5 Misunderstandings about Kombucha

Kombucha, an ancient Asian health elixir, has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent decades. Its unique flavor and benefits have propelled it to the forefront of trendy tonics, but Kombucha remains a mystery to many. I have been making and drinking Kombucha for over 5 years, and have taught hundreds of people the joy of brewing right in their own homes. Based on the available research and my own experience, let’s dispel some misunderstandings about Kombucha.

MISUNDERSTANDING #1 – Kombucha Cures Everything!

FALSE – Kombucha doesn’t cure anything! It is a pro-biotic (“for life”) and chock full of important B vitamins and amino acids that help the body recover its natural healing ability. Kombucha returns the body to balance through detoxification and improved digestion. Once in balance, the body’s innate immune system takes over and is able to heal itself.

If you have a compromised immune system, consult your physician prior to implementing Kombucha as a treatment. Ease it in gradually so the body has time to adjust (4oz in the morning). Many people have found that drinking Kombucha has been effective in reducing the amount of time needed to heal and in minimizing the negative effects of pharmaceuticals on the body.


MISUNDERSTANDING #2 – Kombucha is a Mushroom.

FALSE – Kombucha is not mycelia nor is it a fungus. It is a Symbiotic CULTURE Of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY for short). The bacteria and yeast build a cellulose structure where they live together symbiotically. The yeast ferments the nutrient solution creating alcohol which the bacteria then convert into healthy acids that help the body.

Many people think that the culture looks like a mushroom, hence the misnomer. The zooglea (“living skin”) forms in order to allow the Kombucha to engage in both aerobic fermentation and anaerobic fermentation. The culture is covered with a cloth to allow oxygen to circulate. As the fermentation process continues, the zooglea grows to cover the entire aperture of the vessel creating an air-tight seal for the anaerobic fermentation.

MISUNDERSTANDING #3 – Kombucha Makes Me Feel Drunk!

FALSE – It is impossible to make alcoholic Kombucha. As previously explained, the process of fermentation of Kombucha is two-fold. During the aerobic fermentation, the yeast consumes the nutrient solution converting the sugar into alcohol. Then, the bacteria feed on the alcohol making it impossible to get drunk from Kombucha. The euphoria sometimes experienced from drinking it comes from energy that was initially tied up in the digestion process that is now available for you to use.

Kombucha is also used to curb desires for alcohol, as well as alleviate caffeine addiction. By cleansing the liver, the drinker loses the taste for alcohol and caffeine. The energy boost from improved digestion does the same trick as coffee without the crash, making Kombucha a great afternoon pick-me-up.

MISUNDERSTANDING #4 – Brewing Kombucha at Home is Dangerous!

FALSE – Some people claim that Kombucha has to be made in sterile facilities with climate controlled brewing rooms by professionals who are trained how to properly handle the culture. While cleanliness is always important in handling food products, what you may not realize is that Kombucha is antiseptic! Kombucha is at a pH where harmful bacteria and microorganisms cannot live. You can use it to wash windows, disinfect countertops and to clean out wounds. It speeds healing from cuts or burns and prevents infection.

However, it is important to be informed about the potential risks of brewing Kombucha, most notably mold. Mold is quite rare and easy to spot. It occurs if the culture is not able to reach the pH of 3.5-2.0 prior to being exposed to a contaminant and looks exactly like the mold you see on bread; fuzzy and blue or black. If mold is identified on the culture, immediately throw everything away; the KT (Kombucha tea) and the culture must be disposed of as there is no way to “save” a moldy culture. Good thing you’ve got a back up in your SCOBY Hotel!

MISUNDERSTANDING #5 – Kombucha is Expensive!

FALSE – Like many things in life, if you can make it yourself at home, you can save loads of money. The main ingredients in Kombucha are inexpensive and readily available, especially when purchased in bulk. I always use organic, fair-trade ingredients to ensure the highest quality of my brew. With a minimal investment of time and energy, you can make a lifetime supply of Kombucha for pennies on the dollar.

We are nature. As much as we think we are in control through using air conditioning or heating, turning on lights, building boxes to live in, or driving around in boxes, there truly is no separation between humans and the sky, the sun, the air, and the water. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we already live in symbiosis with the Earth. It is time to awaken to how our actions affect the world around us. Kombucha provides an opportunity to raise our awareness of the benefits we receive when living in harmony.


