First kombucha brew tonight. Looks like it should look. Smells like it should smell. I'm off to a good start. Less than two weeks until this refreshing, healthy drink is ready to sample.
How to make your very own kombucha:
1. Find a 1 gallon jar and clean the heck out of it. I used a pickle jar my roommate was recycling. He really likes pickles. If it still smells like pickles or whatever was being stored in the jar, pour a little distilled white vinegar in there and give it a good shake.
2. Get a mother kombucha for free from a nice lady on Craigslist, just as I did. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.
3. Boil a 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of filtered water in a large pot. Turn off heat source.
4. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Add 4-6 bags of tea and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Take tea bags out and throw away. I used 5 black tea bags this time. You can get fancy and try a combination of green and black, green and fruit flavored, or fruit flavored and black. Or you can risk it all and put in 2 green, 2 black, and 2 fruit flavored tea bags. That's your call. I suggest playing it safe the first time. No sense disappointing yourself.
6. Pour a 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of room temperature/cold water into the gallon jar. Then pour the sugar/tea/water mixture into the jar.
7. Once the gallon of liquid has cooled off to between 75-85 degrees carefully place (with clean hands!) the mother kombucha in the jar. Make sure the translucent, lighter side is facing up. Why? I have no idea. Do it anyways.
8. There should be about a cup's worth of starter liquid (previously made kombucha) that gets poured into the jar with the mother kombucha. If you don't have enough of that, distilled white vinegar should be fine. 1 tsp (teaspoon for all you lazybones who don't cook, ever) to every liter of liquid. I added 2 tsp for good measure, though I had starter liquid to add. Better safe than sorry, that's my motto. You can also buy a $3.50 kombucha from the store and pour a little in for the homies.
9. Place a cheese cloth, coffee filter, paper towel, or the like over the opening of the jar. Tie in place with a rubber band, yarn, sewing thread, or anything similar to keep covering in place. Write down the date you brewed the kombucha somewhere it won't be thrown away.
10. Take a photo of your jar and send my way.
11. Let ferment for 7-10 days. I'm not quite sure how you will know when it's ready to consume, but give it a taste after 7 days and see what you think. If you get violently ill, chances are you did something wrong.
How to make your very own kombucha:
1. Find a 1 gallon jar and clean the heck out of it. I used a pickle jar my roommate was recycling. He really likes pickles. If it still smells like pickles or whatever was being stored in the jar, pour a little distilled white vinegar in there and give it a good shake.
2. Get a mother kombucha for free from a nice lady on Craigslist, just as I did. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.
3. Boil a 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of filtered water in a large pot. Turn off heat source.
4. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Add 4-6 bags of tea and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Take tea bags out and throw away. I used 5 black tea bags this time. You can get fancy and try a combination of green and black, green and fruit flavored, or fruit flavored and black. Or you can risk it all and put in 2 green, 2 black, and 2 fruit flavored tea bags. That's your call. I suggest playing it safe the first time. No sense disappointing yourself.
6. Pour a 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of room temperature/cold water into the gallon jar. Then pour the sugar/tea/water mixture into the jar.
7. Once the gallon of liquid has cooled off to between 75-85 degrees carefully place (with clean hands!) the mother kombucha in the jar. Make sure the translucent, lighter side is facing up. Why? I have no idea. Do it anyways.
8. There should be about a cup's worth of starter liquid (previously made kombucha) that gets poured into the jar with the mother kombucha. If you don't have enough of that, distilled white vinegar should be fine. 1 tsp (teaspoon for all you lazybones who don't cook, ever) to every liter of liquid. I added 2 tsp for good measure, though I had starter liquid to add. Better safe than sorry, that's my motto. You can also buy a $3.50 kombucha from the store and pour a little in for the homies.
9. Place a cheese cloth, coffee filter, paper towel, or the like over the opening of the jar. Tie in place with a rubber band, yarn, sewing thread, or anything similar to keep covering in place. Write down the date you brewed the kombucha somewhere it won't be thrown away.
10. Take a photo of your jar and send my way.
11. Let ferment for 7-10 days. I'm not quite sure how you will know when it's ready to consume, but give it a taste after 7 days and see what you think. If you get violently ill, chances are you did something wrong.
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