kombucha question

[Guest guest]

Can anyone tell me why my kombucha tea is not fizzy? It is still

giving me great benefit and I love it, but everything I read says it

should be fizzy. The person who gave me my mushroom doesn't know, and

hers isn't fizzy either.

 

Julie

[Guest guest]

Can someone please explain how I can make Kombucha tea? I've heard a lot about

its health benefits, but I have NO idea how to get started...

 

Many thanks and wishes for good health,

Dawn

 

 

Dawn E. Gilbreath, LMP

Owner, WindTraveler Wellness Arts

 

Business Phone: (281) 968-0504

Email: windtraveler

Website: www.windtravelerwellnessarts.com

 

TRAVEL THE WINDS OF CHANGE AND BE WELL!

 

" Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar... "

[Traveler, there is no path, you create the path as you move forward...]

-- Antonio Machado, 1875-1939

 

" The master sees things as they are without trying to control them. She lets

them go their own way and

resides at the center of the circle. "

-- Lao Tzu

 

" The true mystic is not a devotee lost in ecstatic communion with the One, or a

reclusive saint who avoids others.

The true mystic lives alongside other people - coming and going, eating and

sleeping, buying and selling,

marrying and chanting - but not for a moment does he forget the Divine. "

-- Abu Sa'id Lbn Abi-L-Khayr

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

This is directly quoted from Wikipedia...

In one method, the beverage is made by placing the culture in a jar,

usually a 3 liter glass container, then pouring in cold black tea

with sugar. In about 8-12 days, the first portion of the beverage is

ready; part of it is removed for consumption, and more tea with

sugar is added to fill the jar. A mature kombucha is several

centimeters thick and produces a portion of beverage every day. Once

a month or two, the liquid needs filtering. If it becomes too sour,

remove it, wash the kombucha in water and leave it for a night in

clear water, then replace it with its usual sugared tea environment.

As the kombucha slowly grows, from time to time slices are taken off

it, which can be used to start new kombuchas in separate containers.

Approximately ten percent of the liquid from each batch is typically

kept as a " starter " liquid for the next preparation.

 

Another method allows for the bottling and saving of kombucha for

later consumption. As in the previous method, the culture is placed

into a large glass jar (gallon-sized pickle jars work very well).

Boil 12 cups (about 3 liters) of water, then add one cup of white

sugar and let the mixture boil for about five minutes. Next, remove

from heat and add five tea bags (black or green only; do not use

herbal teas). Let the tea steep (covered) until it reaches room

temperature, and then pour it into the jar containing the kombucha

culture. Cover the jar with a towel and let it sit for seven or

eight days (may be slightly longer in colder environments). After

this time, pour the kombucha drink into air-tight glass bottles (re-

used sauce jars work well also), leaving enough tea with the culture

so that it floats a couple of inches off the bottom (this is called

the starter tea). Put the filled bottles in the refrigerator for a

few days before consumption. This allows the flavor to deepen, and

the natural carbonation to build up. Repeat the process as desired,

but do not leave the kombucha culture in only the starter tea for

longer than two weeks, as it will start to dry out.

 

Each time the kombucha culture goes through the fermentation

process, it creates another layer. After three or four layers have

built up, the tea will become sour and taste somewhat like vinegar.

At this time, it is important to remove one or two of the layers,

which are then either discarded or used to start a new batch.

 

In every step of the preparation process, it is important that hands

and utensils (anything that is going to come into contact with the

culture) are kept extremely clean so as not to contaminate the

kombucha.

 

Hope this helps!

Ellen

, " Dawn Gilbreath "

<dgilbre1676 wrote:

>

> Can someone please explain how I can make Kombucha tea? I've

heard a lot about its health benefits, but I have NO idea how to get

started...

>

> Many thanks and wishes for good health,

> Dawn

>

>

> Dawn E. Gilbreath, LMP

> Owner, WindTraveler Wellness Arts

>

> Business Phone: (281) 968-0504

> Email: windtraveler

> Website: www.windtravelerwellnessarts.com

>

> TRAVEL THE WINDS OF CHANGE AND BE WELL!

>

> " Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar... "

> [Traveler, there is no path, you create the path as you move

forward...]

> -- Antonio Machado, 1875-1939

>

> " The master sees things as they are without trying to control

them. She lets them go their own way and

> resides at the center of the circle. "

> -- Lao Tzu

>

> " The true mystic is not a devotee lost in ecstatic communion with

the One, or a reclusive saint who avoids others.

> The true mystic lives alongside other people - coming and going,

eating and sleeping, buying and selling,

> marrying and chanting - but not for a moment does he forget the

Divine. "

> -- Abu Sa'id Lbn Abi-L-Khayr

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My kombucha is SO fizzy! The reason yours is not is that you need to do a second

fermentation.

This means that after you finish your brew you bottle it into 'growler' bottles

with a small neck and you fill them up so there is little air. You can use wine

jug but must have a really good seal.

At this time I have started adding a few berries (dried wolfberries work best)

to give just a little sugar, cap it tight with a lid that seals in air (the

metal rubber lined lids for beer bottling work great). Two or three more days on

the counter and its fizzy and delicious. Go to a local beer brewer and ask for

the bottles they use called growlers.

 

I find that when I refrigerate my ktea it gets less fizzy and then take it out

as soon as the culture gets room temp it starts to fizz again.

 

Good luck. There is a great Kombucha as well.

 

Luana

 

 

 

 

 

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Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail beta.

http://new.mail.

 

 

[Guest guest]

In response:

>>Another method allows for the bottling and saving of kombucha for

later consumption. As in the previous method, the culture is placed

into a large glass jar (gallon-sized pickle jars work very well).

Boil 12 cups (about 3 liters) of water, then add one cup of white

sugar and let the mixture boil for about five minutes. Next, remove

from heat and add five tea bags (black or green only; do not use

herbal teas). Let the tea steep (covered) until it reaches room

temperature, and then pour it into the jar containing the kombucha

culture. >>>

Don't understand how this is saving the tea, you remove the culture

for the second fermentation

and bottle at room temp airtight, although the recipe seems close for

creating the first ferment.

 

Be careful NOT to pour HOT liquid over the culture or in with the

starter tea,

it will kill the bacteria and yeast to have above body temp liquids

added. Cool the tea before

adding the culture and starter fluid.

 

ALSO: do not put WATER over the culture, it is not necessary to wash

the culture,

but if you wish to rinse it use KTEA, not water as the flouride,

chlorine and other stuff

that can be found in water will possibly kill the culture but

definitely, the culture is

balanced with yeast and bacteria and there is no point in throwing

off that balance.

 

>>>>In every step of the preparation process, it is important that

hands

and utensils (anything that is going to come into contact with the

culture) are kept extremely clean so as not to contaminate the

kombucha.>>>

 

Keeping hands clean is very important. I allow my extra scobys to

ferment indefinitely with the

extra cultures in a vase covered with ktea, use that as starter and

add to it each time with

the new ktea to keep the cultures healthy and wet. Do not add sweet

tea to this mixture

but only ktea, this is called a 'starter pot', it is designed to keep

the yeast in remission

and the bacteria strong so that no mold can grow.

 

Happy fizzy brewing!