worms

[joebryant]

For info about kombucha (come boo cha) http://www.nutrition4health.org/nohanews/NNW97KombuchaTea.htm

These are the directions that I just this week sent to my daughter in Florida.
Making Kombucha (one gallon)

You will need:
One scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)
One cup of starter (already made kombucha)
One gallon of boiling water
Seven Black tea teabags
Two cups of sugar

Bring one gallon of water to a boil and then turn it off.
Add two cups of sugar and seven black tea teabags to the very hot water.
Let the hot water with sugar and tea bags sit until the water cools.
Remove the tea bags from the cooled water.

Have the scoby and a cup of starter in the bottom of a very-wide-mouth glass container. The opening of the container should be wider than the depth of the liquid in it. The process needs the surface area for air/breathing.
Pour the cooled water into the glass container with the scoby and one cup of starter.
Cover the glass container with a cloth, not a glass lid; the mixture has to breathe.


After seven days remove the new (baby) scoby from the top of the old one (mother). Last week’s scoby (the mother) can be give to somebody else as a starter or thrown away. Note: If a new scoby (baby) looks underdeveloped, keep old (mother) and new (baby) together for another week before you separate them.
Strain your fresh kombucha into a glass container(s) and refrigerate. Use one cup of the fresh kombucha (starter) and the baby scoby (to be a new mother) to make a new batch for next week.

 

[vmdanielsen]

I use only one cup of sugar and let it brew for two weeks......Maybe I'll try 2 cups sugar for 1 week.........This may be important to some people. Kombucha can contain trace amounts of alcohol.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Perish the thought! Lips that touch liquor will NEVER touch mine.

 

[joebryant]

Here's a container that's perfect for kombucha. It can be bought at Walmart and other stores. I think that it's made by Anchor Hocking. It comes in 1 1/2- and 2-gallon sizes.

ETA Don't use the glass lid when making kombucha; it has to "breathe", so use a cloth instead. Remember, the surface area must be larger than the depth of the kombucha; the scoby that floats on the top needs the air of the surface in order to grow.

 

[erindubb]

It's funny how my question about worms turned into a tutorial on how to make Kefir and Kumbacha!

It does crack me up when that happens......and I LOVE Kefir. I drink it every day and give it to my kids too. Never thought about the chickens. It is so easy to make. I have been known to buy it at Kroger if I am feeling lazy though. In the summer when mine gets too thick too fast.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
erindubb, sorry about that. Actually, though, kefir is/should be an important part of worming. We got on the subject because it was mentioned that after giving worming medicine, three days later they should be given yogurt or buttermilk to build them up physically. Then we found out that kefir is even better'n buttermilk or yogurt for the job.

 

[joebryant]

Before yesterday, I don't think that I'd ever even heard of KEFIR. Now I'm a believer; my chickens and I are going to be getting it regularly from now on.

(click "ten videos" to see his entire set of videos.)
*********
"Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products...

...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.

Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, the elderly and people experiencing chronic fatigue and digestive disorders."

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
Perish the thought! Lips that touch liquor will NEVER touch mine.

Now joebryant! I only mention the alcohol because if you have an issue with it,(like being a recovering alcoholic)it could make you fall off the wagon. I don't want to sabotage a person who thinks he/she is doing a good thing ,then get the urge to drink again. For most of us it doesn't matter, but I did know one person who couldn't drink it because she was a recovering alcoholic. Besides, some alcohol in the diet has been proven to enhance health....so drink up!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Perish the thought! Lips that touch liquor will NEVER touch mine.

Now joebryant! I only mention the alcohol because if you have an issue with it,(like being a recovering alcoholic)it could make you fall off the wagon. I don't want to sabotage a person who thinks he/she is doing a good thing ,then get the urge to drink again. For most of us it doesn't matter, but I did know one person who couldn't drink it because she was a recovering alcoholic. Besides, some alcohol in the diet has been proven to enhance health....so drink up!

As I sit here drinking my daily martini (or two), I toast your wisdom. Ain't "on the wagon" YET, but don't ask me next year.