Kombucha - Anyone Else Here a Fan?

KnitOrMiss

I had added this note on the end of my post about treating various digestive discomforts, and I realized it really deserved it's own discussion.

I have started adding kombucha on a daily basis. Today is day 6. It is definitely an acquired taste. I'm only getting about 6 oz per day right now, because it's nearly $4 for 16 oz here, but I have a new friend hooking me up with a SCOBY in the coming days (she had to brew a current batch to be able to revive it/pass it on). I'm hoping to up my consumption to the recommended 8-16 oz per day. I know the kind I'm currently drinking has 7 grams of carbs per 8 oz, but it is worth it for the benefits, so far. Does anyone know if when you make it yourself the carbs can be lower? Or if as the stuff is fermented, it actually metabolizes the carbs? Because I'm not having any blip from 7 carbs in a short setting as I normally do it if is mostly sugar, etc.

With the kombucha, the first time or two, it kind of made my stomach jumpy-ish at first, then quickly settled to a level of stomach calm I haven't had in quite some time. Here on Day 6, it quickly settles/mitigates any digestive unrest. The last several days, I didn't even get the slight discomfort at first (I think my stomach didn't know what to do with fermentation in the beginning).

Is anyone else here a Kombucha fan??? Make your own? Have information or suggested recipes? I'm positively terrified to make this stuff, though I've been told I should be fine because it mostly does it's own thing during most of the brewing process....

kimberwolf71

Kombucha is one of the few fermented items that I actually enjoy and therefore consume on a semi-regular basis, except pickles! There are many different brands available and some are definitely better than others.I can't provide any insight regarding the carbs because I haven't gotten as strict as I should be with my carb intake yet nor do I have kombucha on a daily basis.

I have also read alot about brewing your own, but I haven't been able to locate a scoby. Then again, I haven't tried too hard, because I also feel that it is important to do it properly to avoid contamination, big messes etc. Keep debating if it is an investment (time and resources) that I need to make right now.

I haven't answered your questions, but I can confirm that kombucha is awesome for digestive upset!

KnitOrMiss

Apparently there are many Kombucha groups on FB, and most of the folks there are more than happy to share a SCOBY with you... You just have to figure out who is closest to you! Right now, I'm working on sterilizing all the jars I've collected over time, without a specific purpose! LOL

knackeredat34

I have a kombucha scoby fermenting away in the cupboard. It's less sugary the longer you leave it to ferment and more cider vinegar tasting, maybe less carbs?

KnitOrMiss

If I'm going to drink apple cider vinegar, I'd just as soon do that directly. BLECH. If I'm going to work at it, I'd prefer it taste decent! LOL

Sunny_Bunny_

I have no idea what this is but it sounds yucky.

nvmomketo

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

I have no idea what this is but it sounds yucky.

Kombucha is fermented tea made from a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) which unfortunately looks like a giant snot. I was making my own kombucha for about a year but then I split my scoby, didn't clea n my jar well enough and it molded. Garbage.

My kids enjoyed it. I don't know if I'd be as keen to drink it now because of all the added sugars. If I get my hands on another scoby I'll brew it again.

Kitnthecat

I LOVE Kombucha !!! I used to make my own, it's quite easy, but my SCOBY suffered a mishap and died. So I stopped brewing for a while and bought it instead. But it is too expensive for me to make buying it a regular habit, but I always get some if I feel a cold coming on, and it takes care of it before the cold materializes. Love the stuff, and I love the taste, almost like beer.

I have been given a SCOBY and it is sitting in a jar in my fridge until I am ready to ferment. It is dormant until I take it out into room temperature and start brewing. There is lots of info online re: the process. I got into a routine that worked for me, but found that I couldn't drink it all before I had to harvest the next batch, I was making too much. In the hot weather sometimes my batch would be ready in 3 days. Winter will be better, or maybe I'll start after all my pickling is done.

Taste it as it's brewing in order to determine when you think it is ready. The shorter the fermenting time, the sweeter it will be, and if you leave it too long, it will turn into vinegar. It stands to reason that there would be less carbs if the kombucha has brewed for a long time, but I am no expert.

Don't be afraid to gibe it a try. All you need is a big glass container, some cheesecloth or a airy dishcloth to cover, green or black tea, and sugar. I would brew my tea in my big soup pot on top of the stove, add a cup of sugar into the hot tea, then let it cool completely to room temp, since you don't want to kill the scoby. Add the scoby with it's liquid liquid to the cooled sweet tea in your glass container, cover it to keep germs out, but allow it to breathe. I kept mine on top of the kitchen counter. When ti would be ready to harvest, I would already have the next pot of tea cooled and ready to go. Ladle out the finished kombucha and bottle in my old washed kombucha bottles and store in the fridge, leaving a cup or two with the scoby in the container, then pour the fresh sweet cooled tea in, cover and let the next batch brew.

