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Kombucha Question


kshacklett

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I bought my first bottle of kombucha last week, and I really liked it! I don't really like strong drinks, so I was pouring out a little bit each night after dinner and then filling my glass the rest of the way with seltzer water. My only question is how to mix the culture evenly throughout the drink - it seemed to be all at the bottom, so I shook it, and learned that kombucha is carbonated, lol. Any suggestions for making sure I don't end up with the whole culture at the bottom by the end of the week?

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I don't think it's necessary to distribute the "culture" much. What you see in the bottle should just be a little yeast left over from the final fermentation to make more bubbles for palatability (they're pleasant, but optional). Or maybe something used to add flavor (ginger, berry juice, etc., are always added to the bottle after fermentation). The beneficial byproducts of the fermentation (organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and polyphenols) are produced before the kombucha is bottled and can be found throughout the liquid.

Or so I understand. I'm not a 'booch pro, although I do brew my own at home.

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I love kombucha but I tend to strain mine. The first ime I tried it a blob hit my lip and I gagged. I didn't try it again for months. Now I drink half a bottle almost every day.

Should I be drinking all the little floating blobs in the kombucha? I was hoping I would still get all the benefts even with it strained.

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The blobs are probably yeast left over from the fermentation process -- they aren't the goodies you are after from the 'booch, just bystanders. I strain the blobs too, and my kombucha definitely is doing a lot in my body. When I drink too much, I know right away. ;)

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The blobs are probably yeast left over from the fermentation process -- they aren't the goodies you are after from the 'booch, just bystanders. I strain the blobs too, and my kombucha definitely is doing a lot in my body. When I drink too much, I know right away. ;)

This gets rid of my shaking question all together then! Also, how much is too much? I bought one bottle and divided it over 4 servings, but just curious.

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Should I be drinking all the little floating blobs in the kombucha? I was hoping I would still get all the benefts even with it strained.

I've actually read (I can't remember where) that is is better NOT to drink the baby scobies that form in your kombucha bottle. I strain mine. always.

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This gets rid of my shaking question all together then! Also, how much is too much? I bought one bottle and divided it over 4 servings, but just curious.

You'll get gas (or worse) if you overdo it. A quarter of a bottle is a good starting place, I think. That's about what I drink a day but it's very much a 'listen to your body' thing... there are plenty of folks who drink a whole bottle a day.

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My husband has no trouble drinking GTs kombucha, but he seems to be having belching and stomach upset with my homemade. I can drink my own just fine. Anyone have that problem or a clue what might be going on? I was so excited to be able to economize!

Kombucha can vary a lot in potency, so I would experiement with fermentation times and with the amount of sugar in your mix to see if maybe a milder version would work better for your husband. FOR example: I use a ratio of 1/2 cup sugar to 1 gallon tea (half of what the recipe called for), and let it ferment for 3-weeks, in a pretty cool space (more time than a lot of people use)*, and I really like mine and find it pretty mild. More sugar will encourage more yeast and bacteria growth, which could be good too, I am just more worried about residual sugar after fermentation...so...experiment. OR you could just mix his half and half with sparkling water (and strain out any globs of scoby).

*I also usually do a second 48 hour closed ferment with ginger or fruit juice, otherwise it doesn't get fizzy for me, but that's a separate issue

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Thanks missmary. I didn't know that you could play with the sugar and fermentation times and temps to that extent. I'm going to try a few different things to see what works best.

Also after 1 week room temp ferment with scoby, 1 week closed ferment at room temp with flavorings then 2-3 days bottled in fridge I don't have the bubbles I'd like. I definitely have a few things to learn about the science and art of kombucha.

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MissMary---could you post here how you do your second fermentation? And also what flavors you add? I've got some brewing right now but it will probably take another week (hard time finding a warm enough spot in our Moscow apartment). I'd love to add some flavors and experiment more.

thanks,

Tricia

www.expatpaleo.com

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MissMary---could you post here how you do your second fermentation? And also what flavors you add?

ok! On the three week mark I transfer all but 1 cup of the current batch to bottles (and make a new batch incorporating that left over cup). Then I add a little bit of juice to each bottle: my favorite is fresh-juiced ginger, but I've done it with bottled 100% juice--think 2 tablespoons or so, not a lot, recipes I've see use up to 1/4 juice to 3/4 kombucha, that seems like way too much to me. Close it tight and give it a gentle shake, then let it sit in the closed container for 2-3 days (some people do up to a week) before refrigerating.

You can also use cut up fruit, but I haven't done it. I think in that case you would want to shake it daily.

OH! and be aware of how much room is left in the bottle! If you leave a lot of room you won't get as many bubbles. If you fill it without any room to expand at all there is a danger of an explosion, so yeah. maybe leave 1/4-1/2 inch space at the top :)

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Thank you SO much!! I am so excited to try this. I need to go source some good bottles---easier said than done in Moscow. :) I agree that a 1/4 c-3/4c seems like too much. I'm sensitive to sugar so 2T. of juice sounds like a good place to start.

Thanks again,

Tricia

www.expatpaleo.com

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Yesterday I swore off kombucha making. My 'booch from my first ever batch was flat and disagreeing with my gut. But today I opened up the first bottle from my second batch and oh my it was sparkly and yummy. I'm a happy camper!

We were away during the week of the first batch and the heat in the house was turned down. Guess I just needed to give it time.

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