I use Kombucha not only to boost my immunity but also as a means to reconnect with nature. By consciously inviting living organisms, bacteria and yeasts, into my body, I have raised my awareness of all levels of symbiosis. I have learned to enjoy the process of gradual evolution through slow change, and am letting go of the need for instant gratification that permeates our culture. Though lifestyle choices may ebb and flow between healthy and unhealthy, the Kombucha culture is always there to help maintain balance and minimize the harm. I am grateful to have found a companion to aid me on my life’s journey.

The Legend of the Sea Treasure

artwork courtesy of Jade Bengco

I have been corresponding with a fellow Kombucha enthusiast and professional brewer in Xinjiang China, Zhi Ru Yun (支如云). I asked him to tell me the story of Kombucha as he knows it from the Chinese perspective. I have translated the story from Chinese for your enjoyment!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In China, Kombucha has been called "Sea Treasure" (海寶), "Stomach Treasure" (胃寶) and "Sea Mushroom"(海蘑菇). Kombucha's earliest origins are in the Bohai Sea District. Stories say that it promotes longevity and it's cultivation was a family secret handed down generation to generation both in the imperial court and amongst the common people.

As the legend goes, there was one family in Bohai that owned a grocery and sundries shop. There was a shop assistant rinsed out a honey jar into an earthen crock that used to have wine in it. After a few days, the shop was suddenly filled with a strange waft of a sweet and sour fragrance. People were exceedingly curious but couldn't find the source of the smell.

After a few more days, the shopkeeper ordered his assistant to sell the wine. When the assistant opened the cover of the wine jar, he immediately cried out in alarm, "The sweet-sour flavor is coming from here." Everyone rushed over to have a look, in the earthen crock there was a thick layer of milky white sticky film sealing the mouth of the vessel. Upon smelling that fragrance and seeing that film, everyone praised the curiosity saying the earthen jar had given birth to a treasure.

At that time it had just been the hottest 30 day period of the year, and the thirsty assistant couldn't resist the clear sweet-tart fragrance. He grabbed the dipper and in one gulp drank the whole spoonful, wiped his mouth, not even letting a single drop fall as every on-looker greedily salivated. Every person in the place had half a dipperful of the delicious, sweet-tart liquid。 The shop assistant tried to remember what he'd put in the jar - honey, and water and then he'd let it steep.

From that moment on, he used the same technique to make another batch of "vinegar." The shopkeeper not only made money but drank not only the juice of the vinegar but also the culture prepared cold with dressing (涼拌)and became a local celebrity known as the "Long Life Expert." After he died at the ripe old age of more than 70 years old, his mysterious treasure was shared with the world and made public. From that time on, it has been handed down for all to use.

Perhaps, this is what has been called the origins of the "Sea Treasure". Still to this day families in the Bohai district use this ancient technique to ferment their own "vinegar" using their white "vinegar moth" (醋蛾子)(meaning SCOBY). There are also old people who eat the sticky culture in order to alleviate stomach problems and find they also get a burst of energy. Currently, there are studies being conducted in Japan on China's many longevity increasing foods including the Sea Treasure Bacteria.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed this story about the origins of Kombucha. Perhaps you have heard that Doctor Kombu developed it for the Qin Dynasty Emperor or that it came from Egypt or that our UFO friends have brought it to Earth to help us. In any case, this amazing elixir has been around for thousands of years and helped many people achieve longevity, energy and balance in their lives.

Flavor Experiment

Flavors to me is one of the fun, creative parts of making Kombucha that can be really rewarding.

So with my latest batches of Kombucha, I whipped up some new flavor combos. Here's how they turned out.



I have never brewed my primary brew with honey, but decided I'd like to add it to the 2ndary fermentation to see how it would taste. The results were fabulous! Especially for those out there who are a little put off by the tartness of Kombucha, adding a little honey to the decanted brew was excellent. It also added increased carbonation by giving the yeasties some more sugar to create a little more fizz. It really mellowed out that tart flavor but for my tastes, I'd let it ferment 5 days or longer to let some of the sweetness subside.

I created a few different Honey combos:

Honey, lemon, ginger: I LOVE lemon and ginger and the honey rounded out the flavors with a tad of sweetness to balance the natural tartness of the lemon and Kombucha

Honey, vanilla bean: Incredible! Sweet and tart with flavors like an old fashioned italian vanilla soda. Definitely use real vanilla bean to achieve this unique and smooth flavor

Honey, ginger, blueberry: Really nice flavor. There is a complex bouquet of flavors. The initial taste is the tartness of the Kombucha but right behind it is the spice of the ginger and the fruitiness of the blueberries. Like appreciating fine wine.

