I had a Kombucha lesson yesterday, and got a baby Kombucha culture to start brewing my own! Of course, I promptly named the Kombucha “Kevin” and he is my new pet, along with “Stanley” the sourdough starter.
Kevin the Kombucha culture+Stanley the sourdough starter=happy fermenting family.
It was very simple to make, and ridiculously cheap. I am slightly appalled that this stuff sells for around $4 a bottle. But anyways, this is what I did:
1) Boil 6 cups of water with a little under 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to dissolve it all
2) Add 3 black tea bags and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags
3) Pour brewed tea into a glass canister that is wide enough to fit the culture. Let cool to room temperature.
4) Once the tea is cooled, add the SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), cover with a cloth, and let brew for 7-10 days. Start tasting after 5 days because it might already be delicious!
*of course there are variations to the recipe that I have read online, such as more or less sugar, water, tea, etc. But the important things are to make sure everything is clean, and not to have it touch metal.
*after the batch of kombucha is ready, you will have a new baby SCOBY formed along the mother. Separate them and give one away, or compost it. Store brewed tea in the refrigerator for about a week while your new batch is brewing. You will have Kombucha for life.
this is Kombucha making in action. pardon the poor quality of the photo, but that pancake looking thing is the mother, and there is some tea cooling in the back.
And here is Kevin just chilling. I will taste it for the first time on Monday.
omsnoms 