beautifulsoul
Cathlete
or anyone else interested. I did a search for the Kombucha because I was curious if anyone else drank it, and came up with these posts.
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?..._id=373692&mesg_id=373692&listing_type=search
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?..._id=444897&mesg_id=444897&listing_type=search
"I haven't had it regularly for a while, but I've tried pretty much all the flavors GT offers. Because it's not cheap, I have bought it by the case (with a discount) in both regular and the citrus/lemon. I do find that some batches may be a bit overdone, as they taste more vinegary than beer-like."
Kathryn, I was wondering if you tried brewing it yourself. My parents brewed it for over 10 years but got tired of making it and threw the culture away. I never tried it because the culture always grossed me out. Now that I have learned of the health benifits I am excited to brew my own.
I saw a bottle of the GT'S Kombucha Tea drink for $3 at the Natural Health store and the manager there told me that everyone raves about how much it has helped them. She feels bad about how expensive it is and tells them how to make it even though she loses money from selling it.
Here is the recipe if you are interested:
KOMBUCHA - recipe using GT'S tea as starter.
1) 5 tea bags of your favorite green tea for taste. You can use black tea, but of course black tea is the processed form of green tea. Green tea is raw, and so preferred.
2) 1 cup white sugar (do not use any other sweetner. Honey is anti-microbial and other sweetners do not facilitate and feed the fermentation process).
3) One freshly opened RAW original Tea drink from www.GTSkombucha.com.
4) 3 quarts of clean water: Don't use distilled water. Use spring water instead.
5) A 4 quart non-Teflon or ceramic pot.
6) Large clean napkin to keep bugs and dust out. Put it over the top of your tea while it ferments. Do not attempt to use a heavy lid as this will prevent the fungus from breathing. (fermentation type is aerobic)
7) Glass bowl large enough to hold your tea (4 quarts)
8) Wooden or plastic spoon. If you need a utensil, make sure it is wooden or plastic.
9) Make sure to work in a clean environment. Simply wash everything using hot water and soap. Wash your hands, and cover or put your hair back in a ponytail. You don't want to inoculate your Kombucha with unwanted bacteria.
Have Fun!
1) Boil you water using a non-Teflon, or ceramic pot, and then allow your tea to steep for 20 minutes. Add your sugar, and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Stir and allow to cool to room temperature 70 F.
2) Make a run to your local organics food market, and get a RAW Kombucha tea drink called "GTS, organic raw kombucha." This is about 2 cups and is all you need to beging the fermentation process. Add this entire drink to your brew mentioned above.
3) Place your concoction in a glass or porcelain bowl. Cover the top with a napkin. Secure with a rubberband.
4) Put your tea where it will remain undisturbed, in a safe and dark area of the house.
5) Let it ferment for aobut 8-14 days. It depends on the growing temperature and how acidic (sour) you like it. The tea becomes a health tonic by the 8th day.
6) Some people remove the nice fungus that forms on top, and then refrigerate the tea immediately. I drink my tea in just a few day so I don't bother removing the fungus culture until the end, and I don't refrigerate my tea. If you drink your tea within two or three days, you can leave it in your glass container at room temp. Refrigerating the tea changes the taste and slows downt the fermentation process. For the next time, make sure that you save one cup of your finished tea and the fungus that forms; put them both in a ziploc bag and refrigerate; it will last for about 10 days.
7) If you want to bottle up your kombucha and refrigerate it just as soon as it is ready, then use glass jars, and fill them all the way to the top; this along with refrigeration will virtually stop the fermentaiton process as you are removing the oxygen and reducing the temp.
Done.
"The Book of KOMBUCHA" by Beth Ann Petro, M.A. is the book I read about it. It lists all the health benifits, recipies to use it in and even how to make a face mask out of the culture, ewww, not sure I will go that far with it, lol.
Once your first brew is done you will probably want to start your next one right away. The recipe in the book is pretty much the same once you have your culture. Once the tea is room temp. pour the tea into the fermentaton bowl, add the cup of unfiltered "starter" liquid and place the kombucha culture on top of the tea. The smooth, shiny layer should be down, resting on top of the tea. Don't worry if it sinks to the bottom, it will probably rise to the top while the tea is brewing.
After it is brewed you will notice that your old cutlure has an offspring, the "baby" will be on top of the "mother". Discard the "mother" and use the "baby" for your next batch.
