How To Make Kombucha With Or Without A SCOBY - Self Reliant Living
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2024
- Kombucha is an all natural, super easy to make fermented tea. If you’re a tea lover then it could be a perfect fit and a great alternative to soda.
Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of room in a healthy diet to enjoy a handcrafted natural soda. The kind without all of the chemicals and preservatives, that is fun and easy to make.
Kombucha is what I lovingly refer to as grown-up soda, although we do let our kids drink it in small quantities. The benefit of drinking kombucha is that it contains probiotics that help your gut bacteria stay healthy.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is produced by fermenting sweet tea using a "symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast", often referred to as a SCOBY. A kombucha ferment is a ferment that has both bacteria and yeast. So it’s a kind of mixed ferment, since other ferments usually rely on either yeast OR bacteria - this is what makes it different than wine or beer. However, kombucha can contain a small amount of alcohol (usually less than 0.5%). But if you brew your own that amount can fluctuate some so taste it to be sure before giving it to kids.
What is a SCOBY?
A SCOBY kind of looks like a white blob, although it can be dark in color too. It’s a gelatinous, cellulose-based film that forms where the air meets the liquid. When making kombucha it’s helpful to add a SCOBY from another brew to speed up your brew but it’s not 100% necessary.
A SCOBY is sometimes called a mother culture.
Let’s brew some kombucha with a SCOBY and a bit of starter.
All you need is a 1 or 2 gallon glass container. If you want to use a crock that’s fine, but you don’t need to. This recipe is for 2 gallons.
2 gallon glass jar
6 quarts of purified water
2 cup sugar
10 black tea bags
1-2 cups starter liquid
1 SCOBY
Cloth and a rubber band to cover the brewing jar
You can add more than one SCOBY if you’d like to speed up the process, or if you want to keep more than one SCOBY as a backup you can add more than one to your brew. I would not recommend doing this on the first brew, but after you’ve been brewing for a while and get the hang of it you can easily do it.
What if the SCOBY won’t fit?
It’s not a big deal if the SCOBY you are starting with does not float on the top. The new SCOBY will take the shape of the container you’re brewing in.
So How Do You Know Your Kombucha Is Done?
The number one way that I figure out whether my kombucha is done is taste it. Does it taste too sweet, too sour, or just right? If there is a nice mixture of both then it’s done. You can test to see if it’s done with a ph meter. The meter should have a pH of 3 or lower (remember, with pH the lower the number the more acidic).
Now It’s Time For The Second Ferment
Once you get that really nice balance between sweet and sour then it’s time for the second ferment. This is where the fun flavors come in. You can flavor your kombucha with fruit juice, fresh fruit, candied fruit, frozen fruit, or dried fruit. You’ll need to grab some bottles suitable for fermenting.
Fill up your bottles with ¼ cup to ½ cup of juice or fruit and then fill the rest of the way with Kombucha. Let it ferment for 3 to 4 days - longer if you have a cold house - and then refrigerate and enjoy.
Be sure to put the bottles in a separate bin while they ferment in case they over-carbonate. Mine rarely do but every few years I might get one that breaks. Then move them to your refrigerator to slow down the ferment. I usually burp my bottles before putting them in the refrigerator because they will continue to ferment.
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I have a question, How did the earliest kombucha happen, there was someone who started without an existing scoby or starter tea. How do you make it from the very beginning?
I heard that tea bags are made of nylon fibers or plastic. Therefore, they can leach chemicals into the tea that’s brewed. So it’s better to purchase and brew loose tea with a strainer or open the tea bags so that the tea is loose then put it in a strainer.
Can one use decaffeinated black tea?
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I have watched a bazillion video's on making kombucha without a scoby and you are the FIRST to inform your viewers that it takes LONGER...possibly up to 5 weeks! Priceless information. All other sites say 7 to 12 days. I am on my 12th day and just a very very thin line and some sediment floating on top. It looks like very very early scoby formation. Why I am concerned is because my store didn't have "original" kombucha so I opted for cranberry flavor. I know this is against what everyone says. I have also seen video's where people said it still works but the flavor can be a little off. I am hoping that as I continue to ferment that the "cranberry" will diminish.
Don't waste your time on this video if want to make kombucha from only tea and water and nothing else
Thank you for your video, it's very helpful since I'm urban homesteading during days of the 2019-2020 pandemic. I'm just hoping that you can update your measurements to the metric system. Thanks!
😅 5:30 😢 5:31 😢 5:33 😢kk
Thanks for the video.
Can you use the liquid you use to create a scoby for the next batch or even drink it?
No.
To make scoby from scratch - takes 2 to 6 or 8 months depending on the surrounding
Use sour fruits - I use pineapple and lime
In a glass jar add ratio (roughly)
1 part sugar ( white or cane)
3 part sour fruits
10 part mineral water
Mix in and leave in sit tight jar about 2 months
After 2/3 months separate the fruit and juice
Put juice in a clean jar don’t seal completely- use thick tea towel to cover up and seal with ribbon or rubber band and leave again for another 2-4 months depending how thick you want the scoby. Sometimes many layers of scoby are formed and the top most would be the strongest.
Nice. Would it impart off flavors though? And do you use this as starter liquid?
I need 1 scoby
Frozen rasberries,and all frozen fruit except blueberries make great flavorings for the final ferment maam.
I recently learned that you can shred SCOBY's and put them in the soil of acidic loving plants like blueberries and hydrangeas.
Tomatoes !!!🍅🍅🍅🍅
jst found this vid.. thanks 4 posting. finally... a vid' with nice, clear, easy to hear sound :)
Hello,
My name is Shirley and this is the first time I have seen your channel. You have explained Kombucha better than anyone I have listen to. I thank you for that. I did enjoy this tonight. I will be listen more often and again Thank you.
Will fresh ginger work.And I just bottled my first ferment. And will it still ferment without adding more sugar or fruit? It seems sweet enough already.
I would love to have this answer as well. Fresh Ginger OK??
Fresh ginger does not work well, however some people use it. Try a ginger bug (vids on utube).
@@sharons.7262 Yes
I use fresh ginger all the time, tastes wonderful!
Love your presentation. I have been a Scoby mom for a long time :) When I get too many I cut them into small pieces and feed them to my chickens. Thank you for your great video.. :)
Always use pure cane sugar.. I have found it makes a big difference (by accident).
Hi thank you your video. Can I use Stainless Steel Home brew Beer Growler Secure Swing Top Lid for second fermenting ?
kombutcha do not like metal
You stated that you let the tea brew for a "Long Time" but neglected to give the precise amount of time that was. How long did you allow the tea to brew for? Thank you.
Let it brew for 5-10 minutes. Long time brewing diminishes the quality of the final brew. There are things in the tea leaves that are not good for your final product.
@@JoeLoydJr tea must be brewed according to type of the tea you using to avoid biterness etc...
I don’t find any links on this video, but I did find things on Amazon .❤ thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!! ❤
How come your bottle kombucha looks reddish but the brewing containers that stuff looked more brownish?
wow - you answered all my questions plus. Since I've been having trouble getting a scoby - I didn't realize I could make the original one - now I can do that!!
You look like “Nickie Newman” from the Young and the Restless. She’s one of my favorite soap characters. 👍😃
She does!
My goodness she definitely looks like Nikki Newman, The Young and the Restless, Melody Thomas Scott's, twin sister!!
Best water to use?
If I leave first batch 21 days brewing good?.., I really dont care the taste I just want the full acid and benfits.
Looking for how to make a SCOBY without starter or kombucha.
Great video! Thank you for sharing all that great, straightforward information. I would have loved to hear more about continuous brew since that is the way I picked
It will mold in summer as well. Check it
I live in Vegas
Hi Margaret, can you tell me where you got your large glass vessels? Thanks.
Walmart Anchor Hocking brand
Thanks for the long tutorial...! By the way, how high you fill those second ferment bottles makes me way nervous! I would always give them a minimum of 2 inches, average 2 1/2 inches air above the fill line.
How do raise the PH if it’s to low or to high?
adding more sweet tea to ferment more? im not sure just guessing
❤️
Two thumbs up, and subscribed, thanks it is easy to watch your videos.
Your an interesting lady.
Lol
Can you use well water?
I used to make Jun (made with green tea and honey). It is not quicker -- but much slower to ferment.
Not true. Actually Jun is made with a different kind of SCOBY and is usually made with green tea and honey. But Kombucha can be made with green tea too. The thing that makes it Jun is the SCOBY and it brews much faster than kombucha. Keep in mind many people confuse Kombucha and Jun SCOBYS.
@@SeedToPantrySchool Well, this has to be due to my confusion from (a) my memory going off, and (b) when I made Jun I was using a SCOBY from kombucha! Amazing to learn that Jun ferments faster, as the only reason I had decided NOT to make it again and again was because I thought it took too long! Well, that and the cost of honey. I do love Jun. Crazy!
Hmm Walmart has them for less than $20. It's not called a Kombucha continuous brew... however I use it and love it . Only thing is I've changed out the plastic spigot for a stainless steel one.
Enjoyed the video
FINALLY--someone who knows how I can make my OWN scoby scoby, !!(subbed 4 that reason)--BUTT I WONDER, how long can these last in a root cellar ???
Ok so confused....I need this badly and as clear as Muke
@@nortonvilledrive3279 after three month's I found some answers, 1) I made a scooby scoby from raw kombucha after two ferments,-2) I can store in a root cellar indefinately after bottled in a second ferment. no worries !
What came first, ...the scoby or the kombucha?! How do you make a scoby without the starter kombucha?? Somebody made the first one. How? Also why not just brew the tea for a day in room temp water. Does it have to be boiled? Are there natural yeasts and lactobacillus bacteria on the tea itself??
You need a scoby to make kombucha but if you don't have one you can make one just go to Kroger or Walgreens and buy a bottle of Ginger flavored or non-flavored. I Cold brew my tea all the time. just let tea steep a little longer how long is totally up to you. I use a mixture of green and black teas.
