Kombucha- anybody making it?

[MontanaChickDoc]

I'm addicted! But it's too expensive in the stores...does anyone have tips or tricks? Where did you buy or get your culture?

 

[WPFarmstead]

My husband loves the stuff. He has 2 scoby, 1 we bought as a dried scoby and the other he got for free from a coworker. They taste almost the same, after just a couple of weeks.

 

[bubra007]

I make kombucha also ! A friend of mine taught me to add a cup of frozen berries to the tea after its fermented for 7-10 days. It's so delicious!!!
We got our scobi from a friend.....if you don't know people who make kombucha, try craigslist maybe?? Or coops for food in your area.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

So I bought 2 scobys online and they are multiplying like mad. My favorite 2nd ferment by far is adding candied ginger +/- mint leaves. I also used Trader Joe's mango tea and it was terrific.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

So I bought 2 scobys online and they are multiplying like mad. My favorite 2nd ferment by far is adding candied ginger +/- mint leaves. I also used Trader Joe's mango tea and it was terrific.

Just saw this thread - I make KT, as well as other ferments. My favorite second ferment is fresh crushed pineapple - the flavors really marry well. Dried fig is also a good one, it tends to round off the sharp edges (tang). I recently made some from yerba mate, too, and while it was good, I prefer the standard KT. I like to alternate with mixes of white, green, jasmine green, oolong, darjeeling, black (blend), white, and pu erh teas. Pu erh smells barnyard-y when brewed but makes a wonderful kombucha. I've also found white cane sugar to work best; I use sucanat and unrefined (brown) cane sugar for water kefir, but my scobies like plain white sugar best.

So you've noticed what happens with the scobies (multiplying)...I cut my extras up with shears and the ducks and chickens eat them. The chickens are able to rip the scoby discs apart, but the ducks have more trouble with that. I always save a few in case of contamination (hasn't happened yet), but they'll overrun the place if you don't compost/give away/feed to animals.

Have fun!

 

[TroyerGal]

We LOVE kombucha around here!!! Our favorite juice to use is organic (we usually only do organic kombucha) Concord grape juice. It's sooooooo good!!! It does have a trace amount of alcohol so, you may not want that. I think it's like 3% or something like that. We also use black tea

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

We LOVE kombucha around here!!! Our favorite juice to use is organic (we usually only do organic kombucha) Concord grape juice. It's sooooooo good!!! It does have a trace amount of alcohol so, you may not want that. I think it's like 3% or something like that. We also use black tea

I'm not scared of a little ETOH.

Do you get a lot of carbonation using juice? I've had bottles blow up in the fridge so I'm leery of a repeat (though now I know my Italian glass bottles' shape may have contributed...sigh).

 

[MoonDragonRoo]

My Mom made Kombucha for us when we were teens. She bought the Scoby online. It didn't taste anything like the brands in the stores. Maybe that's why different brands have distinctive tastes. Each scoby is a new adventure!

It was great fun until Dad made her get rid of it because he was creeped out by it, lol. It started looking like a pickled alien. Sad day. It was rather yummy.

Good luck on your Scoby adventure. I imagine online is the best place to find one. I would be careful of craig's list, though. I've gotten burned from there a lot. Not always, but it happens.

Send us some pictures when you find one! They are fascinating.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I've really come to appreciate the uniqueness of the scoby...my "scotel" contains several scobies that are huge. The scotel itself is a 2-gallon glass crock, so the scobies have grown from 1-gal sized to 2-gal sized, and over an inch thick. It's been fascinating watching them grow, but at some point, I have to pull some out and "recycle" them. When they get this thick, it's really tough to cut them, so I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the really large ones. They may just end up in my compost pile.

 

[ladyearth]

why dont yall good people offer us fellow chicken mamas and dads a ORGANIC started starter for just postage...
Just lik I tll other gardeners.. WE share. I have adv for one and kefir but get no responses.
Yes I know they are on Ebay but I dont know anyone on there. I did se a BYC in Cecilia ,KY but looks like she hasnt signd in for a while
I can hear the lonely widower goose outside honking. I put the saga under "geese" forum "GEESE wont go home" post.. SAD but true
thanks all