Kombucha Tea - gave it a taste

[freemotion]

Whew, I finally have a couple of minutes to be at the computer....I got mine in the mail and it leaked all over the place, and still survived. It was in one single regular ziploc. So I would put it in two layers of freezer bags with a little finished tea, and put those bags inside a plastic container with a tightly fitting, leakproof lid, then box that up. I think that will work, especially if it is just going down the coast and not across the country. Pick the coolest weather to ship it in and drop it off on Monday to avoid a weekend. You know how packages can get lost even going to the next town.

If you want to be extra sure, you can ship it in one of those priority mail boxes, maybe just use three ziplocs and no container if it won't fit.

 

[Blackbird]

Ok, I have a question..

You can keep the scoby 'alive' longer by putting it in water in the fridge..?

So can you just keep the 2 cups of 'starter' in the fridge to keep it good too?

Once the tea is over the ten-14 days and tastes very vinegar-y it can still be used as a starter, right?

 

[freemotion]

It is much easier and consistant to use the scoby to make a new batch, rather than trying to grow a scoby from finished kombucha. I keep a spare scoby in a jar in the fridge in filtered water. I revived one recently that had to be over a year old. My plan is to write a date on the jar and change it out every three months or so....that is the plan, anyways!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Got a tip!
Free, I think you said you stopped using the glass tea dispenser with the spigot because the "threads" kept getting hung up in it.

The dude I got my scoby from uses that method as he was given a very cool, heavy pebbled glass dispenser. Same problem, threads clogged up the spigot after a while.

He had a broken tea strainer, those little mesh balls? Not the ones with the decorative holes like a colander, but like a ball made of mesh on the end of tongs. He took one half of the ball, put clean glass marbles in the bottom of the pitcher & pinned the SS mesh ball in place over the spigot. Worked like a charm! The marbles keep the mother up off the mesh & the mesh catches any thready bits.

Now I'm looking for a glass dispenser.

 

[big brown horse]

I saw a great big one at TJ Maxx. Now I'm going back!

 

[freemotion]

Cool tip, NCL! I knew there had to be a way. I think I will stick with the other method, though, because it keeps the sugar content down more, which I need. Although, with all these ferments I've been eating, I noticed that I don't react to sugar quite as quickly anymore. I've had more than an occasional indiscretion lately....for some reason, clients keep bringing me luscious baked goodies that sit on my desk and call to me....I answer! But haven't needed a trip to the doc yet. Sipping a shake with kefir in it right now.

 

[delia_peterson]

I got my starter today from BBH!!!! Thank you! But I could only find Tetley black tea. I cant go to the health store till Saturday. I am so excited! I just need to go buy a wooden spoon...:/

 

[big brown horse]

Hi Delia,

I'm sure that will work for now. It won't be perfect, but it will work. Ok, you do know that it doesn't like to be in the sunlight and it needs to breath, so put a coffee filter and rubberband around the mouth of it's new container, or use cheese cloth or what ever. You need to get it out of that container with the lid.

Did it leak? Name it yet?

 

[delia_peterson]

I found what I was looking for and thought I would post it here for anyone else who is interested.

Below is a recipe for homemade kombucha, and some ways to play with the beverage to make it more palatable, fashionable, and fun.

1 very wide-mouthed glass jar or glass bowl
large rubber band
clean dish towel or ripped t-shirt
1 gallon water
6 black tea or green tea bags
1 cup sugar
Kombucha baby or 1/2 bottle store-bought unflavored, unpasteurized kombucha, with bits of sediment on the bottom
Thoroughly clean the glass jar with very hot soap and water or by dipping it into a large pot of boiling water. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil and add the sugar slowly, stirring to dissolve. Remove the water from heat, cool briefly, and allow teabags to steep for 10-15 minutes. Cooling the water slightly before adding teabags prevents the tea from being too bitter. Remove the teabags and cover the pot of water, allowing it to cool completely.

Pour the cooled tea into the sterilized glass jar or bowl. Place your Kombucha baby and any liquid it is in (usually obtained as a gift from a friend or online) or the 1/2 bottle of kombucha into the jar. Cover with clean dishtowel or t-shirt and secure with a rubber band. This will keep dust, flies, and other nasties from contaminating your culture. Place the kombucha in a dark warm place - about 0-74 degrees, and let it work it fs magic.

After 10-14 days you will notice one of 2 things. 1) If you used a full kombucha baby as a starter, a new baby will be growing atop the original. You can use this new baby to start another jar or give it away to a friend who spends too much on store-bought kombucha. 2) If you used the store bought drink as a starter, those sediment bits will have transformed themselves into a large, thick pancake-like culture covering the top of your jar (see photo). This gmushroom h is the kombucha mother, which will in turn create a kombucha baby as it consumes the sugars in the brew.



As the culture grows, it will naturally begin to seperate. I am told it is unwise to pry them apart before ready. To harvest your tea, gather jars and bottles with lids. Wash your hands and a large dinner plate thoroughly. Reach into the jar and remove the kombucha mother and place it upon the plate. Pour the liquid into jars, leaving about 2 of liquid at the bottom of the jar as a starter for your next batch. Repeat the process as desired. Refrigerate the bottles of kombucha tea until ready to drink.

BBH or Dace..This is the recipe I follow right? As I have the scoby and some liquid it came in...

 

[delia_peterson]

Hi Delia,

I'm sure that will work for now. It won't be perfect, but it will work. Ok, you do know that it doesn't like to be in the sunlight and it needs to breath, so put a coffee filter and rubberband around the mouth of it's new container, or use cheese cloth or what ever. You need to get it out of that container with the lid.

Did it leak? Name it yet?

It only leaked a little bit- I am ready to go...have'nt named it yet.