Also in the sweet vein, I added some "Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate" to a small bottle of booch. WOW! It practically exploded with carbonation when I opened the bottle (GT's new caps also help keep the carbonation in). The chocolate flavor was very present and I found it to be a bit too sweet for my tastes. I think I'll try it with cocoa powder next time and see how it turns out. The first sip started out super chocolatey and the tartness of the Kombucha was nearly completely sublimated, but just a hint of it finished off the taste. Fun for dessert Kombucha.



What yummy flavors do you love?

Fermentation Time

Hello Kombucha Friends

I've been receiving many questions that ask, "How long should I ferment my brew?"

This is an excellent question and the answer depends on you. First, let's look at the factors that influence fermentation time for Kombucha.

1. Temperature
2. Taste
3. Size & Shape of Vessel
4. Acids expression

1. Temperature

The hotter the temperature, the faster the ferment. Conversely, the cooler the temperature, the slower the ferment. The ideal temperature for fermenting Kombucha is 70-80 degrees F. In the summer, my brew time is anywhere from 10-12 days, whereas in the winter it can be 2 weeks or longer. Sometimes I use a heating pad in the winter, but since it doesn't get below freezing in Southern California, it's not really necessary.

2. Taste

This is the deciding factor for most people. I recommend that after 7 days of fermenting, you take a straw and insert it under your SCOBY and take a sip. Is it too sweet? Too tart? Not tart enough? You are the ultimate decider in this process. What tastes delicious to you? And your taste will evolve over time the longer you brew Kombucha. I've also discovered that I am better able to sense when the Kombucha is ready based on how the weather has been, the date it was brewed, etc.

How to fix the flavor

TOO TART

There are a couple of things you can do to improve the taste of your Kombucha if it has been brewed too long.

*Add some less mature Kombucha to the more mature Kombucha to even out the flavor
*Dilute with water or juice
*Use it as vinegar (you can use really tart Kombucha the same way you use vinegar)

Once you found the flavor you like, stick it in the fridge. The drop in temperature will slow down the fermentation process.

TOO SWEET

Allow your Kombucha to continue to ferment. If after a couple of weeks your Kombucha is still too sweet, then your culture may have fallen dormant and you will need to revive it.

2ndary Ferment

If you enjoy the 2ndary fermentation process, then you might not want your brew to be as tart since it will be fermenting a little longer - however, the addition of sugar (from the fruit or ginger,etc) will also add a little sweetness.

I keep a log book to record the date I brewed my batch, since I have multiple batches going at once, this keeps it easy to know which one will come to fruition next.

3. Size and Shape of Vessel

There is a bit of physics that goes into brewing Kombucha. Your culture will always grow to the size of the vessel - meaning that whatever size your SCOBY is, the new culture will always grow so that it completely seals off the aperture of the vessel.

I ferment in gallon sized pickle jars - they are more tall and less wide. Therefore the surface area covered by the SCOBY is less than the depth of my vessel. It will ferment more slowly since less surface area to depth is covered.

I also ferment in a gallon sized glass bowl with a really wide mouth. Therefore the surface area covered by the SCOBY is more than the depth of my vessel. It will ferment faster because there is more surface area to depth covered.

4. Acids Expression

Based on previous research, it has been discovered that there are certain amino acids that aren't expressed in the fermentation process until at least 30 days have passed. For most of us brewing a gallon batch, at 30 days, our brew would be undrinkable and taste like vinegar. This is why many people prefer to do a continuous brew - Check out my blog post about it here.

On the GT's bottles you will see that his has been fermented for 30 days, and yet it is quite delicious. My theory has been that he brews it in vessels of such a size and volume that even after 30 days, the ferment is still potable. This is only a theory as he doesn't allow visitors into his facility.

In the end, it really is up to you in terms of how long to ferment your Kombucha. The more times you engage in the process, the more intuitive this will become.

Happy Brewing!

Fizzy Brew

I just received an email with these 2 questions.

1. Why is my brew not fizzy all the time?
2. Why is my brew more vinegar tasting?

This first question is a common one for beginning brewers because part of what we love about Kombucha is the natural carbonation.

Fizz is related to the yeast. For example, yeast is needed to make bread fluffy because it burps our gas causing the dough to rise. It does the same thing for your Kombucha. The yeastie bits are the dark colored bits you find at the bottom of your brewing jar.















Fermentation for Kombucha is both an aerobic (needing oxygen) and anaerobic process (no oxygen). Initially it is aerobic as we cover it with a cloth allowing it to breathe - this is when the yeast are more active consuming the sugar. As the new layer forms, it creates a seal that prevents the oxygen from entering the solution - that's the anaerobic part of the process when the bacteria go to work.

