Kombucha Scoby - to Start Your Own Kombucha Brew

ThatSouthernBelle's Note:

DRINK THIS IN MODERATION - DO NOT DRINK EVERY DAY! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kombucha is an extra healthy tea that is high in vitamin B that is brewed with a colony of microorganisms. This recipe is to make the "Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast" aka SCOBY so you can start making your own Kombucha instead of shelling out $4 a bottle at the grocery store. From http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-grow-a-kombucha-scoby/

• Total Time: 168 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 168 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 1

Yield: 1.0 SCOBY

SCOBY

• 1 (8 ounce) bottle kombucha, unflavored organic and raw, not pasturized
• 1 cup black tea
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For second Brew (after you have your SCOBY)

• 1/2 cup kombucha, brew from growing the SCOBY
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 cups black tea or 4 cups green tea, cooled

For Flavored Kombucha (After you have your SCOBY)

• 2 1/2 ounces pure fruit juice, with no pulp

Directions:

1. Pour the bottle of kombucha and sweetened tea into a large glass jar.
2. Cover jar with a towel or coffee filter secured with a rubber band so the brew can breathe but still be protected from insects and other contaminants.
3. Let it sit for a week. Put it in a room temperature area that is dark (like your pantry - NEVER in the refrigerator as it will kill your SCOBY.).
4. With time, a new SCOBY will start to form on top of the liquid. It will appear first as a thin film, then slowly fill in and thicken up.
5. Once it’s about 1/4 inch thick, it’s ready to go. You can let it sit longer and get even thicker, but that’s really not necessary. If you see ANY mold - discard it and start over. It will look like bread mold.
6. To start a batch with your SCOBY, wash your hands. Never touch your SCOBY with dirty hands as it will cause it to mold.
7. Drain 75% of the liquid you have from your brew into a food grade glass container to drink.
8. Place 4 C Black or Green tea that has been in food grade glass container with 25% remaining liquid.
9. Top with new SCOBY and let it go through the same week long fermentation process as you did to make the SCOBY.
10. A new SCOBY will form on top of the old SCOBY and you can peel it off and start a new batch from the new SCOBY or have two batches going at the same time in different jars. You can give away the new baby SCOBYs but make sure to include 1/2 c of the brew it came from and enough sugar and tea bags for somebody to start their own.
11. With the remaining 75% juice, drink 4 oz. at most a day if you're not going to dilute it with tea or fruit juice.
12. If diluting with juice, pour 2.5 ounces into a quart sized food grade glass jar and top with kombucha brew.
13. Cover, set it back in the pantry and let "brew" for 48 hours.
14. Place fruit juice Kombucha in the fridge and enjoy.

Reviews

[Mama's Kitchen (Hope)]

This was perfect! I had a scoby that I purchased from the bacteria pimp (online) but it always made kombucha that was very vinegary. This produced a much more pleasant 'tea'. Thanks for posting! Kombucha is so healthy and good for you! Too many are afraid of it but it has some great health benefits.