Why make your own kombucha tea? Simply because it’s one of the greatest hobbies you can have and a fun activity you can share with your loved ones. Your hobby will provide you with a health-supporting beverage that’s delicious, inexpensive, and free of preservatives. Making kombucha tea can also be a truly altruistic act if you pass along the brew and kombucha babies to others.
Many cultures, especially those in Asia and Europe, have established certain rituals that involve the making and presentation of tea. In any successful tea ceremony, time is a critical factor. “Never rush a tea ceremony,” my mother told me ages ago. How much time does it take to make kombucha tea? After you’ve gotten the hang of it, it takes about thirty minutes to brew and some additional time to cool. Then, of course, you must wait several days while the tea ferments. Be patient and go slowly if this is your first experience making the tea. The time you spend reading these instructions, especially the preliminary information about ingredients and equipment, will be a valuable investment.
You need only four items to make kombucha tea. The first is the kombucha culture. The remaining ingredients—tea, white sugar, and purified water—are probably already in your kitchen.
The most important ingredient in kombucha tea, of course, is the kombucha! So where can you get your very own kombucha baby? Perhaps a relative, friend, or neighbor has already offered one to you. If not, see Resources (page 79) for information about where to obtain a kombucha starter kit.
In all likelihood, your first kombucha will reach you in a sealed plastic bag, and it will be floating in a small amount of nourishing kombucha tea. You’ll notice that the culture looks like a pancake: flat and golden brown. Touch it, however, and you’ll find that it doesn’t feel like most pancakes; the kombucha should feel rubbery and slightly oily.
Cleanliness is essential for handling your kombucha baby. So before you touch it, make sure your hands are clean. Wash your hands with soap and warm water and rinse all of the soapy residue off your fingers. Wearing clean rubber gloves is an option, though I prefer being in direct contact with the kombucha. While cleanliness is important, sterile conditions aren’t necessary since intruding organisms will be destroyed during fermentation.
The kombucha culture must be protected from contact with certain items. For example, the kombucha can leach toxins from metal, so you must remove all rings and jewelry from fingers and wrists before touching it. You must also avoid using equipment that’s metal or may contain metal during certain stages of the process. Similarly, avoid using plastic equipment and utensils because the kombucha can draw out harmful chemicals that are in plastics. Finally, the kombucha culture may be damaged or even die if it’s exposed to tobacco smoke. The following sections provide important details you need to know about these precautions and sensitivities.
No Metal, No Plastic
The kombucha culture can’t tolerate contact with any kind of metal, so it’s necessary to avoid bowls and other pieces of equipment that are made of metal when making kombucha tea. The kombucha can leach metal from bowls and various kitchen tools.
I recommend that only glass bowls and containers be used for fermenting and storing kombucha tea. Avoid crystal bowls. Since crystal contains lead, there’s a danger that the kombucha culture will absorb the lead from the crystal. Lead is highly poisonous, not only to the kombucha but also to humans. Ceramic and porcelain bowls present a similar problem since they contain metallic elements.
Plastic containers should never be used for fermenting kombucha tea. The kombucha culture has the power to leach dangerous compounds from plastic as well as metal. I’ve seen plenty of information in the media that drives home the dangers of estrogenic compounds in ordinary plastic containers that we use every day, especially in our kitchens, and how they endanger us and the environment. Because these estrogenic compounds in plastics so closely mimic the female hormone estrogen, they’re creating havoc among the males of many species. For example, there has been an increase in the number of boys being born with poorly developed sex organs and a simultaneous rise in hermaphroditic, or intersex, births. Similar aberrations have occurred in animals, especially in fish and other water species that are exposed to concentrated toxins and oil spills (oil is a primary component in plastics).
So if we can’t use metal, crystal, ceramic, porcelain, or plastic, we have only one safe alternative for fermenting and storing kombucha tea: unadulterated glass made of the white sands of silica. A large Pyrex glass bowl is the best container to use when fermenting the tea. Remember, however, that while Pyrex bowls are safe to use in the oven, they can’t be used to boil water on the stovetop. A friend of mine did this recently. When he had finished brewing the tea, he heard his daughter cry out, “Papa! Papa! Come quickly, your kombucha!” In the kitchen, he found his glass bowl broken and his tea all over the stove and dripping onto the floor. The bowl had shattered in reaction to the heat. The moral of this story: Never heat a Pyrex glass container on the stovetop. Instead, use a stainless steel pot to heat the water for your kombucha tea. This is perfectly safe because the kombucha is never put into the pot.
