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If your not on the kombucha bandwagon, hop on because there are so many health benefits and it taste so good! If you have cravings for soda, this can be a healthy and healing replacement. The nice thing is, you can make the taste to your liking by adding herbal tea to the brew.

Please don’t be intimidated, it really is easier than it may appear.

Kombucha originates in Asia and is made by adding specific strains of bacteria, yeast, and sugar to black or green tea (you can add herbal teas and or fruits for different flavors, but the scoby needs the nutrients from black/green tea), then allowing it to ferment for a week or more.

During this process, bacteria and yeast form a mushroom-like film on the surface of the liquid. This is why kombucha is also known as “mushroom tea.” The end result contains several species of lactic-acid bacteria which have a probiotic function. 

Image result for kombucha mushroom

Items needed

  • Kombucha Mushrooms –AKA kombucha culture or kombucha SCOBY ( Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast)
  • 1 cup organic sugar – you can use white sugar but make sure it says “cane sugar”
  • 6 tea bags – if using loose whole leaf tea use about six teaspoons
  • Breathable cover – (cheese cloth or handkerchief keeps fruit flies out)
  • Rubber band to fasten the cloth over the brewing vessel
  • Water (RO if you have it)
  • Stainless steel pot
  • Kombucha brewing vessel – glass container, porcelain brewer (lead free) or a kombucha continuous brewing system

Prepare Your Sweet Tea Solution

Sweet tea will feed your Kombucha mushroom and in return, your kombucha mushroom will turn it into delicious Kombucha:

  1. Boil 4 cups of water
  2. Add hot water & tea bags directly into your kombucha brewer (whatever vessel you chose)
  3. Let the tea brew for about 5-10 minutes
  4. Remove the tea bags (or if you are using loose tea strain out the loose tea)
  5. Let tea cool down to 80 degrees (yeast can die off if above 80)
  6. Add sugar to the hot tea and stir until fully dissolved
  7. Fill your kombucha vessel with water until about ¾ full
  8. Add kombucha mushroom culture and starter tea into your brewing vessel
  9. Cover with your breathable cover and secure with the rubber band
  10. Place in a slightly warm, dark and ventilated place, like a pantry, cupboard, or closet
  11. Wait about 6-10 days. The culture may sink to bottom.  It’s ok if this happens
  12. Do a taste test on day 6. Use a stainless steel straw and gently grab some of the kombucha below the SCOBY.

If too sour, then reduce your brewing time (next time) and bottle (I also save my Izzie glass bottles and use them) immediately. If too sweet, allow to brew for a few more days. Continue to taste every day or so until you come to a taste that is right for you.

Start off with 2 to 4oz up to 3 times a day and drink lots of water as kombucha will flush toxins out of your system.

Kombucha PH should be below 3.0 – this will ensure the risk of pathogens or mold is next to none.