Kombucha

With kombucha, you get all of the benefits of black tea, but you get increased vitamins.  It helps to strengthen your immune system by keeping beneficial and harmful bacteria in check, it can improve gut dysbiosis, it’s full of antioxidants and it can help keep yeast under control.  Plus it tastes good and thanks to Pinterest, you can make a million different kinds!

Kombucha Continuous Brew Instructions

Brew 1 gallon of tea according to package directions and then sweeten it with 1 cup of sugar.  You must use real sugar to feed the SCOBY.

Allow the sweetened tea to reach room temp and then add your SCOBY to the top.  The SCOBY can float at the top, rest on the bottom or hang out sideways.  For continuous brew, use a glass jar with a glass spigot.  Metal and plastic are not recommended. 

Place a tea towel or cheese cloth over it and then place a rubber band around it to keep out fruit flies and dust but still allow for air/gas exchange.  This is very important-do not put a plastic cover over the top!

You can start tasting your kombucha at day 4 if you have a large SCOBY.  Otherwise, begin tasting around day 7 through day 14.  When you like the taste, you can begin to consume it on a regular basis.  The shorter the fermentation period, the higher the sugar content; the longer the fermentation period, the higher the vinegar taste.

In order to have a continuous brew of kombucha, replace whatever you drink with sweet tea.  For example, when you pour out a glass kombucha, add in the same amount of sweetened tea back into the jar to continue to feed the SCOBY.

Keep everything as clean as possible.  Wash your hands before touching the SCOBY.

When you have reached a flavor that you like, feel free to bottle it with other flavors like cranberry and cinnamon or lemon and ginger.  Place lemon juice and a sliver of fresh ginger into the bottom of a clean class bottle and then fill with kombucha.  Place the cap on the bottle and let it ferment for a second time on the counter top for 3 days or until you like the flavor.

Need a SCOBY?  Get one by calling 763.647.0522 or emailing suggskel@gmail.com or at www.LitheWellnesSolutions.com

Follow Kelley on Pintrest at http://pinterest.com/suggskel/lithe-wellness-solutions/