Just as the tea must be fermented in a glass container, it must also be stored in glass. Thoroughly washed wine bottles that can be corked are the perfect receptacles. The cork allows the tea to breathe, which is important because some fermentation continues even when the tea is stored in the refrigerator.
Experts have reported that tobacco smoke will interfere with the successful fermentation of kombucha tea. In fact, if it’s exposed to tobacco smoke during fermentation, the kombucha culture will not prosper and may even die. This isn’t surprising when you consider that tobacco is a deadly poison that farmers employ successfully as an insecticide.
In our home, my wife and I don’t permit smoking of any tobacco products, which is good for my kombucha cultures. Other noxious fumes, such as automobile exhaust, can also harm the kombucha. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend leaving the tea in your garage to ferment. If your basement opens to the garage, you must find another spot for the fermenting process. Alternatives include the attic, kitchen, or any other area where the culture can be kept warm, undisturbed, and away from direct sunlight. For more recommendations and precautions, see “Choosing the Best Spot for Fermentation,” page 61.
Tea does more than lend its fantastic flavor to the home-brewed kombucha drink. Tea also provides necessary mineral salts and nitrogen, and it stimulates growth among the bacteria and yeast. When making kombucha tea, you can use black, green, or white tea. I normally use Twinings brand orange pekoe teabags.
No matter which kind of tea you choose, the same general guidelines apply: Use 2 teaspoons of loose tea or 2 tea bags for every quart (liter) of water. The amount can be varied to taste or to make the tea weaker or stronger.
White Tea
White tea, especially organic white tea, has recently become more widely available and is a very popular choice among those who brew kombucha tea. The oldest type of tea from China, white tea comes from the buds and younger leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and gets its name from the silver-white hairs on the unopened buds. Common varieties of white tea include Silvery Tip Pekoe, Silver Needle White Hair, China White, and Fujian White.
White tea contains high levels of catechins, a group of polyphenol antioxidants known to fight free radicals. There are claims that drinking white tea provides protection from a number of ailments, including arterial disease, diabetes, stroke, heart failure, skin damage from ultraviolet radiation, and even cancer and tumor formation. In fact, the polyphenol compounds have been shown to protect against certain types of cancer in scientific studies. The catechins in white tea have also been found to reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and strengthen blood vessels, thereby reducing the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. Catechins are also believed to have antibacterial and antiviral properties; in scientific testing, they were proven to protect animals from pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium. Finally, the antioxidants in white tea help boost immunity and can be of benefit to humans and animals suffering from compromised immune systems.
Scientific research has confirmed the health benefits of white tea. A 2009 study at Kingston University in London, England, revealed strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, indicating that the tea could reduce users’ risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers, and heart disease. Other properties were shown to slow the enzymatic breakdown of elastin and collagen, which naturally accompanies aging. A 1984 study conducted at Pace University in New York showed that white tea extract slows the growth of viruses and bacteria, thereby reducing the incidence of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus infections as well as pneumonia, fungus growth, and even dental plaque. Additional research at the University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University revealed that white tea protects skin cells that are exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation.
It follows that by choosing white tea to make kombucha tea, you’re getting not only a brew that tastes great but also one that boasts superior health benefits. Nevertheless, many kombucha enthusiasts still swear they obtain the best results using regular black tea, especially orange pekoe and English breakfast teas.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine in black, green, or white tea can vary widely. If you’re concerned about caffeine content, kombucha tea expert Betsy Pryor assures that the amount of caffeine in the fermented tea is minimal. Just as little or no sugar remains when the tea is harvested, there’s almost no caffeine left at the end of the fermentation process.
Some people who are concerned about caffeine might hit on the idea of using herbal tea when making kombucha tea. This might not be such a good idea, as the next section explains.
Herbal Tea
Many kombucha experts recommend against using herbal tea because it contains alkaloids that might affect the kombucha. Others suggest that using teas that contain certain herbs, such as raspberry leaves, blackberry leaves, or dandelions, can enhance kombucha tea. Ideally, the herbal teas should be made from homegrown herbs to ensure they’re uncontaminated and as fresh as possible.
I understand why some kombucha hobbyists might want to embark on trials with herbal teas. However, I recommend that they first familiarize themselves with the medicinal effects of the herbal tea they wish to experiment with. This can be accomplished by studying a book about herbs or taking a course from a qualified herbalist. If you gain this expertise and wish to experiment, keep in mind that herbal tea requires only half the amount of steeping time as black tea.
The general guideline for making kombucha tea is to use ½ cup of refined white sugar per quart (liter) of water. The white sugar can be refined from cane or beet sugar.
I know how tough it is to convince health-conscious people that it’s okay to use refined white sugar. Keep in mind, however, that the white sugar is in the tea for one reason and one reason alone: to feed the bacteria and yeast cells. The sugar is not there to feed you. The bacteria and yeast consume the sugar during fermentation. By the time you drink the kombucha tea, there’s little, if any, sugar left. Günther Frank has provided a precise example by saying that after a fermentation period of 14 days, only about .1 ounce (3 grams) of simple sugars remains in about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of kombucha tea. Compare that to the 7 teaspoons (35 grams) of sugar that are present in only one serving of carbonated cola.
White sugar plays many roles during the fermentation of kombucha tea. It assists in the development of organic acids and alcohol, creates new nutrients and vitamins, and helps to transform minerals into the gluconate or acetate forms of organic acids. It also helps develop other new nutrients and polysaccharides.
Still, some kombucha tea brewers continue to experiment with other sweeteners. At one kombucha seminar, an attendee stated, “I reasoned out . . . you should use raw sugar (instead of white refined sugar) because you don’t have the elements that you would have in a raw sugar.” Then he emphasized, “Which, of course, you find in molasses . . . one of the great foods in the world. So I throw a little molasses into mine, and I find that the rate of reaction from this is approximately three times faster in forming the drink.” The lecturer, Betsy Pryor, cautioned the audience against this approach. She said that although certain ingredients, including raw sugar and honey, prompt the kombucha tea to ferment more quickly, research conducted in Russia confirmed that refined white sugar makes the most active type of kombucha tea. If you think you can avoid refined white sugar by using brown sugar, remember that brown sugar, for the most part, is made by adding molasses to refined white sugar.
Some people recommend the use of honey as an alternative to refined white sugar. However, courtesy of the bees that make it, honey contains enzymes and natural antibiotics that may interfere with the kombucha’s microbiology. Most kombucha experts agree that honey can create problems with fermentation, so I don’t recommend experimenting. If you want to use honey, don’t add it to the boiling water as you would sugar. Instead, wait and add the honey after the tea has cooled down. Ultimately, however, I still strongly recommend using only refined white sugar, especially for beginners.
If you’re thinking about using a sugar substitute to avoid refined white sugar, think again. No artificial sweetener will serve as food for the kombucha. The culture, for example, would starve on saccharin, which is made from toluene, a substance that has no food value.
If you’re still tempted to avoid sugar, you may be intrigued by the methods of a physician named Meixner. According to author Harald Tietze, Meixner substitutes manna that he makes himself for sugar. Because manna isn’t nearly as sweet as sugar, Meixner recommends using three times more manna than sugar. If you’re up to it and into traveling, I can tell you where to find manna. It’s a dried sweet secretion obtained by cutting into the bark of European ash shrubs and trees, especially varieties of flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus and Fraxinus rotundifolia) that can be found in southern Europe.
The amount of water that you include in each batch of kombucha tea may be dictated by the size of the glass bowl you use for fermenting. As discussed earlier in this chapter, the general guidelines are to use 2 tea bags and ½ cup of white sugar per quart (liter) of water. It’s easy to find glass bowls that will accommodate 2 to 4 quarts of kombucha tea.
Be sure to use only purified water that’s free of silt, chlorine, metal residue from water pipes, and chemicals, such as fluorine. While some kombucha enthusiasts have experimented with using distilled water in the past, recent research shows that distilled water produces an inferior kombucha tea because essential minerals are absent.
Now that you have your kombucha culture, tea, white sugar, and purified water, it’s time to check your cupboards once more to find the necessary equipment to make kombucha tea. Here is a list of the items you’ll need.
A stainless steel pot. You’ll need a pot in which to boil the water for the tea; if you prefer, you can also dissolve the sugar and steep the tea in the pot. Choose a pot made of high-quality stainless steel. Nickel is a metal found in stainless steel, and especially when inferior pots are used, remnants of nickel can end up in whatever is being heated. The pot should hold at least 4 quarts (liters) of water. If you want to make more than one batch of tea at a time, I recommend using a commercial-sized pot, which can be found at any restaurant supply store. Remember, it’s okay to use a metal pot because the pot will never contain the kombucha culture.
A large glass bowl. You’ll need a large bowl in which to store the tea and culture during fermentation. Select a glass bowl (one that holds up to 5 quarts is ideal) without any metal or plastic components, not even on the rim. Plastic, ceramic, or crystal bowls shouldn’t be used because the kombucha culture will leach impurities from these products during fermentation. I recommend using a glass Pyrex mixing bowl or a bowl made of tempered glass. The bowl must have a large opening to allow the kombucha culture to unfold and receive an adequate supply of oxygen.
A wooden, ceramic, or glass spoon. Use the spoon to stir the sweetened tea and remove the tea bags after steeping.
A white cotton towel. Use a white cotton kitchen towel to cover the glass bowl that contains the fermenting kombucha tea. The towel will protect the tea from insects and dust. Any clean white or light-colored cotton towel or cloth will do, as will several layers of cheesecloth.
A cotton tea strainer. Use a cotton tea strainer when pouring the fermented tea into glass storage containers. If you don’t have a cotton tea strainer, strain the tea by pouring it through cheesecloth or a clean cotton towel.
A funnel. You may need a funnel to pour the fermented tea into glass storage containers. Although I’ve warned against using plastic near the kombucha culture, it’s okay to use a plastic funnel for this step because the tea will pass through the funnel very quickly. There’s little chance that the tea will leach any toxins from the plastic during such brief contact. However, do not use a metal funnel for this step.
Glass storage containers. Use clear, sterile glass jars or bottles to store the fermented kombucha tea. The number of containers you’ll need will depend on the size of the batch and the size of the containers. Top the jars or bottles with corks or plastic lids. Corked clear glass bottles or clean wine bottles work perfectly. Just make sure the containers aren’t sealed tightly; the corks or lids must yield to the pressure of the fermenting tea. Even when stored in the refrigerator, the tea will continue to ferment and must have some room to breathe and expand.
Kombucha Tea Ingredients at a Glance
In this chapter, I have kept ingredient guidelines general so you can determine the quantity of tea you wish to brew. In addition to the kombucha culture, here are the proportions I recommend for the tea, water, and white sugar:
• 2 tea bags or 2 teaspoons of loose black, green, or white tea per quart (liter) of purified water
• ½ cup of white sugar per quart (liter) of purified water
The amount of tea you use can be varied according to your own preference. For example, when I brew 3 quarts of tea, I typically use 5 tea bags, not 6 as I recommend in the guidelines. However, don’t use less sugar than recommended or you risk starving the kombucha culture during fermentation.
Brewing kombucha tea isn’t an exact science. Variations in taste and appearance will occur because of the uniqueness of each kombucha culture and the subtle differences in each person’s preparation methods. Try to follow these instructions as closely as possible, but remember to have fun.
Prepare the “baby.” If you’re using a newly obtained kombucha baby, remove it from the plastic bag. Gently lay the kombucha in a shallow glass dish and pour any tea that came in the plastic bag into the dish as well. Cover the dish with a clean white cotton towel or cloth, but don’t allow the towel to touch the culture. Note that although the kombucha culture needs to be treated with care, it’s quite robust and can tolerate this kind of routine handling.
Boil the water. Pour 2 to 4 quarts of purified water into a high-quality stainless steel pot. Put the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Note: I decided to begin with only 2 quarts of water the first time I made kombucha tea. I highly recommend this to beginners because this amount is easy to handle and will give you increased confidence. In addition, two-quart glass bowls and storage containers are easy to find.
Add the sugar. While the hot water is in the pot, stir in the white sugar. Use ½ cup of sugar per quart (liter) of water. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Alternatively, return the pot to the heat and boil the water for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the tea. Now you have a decision to make. You can brew the tea either in the pot or in the glass bowl that you’ll use to ferment the kombucha tea. Use 2 teaspoons of loose tea or 2 tea bags for every quart (liter) of water. The amount can be varied to taste or to make the tea weaker or stronger. The recommended steeping time for tea bags is 10 to 15 minutes. The steeping time for loose tea is shorter—3 to 5 minutes. (If you use loose tea, you’ll need to strain it, which adds an extra step to the process. If you’re a beginner, I advise you to stick with the tried and tested tea bags.)
Remove the tea bags or strain the tea. When the tea is finished brewing, remove the tea bags. If you used loose tea, pour the tea through a sieve, strainer, cheesecloth, or cotton cloth to completely clear the tea of residue. If you like, you can pour the strained tea directly into the glass bowl that you’ll use to ferment the kombucha tea, as long as the glass bowl is heatproof.
Let the tea cool. Cover the pot or glass bowl and let the tea cool to lukewarm. It’s critical that the tea be cooled completely, as otherwise it could damage or even kill the kombucha culture. Depending on ambient temperature, season, and climate, the cooling-down period could take from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Pour the tea into the glass bowl. If you brewed the tea in the pot, now is the time to pour the lukewarm tea into the glass bowl that you’ll use to ferment the kombucha tea. To avoid breakage, make sure the tea is cool before pouring it into the waiting glass bowl, unless you’re using a Pyrex bowl or heatproof bowl. It pays to be patient.
Add some “old” kombucha tea. When the fresh batch of tea is lukewarm and waiting in the glass bowl, take about ½ cup of the previous batch of tea (or the liquid that your first kombucha came in) and pour it into the cooled-down tea.
Place the kombucha on the tea. Gently place the kombucha culture on top of the tea, letting it float on the surface. The darker, rougher side of the kombucha should face down, and the lighter, smoother side should face up. It’s okay if some of the tea laps over the top of the kombucha.
Select a safe place for fermentation. Put the bowl of tea in a clean, well-ventilated area. When selecting a location, be sure to avoid direct sunlight and wet, mildewy, or moldy areas near damp walls or potted plants, where spores might get into the fermenting kombucha. For additional tips, see “Choosing the Best Spot for Fermentation,” page 61.
Cover the kombucha tea during fermentation. Once you have carried the glass bowl of tea to a safe place for fermentation, cover it with a clean white cotton towel or cloth, using a rubber band or string to secure the towel around the rim of the bowl. Make sure the kombucha tea can get air but that it’s protected against insects that might fly or crawl underneath the towel, which shouldn’t be allowed to touch the kombucha culture.
Wait while your kombucha tea is ripening. The usual fermenting time is between 7 and 10 days, depending on the desired flavor and sugar content, although some people allow the tea to ferment for up to 14 days. A shorter fermenting period results in a sweeter tea with higher sugar content, and a longer period results in a vinegary tea with little or no sugar. For more information, see “Deciding How Long to Ferment the Tea,” page 61.
Harvest the tea when it’s ready. After the tea has fermented for 7 to 14 days, put the bowl of fermenting tea on the kitchen counter. Wash your hands well. Remove the cotton towel. Remove the culture and gently separate the parent kombucha from the baby. You now have two cultures and can double your efforts. For tips on how to store the kombucha cultures until you brew your next batch or find a new home for the baby, see “Storing the Kombucha Culture” on page 60.
Store the tea. Pour the fresh kombucha tea through the cotton tea strainer (or strain the tea through a clean white cloth) into clean glass bottles that can be corked or loosely sealed. You may need to use a funnel for this step; if so, it’s okay to use a plastic funnel because the tea will be in contact with the plastic for only a short time. Don’t seal the glass bottles tightly because the tea will continue to ferment, potentially creating enough pressure to cause a problem. You don’t want to burst your bubbly!
Stored in glass containers in the refrigerator, kombucha tea will keep for a few weeks. Then, you’ll be ready to brew your next batch. Note: Always save one cup of the most recent batch to use when brewing your next batch. You may want to store this small amount of tea right in your fermentation bowl. For more information, see “Caring for the Fermentation Bowl,” below.
Create Your Own Favorite Blends at Home
Home-brewed kombucha tea lends itself to blending with other beverages, such as green tea or raspberry tea. Or try combining equal parts of kombucha tea with apple juice; the result is a blend that children particularly enjoy. Another option is to stir in flavored syrups, such as berry syrups. Want to be really adventurous? Throw a kombucha tea party and have guests create their own blended beverages.
While making kombucha tea isn’t difficult, it’s obviously quite different than making other types of tea. After all, kombucha tea uniquely requires the use of a live culture. While I have already touched briefly on some of the following points, I think they deserve emphasis. Here is additional background that may contribute to your brewing success.
Some kombucha experts prefer to rinse the fermentation bowl completely after making each batch; they then add a portion of the old tea to each new batch. Here, I want to offer an alternative. As far as I can determine, both methods bring equally good results.
I prefer to leave a small amount (about one cup) of tea right in the fermentation bowl, where a bit of yeast sediment naturally forms while each batch is brewing. Leave the tea and sediment in the fermentation bowl and store it there until you make your next batch. After you’ve used this method to make three or four batches, clean out the fermentation bowl by rinsing it with hot water. At that time, throw out the yeast sediment. If you store a little bit of the tea and the sediment in the fermentation bowl like this, you won’t need to include additional tea from the previous batch.
Some kombucha experts recommend rinsing the kombucha culture under cold water before storing it; however, a kombucha doesn’t have to be rinsed before being reused. After I have finished brewing a batch of kombucha tea and am ready to store the kombucha, I don’t wash it. I simply separate the new culture from the original, pour the fresh tea into clean containers, and put one cup of the old tea and the kombucha culture in my glass fermentation bowl. Stored in the refrigerator, the kombucha culture will keep for up to three months.
A healthy kombucha baby can be sealed in a glass container with some kombucha tea and stored in the refrigerator for three to six months. Over this period, the kombucha will turn the tea into vinegar. When you use this vinegary kombucha for a new batch of tea, you won’t need to ferment it as long as usual because a kombucha baby will grow very quickly. It’s customary to store a kombucha baby in a plastic bag for short-term transport, but since exposure to plastic isn’t ideal, the baby would benefit from being stored in a glass container before and after transport.
People who are serious about having a kombucha backup might be interested in learning about additional, although less common, storage methods. Though some experts caution against freezing a kombucha culture because of possible crystallization damage, there are reports of people who have successfully stored kombucha cultures in their freezer for up to five years. If you wish, you could give this a try.
It also appears that the kombucha culture can successfully be dehydrated, which may be ideal for shipping purposes. I haven’t tried it, but Harald Tietze reports that a kombucha culture can be dried at 92 degrees F (33 degrees C). Note, however, that the culture shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight, nor should it be put in a microwave oven for drying or any other purpose; this would kill the kombucha. If you want to dry a kombucha culture, I advise that you purchase a professional dehydrator for this purpose.
To revive the dried kombucha, use it to make a batch of tea with the following ingredients: ½ quart (liter) of purified water, ⅓ cup (80 grams) of white sugar, 2 tea bags, and 1 teaspoon of boiled cider vinegar. Ferment the first batch of tea using the dried kombucha for at least 15 days.
Identifying a safe area in your home in which to ferment kombucha tea is as important as any of the other steps in making the tea. The fermenting kombucha needs an optimal growing environment. Choose a spot in your attic or basement or any other suitable room that’s neither too cold nor too warm. I successfully ferment my kombucha tea in the basement, but any place in your house or apartment will do, provided it’s not in direct sunlight, has sufficient airflow, and isn’t hot during the day. That means that most kitchen shelves or bedrooms would work just fine.
Kombucha tea is best left undisturbed during fermentation. I always affix a yellow sticker that says “Do not touch” to my fermentation bowl so that unsuspecting family members will be warned against moving it.
If the weather conditions are favorable, you’ll probably find that 8 days of fermentation is ideal. If the storage area is hot, 7 days may be sufficient. If the storage area is cold or you prefer a tea with a more acidic taste—or less residual sugar—allow the tea to ferment for 10 days. If the tea is left to ferment for 10 to 14 days, the sugar content should be almost entirely consumed by the bacteria and yeast in the kombucha culture.
The longer the tea ferments, the more vinegary it will taste. If your first batch of tea is too strong, dilute it by adding purified water or fresh tea. For your next batch, shorten the fermentation period or experiment with the sugar content.
You may accidentally discover kombucha vinegar if you allow the tea to ferment for 15 days or store it in the refrigerator for a long time. Don’t worry. The kombucha tea becomes a viable vinegar that you can use just like any other vinegar. Feel free to add it to salads and other dishes.
At this point you may be wondering how many batches of kombucha tea you’ll need to ferment simultaneously to maintain a program. For beginners, a good program consists of drinking two shot glasses full of kombucha tea on an empty stomach every morning. My own program involves drinking ½ cup of tea in the morning and ½ cup again before retiring. So that both my wife and I can maintain this program, we usually have two batches fermenting at a time. This allows us to have some left over to share with family, friends, neighbors, and pets. I think you’ll quickly be able to determine how much kombucha tea to make depending on your family’s needs.
Your kombucha culture came to you from uncountable generations of predecessors. If it’s treated correctly, the kombucha won’t die. Yet, I notice that the longer a kombucha culture lives and produces babies, the more old and weary it appears to grow. Once you’re familiar with the kombucha, you’ll be able to recognize the telltale signs of age. A kombucha culture also may age if it’s kept inactive for too long either in the refrigerator or in an area with little air. It will start to look frayed, spotty, and dark.
The good news, however, is that simply by using your kombucha culture to make kombucha tea, you’ll be providing yourself with a never-ending supply of kombucha babies. So perhaps it’s not necessary to investigate the kombucha’s lifespan too closely. If all has gone well, you’ll have many new kombucha babies and can safely throw your aging kombucha away. It has served its purpose and outlived its usefulness.
From all the expert evidence I’ve gathered to date, it appears conclusive that every kombucha baby has the same potency as its parent. So, without further ado, go ahead and use the baby when making your next batch of tea.
Sometimes mold will form on top of a kombucha culture during fermentation. This happened to me once when I used two different kombucha cultures in the same batch of tea. I had harvested this very large batch with two other batches. While the other two were fine, the mixed batch had grayish-green mold spots on the fully developed kombucha baby. During the fermenting process, the bowl with the double batch wasn’t sealed as tightly as the other two batches, which may have contributed to the mold growth.
Some authors say it’s safe to wash the mold off and continue as usual. They suggest rinsing the mother kombucha thoroughly under cold water to remove all signs of mold, then rinsing it in cider vinegar. This cleansing treatment should fully restore the health of the kombucha and make it ready for the next batch of tea.
Kombucha Tea That Bubbles Like Champagne
When the tea has fermented and you remove the kombucha culture from the tea’s surface, the liquid will look much the same as it did when you first stored it away. However, you’ll notice that something exciting happens when you start to pour the tea from the fermentation bowl into glass bottles for storage. The first time I poured my kombucha tea, I was stunned. The tea foamed and bubbled like newly opened champagne.
That first day, I poured myself a large glass of my newly harvested kombucha tea and drank it with gusto. I was drinking a tea that tasted like French champagne, the best drink in the world. By the time my wife came home to taste the tea, the bubbles had settled, and we were drinking tea that tasted like apple cider. Ah, but that first drink on harvest day is a treat to look forward to. In fact, if you have a large family, you may end up drinking all the champagne-like kombucha tea at this time.
To make kombucha champagne, follow the recipe on page 56, using orange pekoe tea and ½ cup of refined white sugar per quart (liter) of purified water. Cover the tea with a clean white cotton towel and allow it to ferment in a dark place, preferably high up on a shelf in the basement near the air vent, for 8 days. Pour the fermented tea into a champagne glass, straining it through a cotton tea strainer. Watch the bubbles rise and drink immediately. Every time I make kombucha tea this way, it tastes just like champagne.
However, I prefer to be cautious and advise others to be the same. My motto is “When in doubt, throw it out.” When I saw mold on the kombucha culture, I trashed the entire batch of tea as well as the kombucha. While most molds are harmless, some may be dangerous, and I wasn’t taking any chances. Follow my lead: if you see mold on the kombucha, throw away the culture and the tea and start fresh with a new kombucha.
If a kombucha dies, chances are it has been exposed to nicotine from some form of tobacco. According to Harald Tietze, this is the case in 50 percent of kombucha deaths. Other common causes of death include the use of honey, which has antibiotic constituents that can slowly kill off a kombucha, or starvation. A kombucha culture will starve to death if it’s deprived of sugar. For this reason, never use less sugar than I recommend in the general guidelines. See sidebar, page 56.
If your kombucha culture has died and you don’t have another one to keep you going, return to the source where you got your first kombucha. If that’s not possible, see Resources (page 79) for further guidance. While you’re in between kombucha cultures, you may want to use commercial kombucha drinks, extracts, medicinal tonics, or tinctures. See Professional Brews, page 68.