When you master that, you can try double fermenting, adding some ginger or fruit to the bottles then keeping them out at room temp to brew some more. Yummy and cheap and so good for you !

KnitOrMiss

Do you have to worry about the fluoride in teas and stuff?? I know I've been hearing about that, and people talking about water quality, and heaven knows what else... It seems more complicated on a basic level...

KnitOrMiss

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

I have no idea what this is but it sounds yucky.

It is definitely an acquired taste, but being a fermented tea, it has a taste similar to what i imagine a fruit based beer would have, but it's loaded with probiotics/healthy bacteria. I've only been drinking it a week, and today I found a commercial blend that is far less "pungent." To me, this is better that the weird film I always had in my mouth after eating yogurt!!

nvmomketo

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Do you have to worry about the fluoride in teas and stuff?? I know I've been hearing about that, and people talking about water quality, and heaven knows what else... It seems more complicated on a basic level...

I used distilled water. Being close to the Rockies makes our water too hard, and my city treats the water pretty strongly.

Lillith32

Buy raw unflavored Kombucha. I bought a bottle from Whole Foods. Dump it into a glass jar with some cool sweet tea. Close it with a cheese cloth and leave it in a dark and somewhat warm place, like a cupboard that is rarely opened. In two weeks you will have a thin, young SCOBY floating on top. Add more sweet tea. In a week it should be ready - try it. As the SCOBY gets fatter, the tea will ferment faster. I had Obi Wan the SCOBY living in my cupboard for about a year before I had to move.

SkinnyKerinny

I brew water kefir and make sure it's really tangy/brewed longer so the carbs are low. The water is double filtered that I use for the kefir. I also eat fermented veggies like Curtido (Latin) and right now I'm fixated on these awesome fermented dill pickles from Sonoma Brinery (they also make Curtido).

kimberwolf71

Lillith32 wrote: »

Buy raw unflavored Kombucha. I bought a bottle from Whole Foods. Dump it into a glass jar with some cool sweet tea. Close it with a cheese cloth and leave it in a dark and somewhat warm place, like a cupboard that is rarely opened. In two weeks you will have a thin, young SCOBY floating on top. Add more sweet tea. In a week it should be ready - try it. As the SCOBY gets fatter, the tea will ferment faster. I had Obi Wan the SCOBY living in my cupboard for about a year before I had to move.

Thanks for these tips!! Makes me much more comfortable then getting one random through the mail!!! I now need to rethink my desire to initiate this process!!!

KnitOrMiss

A local friend added me to some groups on FB that have great tips and advice and such. I also found a lot of good directions and tips on Pinterest.

Lillith32

Pinterest and Reddit are my go-to's for recipes. Making my own pickles and other fermented veggies is on the list of things I need to try, but for some reason haven't got around to yet.

KnitOrMiss

I'm dying to make pickles, which is what got me started on this whole thing, because I'm a pickle junkie, but recently all normal pickles lead me to bathroom drama!

From what I can see, most of the pickle stuff is prep...and jars. LOL

Another thing I'm really wanting to try is fermented fruit leather. If I could eat "fruit roll ups" again, here, on plan, I would be in heaven!!!

Basically, I need some kefir, but I wanted plain and my store only carries strawberry anymore. I know that it would work for this application, but I want it to work for any when I strain for whey!

https://www.pinterest.com/knit_or_miss/

If you want to see any of the fermenting stuff I've pinned. I've yet to embrace using reddit for anything... Is it complicated?

Lillith32

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

I've yet to embrace using reddit for anything... Is it complicated?

Not at all, and there are all kinds of useful groups on there. There are quite a few groups dedicated to Keto, and all the threads are searchable. I use it to harness the power of the hive mind for answering my questions on random topics. I got great advice on everything from fashion, to job hunting, to food storage and prep. r/keto and r/ketorecipes are a good place to start, but if you have any questions on any random topic, type it in and chances are you'll find a subreddit dedicated to it.

KnitOrMiss

I noticed yesterday and again today that I'm getting into the mindset of "needing" the kombucha rather than just wanting it, and my 6 oz. not feeling like "enough." I'm concerned about carb creep and such. Do you know if you can develop an addiction for it? I haven't had sodas regularly in years and years and years, and the carbonation tends to upset my stomach, but this stuff, it calms my stomach... But I'm worried about the almost compulsion level thoughts that are erupting... Anyone else have this?

Twibbly

I googled kombucha addiction, and most of the serious articles I found deal with recovering alcoholics.

Oh, and this looks like a neat website: https://www.kombuchakamp.com/

Meeezonajourney

Getting a SCOBY and making this stuff is on my to do list. It's weird but I like it but it's too spendy to buy on a regular basis.