Short answer, no. Long answer, maybe. The long way is to create a MOV, Mother Of Vinager, and after 2 to 3 months of making POOR TASTE KOMBUCHA, your MOV can turn in a SCOBY or have babies born in Kombucha.
I have heard that this no longer works because kombucha suppliers are now forced by government refs to inactivate the SCOBY cultures in their product.
I was wondering if you would be willing to package and sell me one of your scobys. I live on a self-sustaining farm in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains I drink the goody out of kombucha and would love to start brewing my own I have already ordered two gallon jars and I have four gallon glass jars as well. And because it does get cold during the winters I purchased a heat pad even though I burn wood for heat in the house. With that said I enjoy the cold so I keep the house around 70°, so I thought maybe to be on the safe side use a heat pad. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge you're a beautiful lady inside and out have a great day
What size tea bags? I use 3 sometimes 4 FAMILY size to make 2 liters of tea and use 1/2 cup of sugar. I am guessing if I use the same amount of tea bags in 1 gallon and increase sugar to 1 cup. 1 to cups of starter tea and scoby I would be good to go? Also how do you prevent your scoby hotel/starter tea from turning to vinegar?
What happens if you can't find an original sinergy. I'm seeing the stores not carrying them anymore. Does a flavored one not work at all?
what does Camellia sinesis get sprayed for?
Hi, could you please explain how can I make a starter myself?
Can you use a scobie that was used to make vinegar ?
No. It is a different culture.
Watching from New Zealand. How long can you keep Kombucha once it is bottle?
I've had no problems drinking it several months after bottling
Hello! My scoby falls down from the jar. It’s ok? Do you have a solution?
It's ok, no need to do anything. It'll still work if it's sunk. The only difference it makes is that (given enough time) a new one may form at the surface, so you'll end up with more scobys.
SCOBIES have their own personalities
2 sister scobies, one floated the other sunk
I started a scoby in a older bottle of ACV with the mother with about 3 inches of acv in the bottle , then added raw apple cider . 2-3 weeks . All natural virgin scoby .
@markfarley8448 Hi Mark, I’d truly appreciate your full process on making a scoby from scratch with ACV. Cheers
Essentially I just use an older bottle of ACV with an inch or so left in the bottle and add some raw sugar and filtered water . Scoby develops within a couple weeks
@@LaurieAnnCurry
Also add some raw apple cider
Excellent I look forward to watching new friend have a great day 👍🏻
How do you keep Scoby when not in use?
Nevermind! Thanks for covering it!
I just got my scoby and only have a 1/4 cup of starter , what could I do to make more or buy more...so I have a good amount to start with
Christine always chirping just keep making kombucha. The SCOBY will grow and multiply,
I would start with brewing in a smaller container then you could gather more starter
You have enough starter. The reason for the starter is to keep bad bacteria out of your brew. Bad bacteria do not like an acid environment. The starter has nothing to do with making a faster brew, that is done by keeping your brew in a dark place at a temperature of 75-85 degrees F (24-30 degrees C)
Okay.. ive had it..SOMEONE startrd the first SCOBY.. WITHOUT HAVING A SCOBY OR PRE EXISTING KOMBUCHA... WHERE IS THAT VIDEO???
You know I was so worried about the scoby you took out the jars that I was very disturbed watching the rest of the show, because it was out the jar! 🥺🥺
I grew my SCOBIES from GT leftover at the bottom 1" after I enjoyed my drink
I have been SCOBIE rich since. BTW I got it off a flavor kombucha, gingeraid
Shasta Fog thank a lot ! I worry like crazy if my Scoby started from a flavor Kombucha would work or not !!! But it tastes good !! don’t know if it drinkable or not ☺️☺️☺️
I grow lemon balm tea, cinnamon mint and peppermin for teas. I am guessing you cannot use these?
i guess it needs to be the real tea. like the leaves from the tea plant. everything else ist 'herbal' tea.
Auwsome Auwsome teaching thank you much
How much can you drink? Will it make me sick?
What if I don't like carbonation?
Don't do the 2nd ferment.
I’m watching you from Malaysia 🇲🇾
Yes you are good
How do you keep extra Scoby . Won’t it get vinegar?
Hello Margaret Ianna from Australia
So is made with scoby,title is confusing.
How do you keep the scoby alive inside the scoby hotel ?
Don't refrigerate. I usually mix 1/2 sweet tea and 1/2 starter liquid for my scoby hotels. They will continue to feed on that sheet tea for a while, essentially you could look at it as a continuous brew, but it's slower because the lid is closed.
New here. I'll see!
Hi just joining I’m Brenda from Ontario Canada a little place called Hanmer
Don't buy the bag Scoby she is showing you. Mine arrived DOA. I tried 3 brews to try to revive it to no abailt. If you look at the comments under that product on Amazon, many others have complained that theirs were DOA ,as well.
Like # 1K. Yes!