I am not going to lie, I’ve never made my own Kombucha. Mainly because I’m scared I will mess up the and end up making myself sick (messing with live bacteria -eek!). But blogger Kenzie Hoefs has generously offered to teach me, so I jumped at the opportunity and she even wrote a step by step guide for y’all. Get ready to make some BOOCH!
__________________
The Fizz About Kombucha and How to Brew Your Own
BY: KENZIE HOEFS
What’s this kombucha thing that everyone’s talking about?
It’s basically a fancy word for fermented tea. It contains bacteria and yeast that cause the tea to ferment when it’s combined with sugar. As the bacteria digest the sugar gas is produced as a byproduct, so depending how carbonated you like your drinks you can make your own kombucha as fizzy as you desire by simply leaving the finished product sealed for as many days as it takes to reach your desired fizz!
So what’s the big deal, why should you drink it?
- Kombucha is delicious and helps to mix up you’re day when you get sick of drinking plain water
- There are SO MANY different flavors, everyone is bound to find something they like
- Did I mention it’s delicious?!
- Most importantly it’s filled with probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that live symbiotically inside our digestive tract.
-a healthier gut helps your immune system stay strong
-reduces inflammation
-helps with digestion and overall health
Recipe
Ingredients: (per gallon)
-15 cups filtered water
-1 cup organic cane sugar
-5 tea bags (black and/or green)
-1 scoby or scoby disk
NOTE: You can find the scoby in your local health food store or online. I’ve personally never used one from Amazon but their are plenty of options on there to choose from.
-1 cup starter liquid
NOTE: You’ll need to borrow from a friend or purchase for your first batch. Once you make your first you’ll just save some from each batch for your next batch.
Supplies:
-1 or 2 gallon glass jar
-dark cloth and rubber band
-fine mesh strainer
-thermometer
-large pitcher
Instructions:
-Boil 6 cups of water with 1 cup of organic cane sugar
-Pour 9 cups of cold water into a 1 or 2 gallon jar
-Once the water is boiling turn off the heat and add the 5 tea bags
-Steep for 8 minutes
-Gently press the tea bags then remove and pour the tea into the gallon jar
-Once the tea is cooled to 85 degrees or less add 1 cup of the starter kombucha and the scoby.
(add enough cold water to fill the jar to the widest part or shoulder)
-Cover with a dark cloth and secure it with a rubber band
-Leave it in an undisturbed area, preferably in a dark place for 10-15 days
-After 10-15 days place the scoby and 1 cup of kombucha into a bowl (this will be your starter and scoby for next time)
**Length of ferment after 10 days is up to you, the longer you ferment the less sugary the final product will be**
-The temperature of the surrounding environment is also important, try not to let the temperature get below 70 degrees or the scoby becomes susceptible to mold which will ruin your whole batch!!
-Because your working with live cultures use non-powdered latex gloves to prevent contamination or make sure to wash your hands thoroughly
Note: Every time you make a new batch of kombucha a new scoby will form on the top of your jar – it looks a little weird!
To make your kombucha fizzy:
Place in a sealed container with a lid that can pop or twist off. If it’s clamped down and the pressure get’s to high the container can explode!
**NOTE**To ensure the gas pressure doesn’t get too high, you can keep a small amount of your buch in a plastic water bottle next to your sealed batch and simply gauge the pressure by feeling the plastic bottle for firmness**
How to flavor your kombucha:
I personally love original/unflavored kombucha but you can experiment with all different flavors!
-Add frozen fruit or fruit juice to the finished kombucha
**In a separate container than your brewing container**
-3 cups organic frozen fruit or 1 1/2 cups organic fruit juice works best
-Ferment the kombucha for 5 more days. Covered with a dark cloth and rubber band or sealed for carbonation
-After 5 days remove the fruit (the fruit will lose all of its color and flavor)
-Strain your kombucha into a large pitcher to remove any remaining bits
-Pour kombucha into individual bottles or growlers
Refrigerate and ENJOY!
I am SO excited to try Kenzie’s recipe. If you have any questions or want to follow her on social media you can find her HERE.
A little bit about Kenzie:
