Kombucha Goals

Happy 2017! It's time start kicking goals butts and becoming more of who we want to be. Some of my goals include running more (which is something I could never do enough of, so there's that), growing as much as I can in a garden and canning most of it, as well as becoming a kombucha brewing master!

Well, I probably won't become a master at it in only a year but I can get totally amazing with it!
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What is kombucha?

To begin with, just what is kombucha? It's fermented tea (preferably black or green) that is filled with probiotics that support gut health. The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is what ferments the tea and releases the great bacteria that will promote a healthy digestive system! This benefits those with upset stomachs or have certain stomach issues such as Crohns. 

It's important to take care of your SCOBY! I'm learning to watch for mold and how to properly store them into a SCOBY Motel when I'm not able to brew.  You'll have many SCOBYs too, because with every brew comes a brand new baby SCOBY! 

Look at Mother-Ship and Baby! With every brew a new SCOBY forms!

What does kombucha do for you?

As I said, kombucha does great for your gut with all of the great bacteria it brings along. I drink ginger kombucha for period cramps as an alternative to chamomile tea. It also helps detox your body and promotes natural energy.

 use yerba mate, a naturally very energizing tea that boosts your metabolism. It is a green tea from South America and is absolutley amazing before a run for the energy it provides (if you don't mind the occasional pee break). 
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Baby SCOBY forming!

Is it hard to brew kombucha?

To be honest, it depends. It's rellatively simple, but you have to keep an eye on it. My first time brewing it, I was totally nervous the entire time. I had no idea what I was doing or what I was to expect, even after researching the process thoroughly. 

The first few days I was afraid that my SCOBY was defective, but after those first few days my tea started smelling a wee bit like vinegar and yeast eels started forming. (Those black strings you may see on my SCOBYs or floating in the unstrained kombucha.) This was showing that the magic was happening and the yeast eels floated to the top to begin forming the baby SCOBY. 
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After a week of brewing, I decided it was time to flavor my kombucha with ginger and orange juice. After removing the SCOBYs, I added the ginger and OJ and let that flavor for two days. Then I strained and bottle the kombucha and let it self carbonate for about three days before drinking it. Yes, it self carbonates! Good kombucha will be extremely carbonated. I think this time around I'll do a second fermentation (flavoring and carbonating) for three weeks like most brewers do and let it get extreme! 
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So go out and try some kombucha from the store next time you want a great tonic, or maybe try your hand at brewing it and let me know what you think.
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Yeast eels!