KnitOrMiss

There are plenty of FB groups in support of this. Most will give you a SCOBY for free, or mail one, if you pay shipping. There are also instructions for creating one from plain kombucha and different things...

sweetteadrinker2

I've been curious about this stuff for awhile. It sounds like it would be good, and I already make yogurt. Can't be that much harder. Any recommendations on a brand to try to see if I like it before I jump into the brewing my own thing?

ladipoet

I am a fan of this stuff too. I do not make my own because I have neither the time nor the space. I do limit myself to a couple of ounces a day because of carb And sugar content. Did you know that when you buy the TEa, they keep the high end stuff under lock and key? it's true. The stuff under lock and key has a much higher alcohol content to it. the stuff you can buy that is not under lock and key is very much watered down versions of the TEa and has far less alcohol content. my two favorite flavors are: raspberry Chia and mojito Makai. I like the brand GT's kombucha. It is expensive so I usually get myself a couple of bottles wHich last me a couple of weeks. it is definitely an acquired taste! just a note of warning for those who are going to attempt to try to make their own, I have read several articles which indicate that homemade kombucha is one of the leading sources of contamination. That is, the equipment involved in making the Kombucha is usually not cleaned and / or sanitized to the degree it should be and can often make the people drinking the contaminated batch sick so please be careful!

Kitnthecat

No, @ladipoet, no one should drink home brewed Kombucha that has gone bad. The whole batch should be thrown out, along with the contaminated scoby, and no new batch should be made with the remains. The brewing container should then be cleaned thoroughly.

But while making batch after batch of Kombucha, one should never sanitize the brewing vessel in between batches. The bacteria and yeast growing in the scoby and present in the brewing container is essential to the production of the next batch of Kombucha. So after harvesting the completed batch, the vessel should not be sanitized or even washed. The next batch should simply be made right in the same unwashed vessel. Provided it is covered at all times, and no dirt can enter the container, this provides optimal fermentation conditions.

I personally have a little tip when handling the scoby. I wash my hands then rinse them with plain white vinegar before handling the scoby with my bare hands. As long as you use good hygiene there should be little risk of contaminating the kombucha. No extraordinary measures need to be taken. After all, the whole reason we are brewing and drinking Kombucha is to introduce bacteria into our systems. It can't be sanitized or pasteurized or we don't get the benefits of the probiotics !

jaimekbee1219

My husband and I drink it - although he drinks it a lot more than I do. We get it at Costco so it comes out to be a dollar or two less per bottle than when you buy them individually. I think it's six to a case... It's on sale for 11$ right now (at least at our store). He works there so it's super convenient for him to pick it up at the end of his shift

ladipoet

Kitnthecat wrote: »

No, @ladipoet, no one should drink home brewed Kombucha that has gone bad. The whole batch should be thrown out, along with the contaminated scoby, and no new batch should be made with the remains. The brewing container should then be cleaned thoroughly.

But while making batch after batch of Kombucha, one should never sanitize the brewing vessel in between batches. The bacteria and yeast growing in the scoby and present in the brewing container is essential to the production of the next batch of Kombucha. So after harvesting the completed batch, the vessel should not be sanitized or even washed. The next batch should simply be made right in the same unwashed vessel. Provided it is covered at all times, and no dirt can enter the container, this provides optimal fermentation conditions.

I personally have a little tip when handling the scoby. I wash my hands then rinse them with plain white vinegar before handling the scoby with my bare hands. As long as you use good hygiene there should be little risk of contaminating the kombucha. No extraordinary measures need to be taken. After all, the whole reason we are brewing and drinking Kombucha is to introduce bacteria into our systems. It can't be sanitized or pasteurized or we don't get the benefits of the probiotics !

Very interesting and good to know. Thank you for sharing!

SkinnyKerinny

Home fermented foods are far safer and better than any commercial bottled stuff and you will never convince me otherwise. That kind of story is started by those who benefit financially.

Bob314159

I'm surprised that I like it - since I can't stand things like pickles, vinegar, saukraut. I've been reading about getting more fermented foods and probiotics. Where I am, kombucha is kind of pricey - so I buy it rarely and only drink half a bottle at a time. I don't have the patience or space to make my own

cindytw

I had brewed my own kombucha for a long time, until I got too busy to manage it and then my scoby died. I haven't got another one yet. I used to make the big batch (a gallon mason jar) with black tea and organic sugar, then I would use 4-quart jars and flavor them. I used to love most the lemon/ginger (just put about half a lemon in each jar, and an inch of sliced ginger) and tart cherry (add about 2 oz tart cherry juice to each mason jar. Ferment another 5 days beyond the week it takes for the big jar. If you keep the big jar going you are always in kombucha!

KnitOrMiss

sweetteadrinker2 wrote: »

I've been curious about this stuff for awhile. It sounds like it would be good, and I already make yogurt. Can't be that much harder. Any recommendations on a brand to try to see if I like it before I jump into the brewing my own thing?

Synergy is the brand I've tried and heard about most I can get it at my local walmart in the smoothie/juice section for about $3.50 per 16 oz. Bottle.