Q: Where can I get a kombucha culture?
A: Check Resources (page 79) for suppliers or see your local natural food store or natural health publication for a reliable source. Only buy or accept a kombucha culture from someone you trust. It’s important to have a healthy and viable kombucha for breeding babies and making the tea.
Q: Can I ferment kombucha tea without using refined white sugar?
A: My advice is to stick to the instructions provided in this chapter. I particularly recommend that beginners use white sugar. Some people try molasses, dark sugars, or honey when making kombucha tea. Experiment at your own risk, and only if you’re an advanced user. And remember: the sugar in the tea isn’t there for you. It’s there to feed the bacteria and yeast, which would die without it. If you don’t want to consume sugar, simply let the tea ferment for 14 days. After that time, there will be no (or very little) sugar remaining when you drink the tea.
Q: Can I store or ferment the kombucha tea in plastic or metal?
A: According to reliable research, a kombucha leaches potentially harmful compounds from plastics and metals and incorporates them into its structure, passing the toxins on to its babies and the tea. For this reason, avoid plastic and metal utensils and containers. In addition, don’t use lead crystal bowls (the lead is toxic). I recommend using Pyrex glass.
Q: What type of container should I use for fermenting the tea?
A: For the best results, ferment kombucha tea in a glass bowl. When you use a bowl, you’ll get a moderate-sized kombucha; however, if you use a glass lasagne pan or casserole, you’ll get a much larger culture. Also, when it’s placed in a bowl, the culture has more exposure to the tea mixture and to oxygen. Jars and cylinders shouldn’t be used because they’re too narrow.
Q: Can I cut a kombucha in half and make two batches of tea at once?
A: Yes, you can even cut it in thirds and make three batches. As long as you follow the instructions in this chapter, the tea should turn out fine. Incidentally, I have started one batch by using only a small portion of a kombucha culture. It worked well. The fragmented kombucha parent gave birth to a healthy, full-grown baby.
Q: Can kombucha tea make a kombucha baby all on its own?
A: Yes. A kombucha baby can start to form on top of kombucha tea if the tea is left in a warm spot for an extended period of time. To prevent kombucha tea from making a new culture, store it in the refrigerator.
Q: How will I know if my tea turned out right?
A: If you follow my instructions, nothing should go wrong. After a successful brew, a kombucha baby should be formed. It can be on top of the mother or on top of the tea if the mother sank to the bottom of the bowl. See the next question.
Q: My kombucha sank to the bottom of the bowl. Is it dead?
A: If there’s less oxygen in the kombucha mother, it may sink to the bottom. As long as it produced a healthy baby, all should be well.
Q: My kombucha baby is very thin. Is this normal?
A: Yes. Kombucha cultures come in all shapes and sizes. Under cool conditions, a kombucha mother may produce a thin baby, but the baby should still be viable. To encourage more growth, put the fermentation bowl in a warm environment: 72 to 86 degrees F (22 to 30 degrees C) is optimal. Alternatively, try adding more sugar to increase growth during the winter months.
Q: My kombucha culture is covered in mold. What should I do?
A: The safest thing to do is throw it out and start fresh. Perhaps the kombucha you received was contaminated. Or fruit flies and other contaminants may have gotten into the fermenting tea. To avoid mold in the future, make sure the fermentation bowl is properly covered, which means the mixture should be protected but getting sufficient oxygen. Keep the bowl away from plants, fruits, vegetables, compost, and garbage. I repeat, “When in doubt, throw it out!”
Q: If a kombucha dries out, can I still use it?
A: If the kombucha wasn’t in contact with contaminants, such as food particles, fruit flies, metals, or plastics, you should be able to revive it. Simply rinse the culture with kombucha tea or cider vinegar. Let it soak for fifteen minutes in the tea or vinegar. Then, proceed with a new batch of tea according to my instructions, adding a bit of the tea or vinegar you used for rinsing the kombucha culture. If your new tea doesn’t turn out, the kombucha may be dead. Throw it out and get another.
Q: Is there a right way to throw away a kombucha culture?
A: The right way is to simply throw the old kombucha in the garbage. I’m more concerned about the wrong way to dispose of a kombucha, which can be disastrous to your plumbing. Never discard a kombucha culture by flushing it down the toilet or putting it down the sink drain. It may attach somewhere and grow, eventually clogging up the drainpipes.