If you frequent health food stores, you might have come across kombucha tea, a fermented "live" beverage found in the cooler section. The most popular brand currently on the market is Synergy, a company that manufactures a wide range of kombucha flavors. Kombucha has been around for hundreds of years. With roots in China and Russia, the cultured tea eventually made its way into western food culture.
Though none have yet been tested scientifically, kombucha has been praised for its many health benefits. People who consume the beverage have reported better digestion, calmed stomach ulcers, and increased alertness. Its benefits are similar to that of herbal teas and probiotics like yogurt. Besides all it has to offer, kombucha tea is simply a tasty, low-calorie and fat-free alternative to soda.
What You'll Need to Make Kumbucha Tea
Before you begin brewing your own kombucha tea, you'll need to acquire a few things. The first is your culture, which in the case of kombucha is of a macro (visible) rather than a microscopic nature. The kombucha culture looks like a big pancake or mushroom, and is called a S.C.O.B.Y., or Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. Kombucha S.C.O.B.Y.'s are available online, or you can try to find one locally. You'll also need 2.5 cups of already-fermented tea as your starter, a large glass container (1.5-2 gallons) with an open top, some fine cheesecloth, white granulated sugar, and a selection of black and green teas and dried berries. (Fruit flavors work best here, and herbal tea infusions are not a good selection. The kombucha thrives on the nitrates in the real tea.) You'll also need a heavy stock pot and a stove, and if you want to be precise, short-range PH strips that go from 2.8 to 4.6.
The Process
Every home kombucha brewer will develop his or her own preferences, but here's a quick overview of the steps. The proportions here are for a 1.5 gallon (6 liter) batch, and can be adjusted to each brewer's needs. Since you will be working with bacteria, it is extremely important that your hands, surfaces, and all tools used are very clean and sterilized.
- De-chlorinate the water you'll be using by letting 1.5 gallons (6 liters) sit for at least 6 hours. (The chlorine will evaporate.)
- Pour about a third of the de-chlorinated water into a large pot, and boil it. Once it has come to a full boil, turn the heat off and add 2.5 - 3 cups of white sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add a third of a cup of loose green, black, or flavored green or black tea. Let steep 30 minutes.
- Strain the sweet, strong tea into the remaining two-thirds of the water you de-chlorinated earlier. Put the SCOBY into the glass jar, and pour the water-tea mixture over it. Add 2.5 cups of already fermented tea, cover with cheesecloth and an elastic band, and set in a room-temperature environment away from movement and direct sunlight. The SCOBY will either float or sink or do something in between. Any of these are fine.
- As the mixture sits, a new SCOBY "baby" will start to form on the surface of the tea.Two to three weeks later, check the PH of your ferment, or simply taste using a clean dipping cup. The longer you let your mixture sit, the more acidic it will become. Some people prefer a sweeter taste (shorter ferment) and others prefer a more vinegary taste.
- When the mixture has fermented to your taste, you can simply pour it into a pitcher and put it in your fridge for consumption. Some brewers like to let it go through a "second fermentation" in which it will carbonate further. To do this, strain the tea into bottles with a self-sealing top, such as is used for Grolsch beer. Add a 1/4 tsp of white sugar to each bottle and mix. Let the bottles sit for another 10 days at room temperature, and then chill to slow fermentation.
- Begin the process again, using your new SCOBY, a fresh batch of water, some starter from your first batch, and a new combination of flavored teas.
The Benefits
Many people turn to kombucha as a refreshing, slightly effervescent beverage. It can be mixed into cocktails and sangrias, and used in salad dressings. Some have even reported using an over-fermented batch as a cleaning product because of its vinegary properties. It's lower in calories and sugar than both beer and soda, and contains negligible amounts of alcohol.
As the North American palate becomes increasingly adventurous and open to old-world foods, kombucha is sure to rise in popularity. It's fun to brew, tastes great, and is good for you too. Happy brewing.
