Kombucha

[Wojtek]

I found what I was looking for.
http://getkombucha.com/kombucha-cultures.html
It seems to be sufficient for a beginner like me for a beginning.
Remaining question is : sugar versus honey?
Other hints, practical and general , certainly are welcome, probably for others too.

[Wojtek]

I found Dennis post and enthusiasm on kombucha and I have got interested. Then I found that this enthusiasm is dated April 2007and after that, quiet. Was this something so unique?
Save me a bit of time for searching literature in all over a world on this subject. May be Dennis changed his mind and we don’t know about it.

[Ben Brewcat]

I believe that some of the same elements of honey that make it antimicrobial (such as pH and the release of H2O2) are the reasons honey is less suitable for kombucha, it alters the balance of critters (microflora).

SWMBO is now so into kombucha, after hating it all these years, that she needs me to do fruit-flavored 5-gallon batches to meet her demand. Otherwise it's $4.50 a 16-ozer at the natural food store in town. I'm in the wrong racket!

[rwlaw]

Just thought I'd add my thoughts on honey in place of sugar (started using honey after a few batches because I didn't like the syrup taste), yes it does alter the critters, but I don't think in a harmful way. In fact I think it's better as I can get a 5 gal batch in a little more than a week, the people I know using sugar have to let theirs go two or longer to ferment the sugar out.
Going into drinking the stuff approx 3 mo now and I'm starting to notice the things that are talked about, course that might be I got off the diet Dew LOL.
Wojtek, check out the posts in the bio beekeeping section here and his website , I think you'll find that Dennis is far from being bored w/ KBC.
As far as hints go, just be sanitary between batches and if you want to try honey I use approx 2 lbs (raw unfiltered) for a five gal batch, if you brew by the gal I'd start w a half lb per gal and go from there.

[Wojtek]

Thank you, rwlaw, and Ben Brewcat

[Ben Brewcat]

For anyone interested in a data point, I'm kegging the kombucha now. MUCH easier. I just keg and wait a week at room temp, then chill. About half a keg will dispense under its own pressure without having to push it with CO2 (though I do have to bleed off some pressure for smooth dispensing), then about 8 to 10 pounds seems to serve perfectly. That's at the beer fridge's temp of 48 to 50F.

[BWrangler]

Hi Guys

I'm still brewing kombucha and enjoying the benefits. I don't drink the quantity that I did several years ago. But I do a glass of it each day. And if a batch gets ahead of me, I'll add it to a large glass of water somewhat like lemonade.

When I started, I'd brew gallon jar batches and bottle them for the natural effervescence. Although it produced the best tasting beverage, it took a lot of time and attention.

Now, I continuous brew 2 1/2 gallons in a water jar and don't attempt to develop any effervescence. It's fast, easy, and just requires a empty glass under the spigot. :-) It does occasionally get ahead of me. Then, I'll dilute the kombucha in a glass of water about like one does with lemon juice for lemonade.

Health benefits? I've written a little about what happened when I ran out of kombucha:

http://beenatural.wordpress.com/2010...cts-withdrawl/

And my old kombucha page now rests at:

http://beenatural.wordpress.com/natu...ha-experience/

My wife? She found that drinking my homemade, batched kombucha was too strong for her. It greatly exacerbated some of the side effects of her drug medication. And she retreated to a small daily amount of the store bought variety. Now she's in a quandary with retail kombucha being pulled off the shelves.

Honey? My kombucha brewed with honey wasn't a good experience. I think there are just way too many different kinds of sugar tolerant yeasts in honey that out pace those found in kombucha. And, with my honey, they imparted a sour, off taste/smell that reminds me of the worst mead batch gone very bad.

Maybe honeys from other areas would do better? I've tried a different scoby reared on honey. But got the same terrible results.

Additions? They work great when added in moderation to the green or black tea. Start with mostly green/black tea and add a few of bags of the other stuff. My favorite is Earl Grey.

2006? Has it been that long ago. And it's been that long since I did my first batch of mead. I've still got a few cases of that original run. Haven't tasted any since moving back from Florida. Hummm.... See you guys later. :-)

Regards - Dennis

[Ben Brewcat]

Could try pasteurizing the honey before introducing the scoby... should allow the scoby to metabolize the sugars while protecting it from osmophilic yeasts et. al.