How to Brew Your Own Kombucha

Kombu-wha?  That's usually the reaction I get from people when I'm drinking kombucha.  Either that or “ew, that smells wierd.”  Ok that last one was from my kids.  Most adults I know aren't rude like that.  So what is kombucha? Simply put, it is fermented sweet tea.  It consists of tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast.  Mmmmmm… sound delish and refreshing, don't it? LOL. 

No, really. It is delicious and refreshing. Not only that, it has SO MANY health benefits. It's a  probiotic drink.  Here are some of the benefits from drinking kombucha:

   - aids digestion

   - improves your immune system

   - helps keep you regular 

   - contains antioxidants that can help promote healthy liver and kidney function

So how do you get started?

MATERIALS:

     1- healthy SCOBY (see Step One)

     1 or 2 - one gallon GLASS jars 

     1 or 2 cheese cloths OR coffee filters (these will be the cover for your jars while brewing the kombucha).

     Rubber bands to hold the cloth or filter in place

     Several smaller glass jars or containers WITH PLASTIC covers to store your finished kombucha.  I saved up the bottles from the store-bought kombuchas for mine.  You can purchase them on Amazon.
    

STEP ONE: GET OR GROW A SCOBY

 

You need a healthy SCOBY to make kombucha.  SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.  In layman’s terms, it is a mini island for bacteria and yeast.

If you don't have a way to get a SCOBY, you can make your own following the steps mentioned here.

STEP TWO: BREW YOUR STARTER KOMBUCHA

After you have made your starter, you can flavor it to your liking.  That takes us to:
STEP THREE: FLAVOR YOUR KOMBUCHA.

There are A TON of different ways you can flavor your kombucha.  The internet is full of instructions on how to do this and it can get overwhelming. My suggestion is to start with one ingredient such as a fruit or ginger. Pineapple is my favorite so far (I've only tried mango and pineapple).  Make sure that the fruit is ripe so that it can give your kombucha flavor.  Some of my friends told me that ginger kombucha is delicious as well. I have yet to try it but I cannot wait to give it a try.  

SOME TIPS:
-  To clean your kombucha container(s), use WARM WATER and white distilled vinegar. Soap will kill the bacteria in your kombucha.
- When you are handling your SCOBY make sure you wash your hands using warm water and white distilled vinegar.
- Try using  half gallon jars for your second ferment (aka flavoring your kombucha) so you can brew two different flavors at the same time.
- The downside of kombucha is that it attracts fruit flies. You can keep fruit flies away from your kombucha by sprinkling some ground cinnamon on a coffee filter and putting it on top of the  cheesecloth or coffee filter cover.  You also need to make sure that your rubberband is on tightly.  

Have you tried brewing your own kombucha? I'd love to hear about your favor combinations so please share them in the comment section!

Before I close, I have to give a shout out to my friend, Loretta, who was my go to for all my kombucha questions.  Brewing kombucha for the first time can be daunting, so if you have any questions, feel free to email me at mariebubilo@gmail.com or leave a comment below!

Be joyful and healthy,

Marie