Let me know if you have any questions.
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?..._id=373692&mesg_id=373692&listing_type=search
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?..._id=444897&mesg_id=444897&listing_type=search
"I haven't had it regularly for a while, but I've tried pretty much all the flavors GT offers. Because it's not cheap, I have bought it by the case (with a discount) in both regular and the citrus/lemon. I do find that some batches may be a bit overdone, as they taste more vinegary than beer-like."
Kathryn, I was wondering if you tried brewing it yourself. My parents brewed it for over 10 years but got tired of making it and threw the culture away. I never tried it because the culture always grossed me out. Now that I have learned of the health benifits I am excited to brew my own.
I saw a bottle of the GT'S Kombucha Tea drink for $3 at the Natural Health store and the manager there told me that everyone raves about how much it has helped them. She feels bad about how expensive it is and tells them how to make it even though she loses money from selling it.
Here is the recipe if you are interested:
KOMBUCHA - recipe using GT'S tea as starter.
1) 5 tea bags of your favorite green tea for taste. You can use black tea, but of course black tea is the processed form of green tea. Green tea is raw, and so preferred.
2) 1 cup white sugar (do not use any other sweetner. Honey is anti-microbial and other sweetners do not facilitate and feed the fermentation process).
3) One freshly opened RAW original Tea drink from www.GTSkombucha.com.
4) 3 quarts of clean water: Don't use distilled water. Use spring water instead.
5) A 4 quart non-Teflon or ceramic pot.
6) Large clean napkin to keep bugs and dust out. Put it over the top of your tea while it ferments. Do not attempt to use a heavy lid as this will prevent the fungus from breathing. (fermentation type is aerobic)
7) Glass bowl large enough to hold your tea (4 quarts)
8) Wooden or plastic spoon. If you need a utensil, make sure it is wooden or plastic.
9) Make sure to work in a clean environment. Simply wash everything using hot water and soap. Wash your hands, and cover or put your hair back in a ponytail. You don't want to inoculate your Kombucha with unwanted bacteria.
Have Fun!
1) Boil you water using a non-Teflon, or ceramic pot, and then allow your tea to steep for 20 minutes. Add your sugar, and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Stir and allow to cool to room temperature 70 F.
2) Make a run to your local organics food market, and get a RAW Kombucha tea drink called "GTS, organic raw kombucha." This is about 2 cups and is all you need to beging the fermentation process. Add this entire drink to your brew mentioned above.
3) Place your concoction in a glass or porcelain bowl. Cover the top with a napkin. Secure with a rubberband.
4) Put your tea where it will remain undisturbed, in a safe and dark area of the house.
5) Let it ferment for aobut 8-14 days. It depends on the growing temperature and how acidic (sour) you like it. The tea becomes a health tonic by the 8th day.
6) Some people remove the nice fungus that forms on top, and then refrigerate the tea immediately. I drink my tea in just a few day so I don't bother removing the fungus culture until the end, and I don't refrigerate my tea. If you drink your tea within two or three days, you can leave it in your glass container at room temp. Refrigerating the tea changes the taste and slows downt the fermentation process. For the next time, make sure that you save one cup of your finished tea and the fungus that forms; put them both in a ziploc bag and refrigerate; it will last for about 10 days.
7) If you want to bottle up your kombucha and refrigerate it just as soon as it is ready, then use glass jars, and fill them all the way to the top; this along with refrigeration will virtually stop the fermentaiton process as you are removing the oxygen and reducing the temp.
Done.
"The Book of KOMBUCHA" by Beth Ann Petro, M.A. is the book I read about it. It lists all the health benifits, recipies to use it in and even how to make a face mask out of the culture, ewww, not sure I will go that far with it, lol.
Once your first brew is done you will probably want to start your next one right away. The recipe in the book is pretty much the same once you have your culture. Once the tea is room temp. pour the tea into the fermentaton bowl, add the cup of unfiltered "starter" liquid and place the kombucha culture on top of the tea. The smooth, shiny layer should be down, resting on top of the tea. Don't worry if it sinks to the bottom, it will probably rise to the top while the tea is brewing.
After it is brewed you will notice that your old cutlure has an offspring, the "baby" will be on top of the "mother". Discard the "mother" and use the "baby" for your next batch.
Let me know if you have any questions.