You can make your brew more fizzy by adding starter liquid from the bottom of your jar where the brown stuff has fallen to the bottom. However, don't do that every time as you may knock it out of balance with the bacteria. For more information about yeast vs. bacteria balance - check out this site

Your brew will taste more sour depending on several factors:

1)BREW TIME - the longer you brew your Kombucha, the more of the initial sugar in the nutrient solution is consumed, leaving a more vinegar flavor - you can add fruit juice or sweetener to your Kombucha if a sweeter flavor is desired

2)TEMPERATURE - the warmer the temperature, the faster the fermentation occurs - that's why your brew time will be shorter in summer and longer in winter

3)VOLUME - so there's this math type thing involved with fermentation that has to do with surface area vs. depth of brewing vessel. A short vessel with a large mouth is going to ferment faster because there is more surface area and less depth. I brew in a gallon sized pickle jar which has a narrower mouth and more depth. Therefore, my brew takes longer to ferment.

4)TYPE OF TEA - Green tea will get tarter quicker. Earl Gray mellows the flavor. I use a combination of both of these teas to ensure a smooth and delicious flavor.

HOW TO FIX:

1)SECONDARY FERMENTATION - add some fresh fruit or ginger pieces to your bottles. The extra sugar will mellow the flavor and give the yeast a boost, adding more fizz to the final product.

2)FRUIT JUICE or SWEETENER - add to dilute or mellow the flavor of your finished Kombucha. Remember, always add your flavors after the brewing process so as not to corrupt your SCOBY.

3)YOUNG BATCH - you can always mix a younger brew (couple days - week old) with a more tart brew to mellow the flavor.

4)STARTER LIQUID - really tart Kombucha makes excellent starter liquid for future batches. Kombucha never "goes bad" it just tastes more and more like vinegar.

5)VINEGAR - you can use Kombucha vinegar the same way you would regular vinegar in salad dressings, cleaning supplies, hair rinse, etc.

Interview from "Welcome to the Vortex"

Continuous Brew vs Traditional Brewing Methods

I just received this question in my inbox

"Hi Hannah:

I have my first batch ever brewing and can't wait.

I'd like to run this by you.....do you have any opinions about continuous brewing systems vs. traditional method. Any thoughts, pros and cons?"

Let's first figure out what each method is and then look at the differences between them

Traditional Brew


The traditional brewing method of Kombucha consists of fermenting your culture for 7-14 days, depending on taste preference, then moving the Kombucha to glass containers where other flavors may be added. These are then permitted a secondary fermentation process where the sugar in the fruit or ginger reactivates the yeast cultures, but in an anaerobic environment (read as - the lid is on and there is no oxygen). This creates more fizz and pleasant flavors. Once the optimum flavor is reached (usually 2-4 days later) then the brew is refrigerated to stabilize fermentation. The cold of the refrigerator decreases the fermentation activity.

Now you have a delicious health beverage that also contains the anti-oxidants and other healing properties of the flavors you have combined with it.

Then you start the process all over again with a fresh batch of nutrient solution (tea & sugar) with a cup of the starter liquid and SCOBY. You wait another 2 weeks for a new batch to come to fruition. Provided you have enough jars of Kombucha brewing to get you through the 2 weeks while waiting for the next batch, you will always have Kombucha on hand.

PROS
*flexibility to enjoy flavors
*ability to experiment with different brewing methods and ingredients
*bottles on hand to bring to parties or share with friends or take to work

Continuous Brew


Continuous brew differs in that instead of waiting 2 weeks for each brewing cycle to come to fruition, you are consistently drawing Kombucha from your batch and then replacing it with nutrient solution every couple of days.

The flavors might be added to each individual cup of tea, but not to the entire batch.

The benefit to continuous brew is that you don't have to wait 2 weeks for the batch to come to fruition as it is using a much larger portion of fermented tea as the starter. Also, research by Michael Rossin has shown that certain acids aren't expressed in the fermentation process until 21-30 days in. For most people brewing in gallon size containers, that would mean the taste would be vinegar - which is not a pleasant taste.

PROS
*always Kombucha on hand
*other healthy acids are expressed later in the fermentation process

WHAT DO I DO?

I like the process of decanting the Kombucha and making flavors - however, I do have a continuous brew going at the same time. I use it to top off the last 10-20% with continuous brew - that way I'm infusing the healthy acids into my bottles of Kombucha, but I also get the yummy flavors. I also will use a bit of the continuous brew as starter for my next batch.

If you have any other questions about Kombucha, feel free to email me at kombuchakamp@gmail.com