea he drinks, which is a lot. He's been brewing his own KT, beer and wine for years, so I kinda trust his judgement. The starter tea that he sent with my scoby was originally nettle & lemongrass.

But, after it finished brewing, I've mixed it with lots of cold/cool drinks, fruity-berry tea, fruit juice, regular black tea, honey-water, no dairy though. You ever squirt lemon juice into milk? Yeah great for baking if you don't have buttermilk, not so much for drinking straight. The acid in the kombucha curdled the milk when DH tried it. "I warned you..." I had to laugh at him.

FC, yep, its very tasty. You don't drink the pancakey thing, you put that into tea and it turns regular, sugar-sweetened tea into a slightly fizzy, lemony tasting brew after a few days. I got it because DH has had digestive issues and it helps with those. It's also an immune booster. We're all drinking it now, about 2 tablespoons per day for the kids, DH & I are up to 1/4 cup a day or a little more.

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks Noobie!! Dace forget what I said about only using one flavor!

We drink about 8 oz a day here.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Did you start out drinking that much? Someone warned me about working up to it, that it could actually cause issues if you jumped right into it. Kinda like building up your tolerance to Vit C. 8-12 ounces is what Micah drinks per day.

Early last week is when my first batch got really ready. I tasted it several times from beginning to when I bottled it and stuck it in the fridge. I just stuck a straw into the edge & capped it with my finger to get a sample, so I wouldn't disturb the growing baby, to much anyways

I made about 1 quart the first time. This go round I made a gallon, thanks to a gallon pickle jar mom saved for me. Yay mom & her pickle addiction.

 

[big brown horse]

Yeah, we started with shot glasses at first. But I had already been buying it to drink at the health food store so I thought what the hay, and drank a couple of tea cup's worth from then on.

It is fun to use your wedding tea set to drink it. Finally a use for that junk! My daughter and I are kinda silly like that. I tell her it is time for "high tea". (She rolls her eyes ever so lovingly.)

 

[me&thegals]

Hee, hee! I see you changed the spelling in your title. For a while, I thought you were getting a new dog The SCOBY IS kind of shaggy, isn't it? I know I posted this in another thread, but when I set up my MIL with a kombucha kit, my FIL e-mailed his fear that the thing was going to crawl into their room at night

I like kombucha as a fizzy soda substitute. My MIL says it helps her digestive issues. My dad just started it this week, so we'll see what he has to say.

Glad to know you can use more flavors! I had the mistaken impression that the process needed caffeine. Knowing this, I am looking forward to trying it with mint tea.

 

[Dace]

HOLY MOLEY!!!

that almost looks alive..HA HA

scary actually.

WOOF!

It is alive