Kombucha...why YOU should make your own-SO SIMPLE!

kombucha home brew continual brew mamas roots.JPG

What is this kombucha everyone is talking about? Kombucha is a fermented beverage made with tea and sugar and fermented with a scoby.

With many health benefits, many people are beginning to brew their own kombucha because it is VERY expensive at the store and very cheap and simple to make at home.

Although it may appear overwhelming at first, kombucha is one of the EASIEST things to make and continue to have available for your family. It’s as simple as boiling water. Really. That’s the skill set required.

We have been doing a continual brew for about 3 years now and I have helped many people get started with home brewing their own. I would suggest that everyone do a continual brew as it is the simplest set up and you will have kombucha on tap! How cool is that?

It brings me great joy when my son grabs a glass and pours himself a bit of what he calls, “our homebrew.” Not only do my kids guzzle the stuff, so do my niece and nephew when they come over. Much to my heart’s content, as kombucha is great for you!

Kombucha contains beneficial strains of probiotics, enzymes, antioxidants and acids that are great to support overall health. Kombucha aids in digestion, detoxification, weight loss and immune support.

And, don’t let the sugar in the recipe scare you. The scoby “feeds” off the sugar and in doing so, grows another scoby. 90% of the sugar added is “eaten” by the scoby.

Here is what you will need to get started:

MATERIALS:

scoby with liquid (ask around to see if someone you know has one, or visit kombuchakamp.com to order one online and have it shipped)
large 1 to 2 gallon glass mason jar with spigot
lightly woven dish towel-needs to be thicker than cheesecloth
rubberband
organic green tea
organic sugar (do not substitute with coconut sugar, honey, agave syrup, etc.-it doesn’t work as well)

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Bring 4 cups of purified water (we use a Berkey water system) to a boil

2.) Turn off burner and add 5-6 tea bags. Steep for 5-10 minutes

3.) Remove the tea bags and stir in one cup of sugar

4.) Add 8 cups of purified water, which will bring the temperature down to lukewarm. You do not want the liquid to be too hot. If it is still too hot, wait a bit to let it cool down.

5.) Add the tea to the large mason jar

6.) Add your scoby and liquid to the large mason jar

7.) Cover with the dishtowel and rubber band

8.) Place your large mason jar in a dark, warm and ventilated area for 7-21 days (this will depend on your taste preference. It should be the right balance between sweet and sour.

9.) We usually let ours brew for 10 days or so before we drink it. But with a continual brew, we pour from the spigot for weeks later, but the longer you let it sit, the more vinegary the taste will be.

10.) When it gets down to about two cups of the liquid left in the large mason jar, I repeat the recipe. Only, don’t remove the scoby. Just leave it in there.

A new scoby will form on the top every time you do a batch. You can then separate the layers and give to a friend! Just give your scoby three brewing cycles before you do this. This ensures that your scoby will thrive in its environment.