Kombucha Brewers?

[Marty McFly]

It can be, so I brew it in a dark area that has a lot of air exchange.

I'm not sure of the probiotic count, but I can only assume that homebrewed has more due to lack of factors that may kill off the critters... but not sure.

The rapid and healthy growth of the SCOBY is a clear indicator that it is full of good fauna...

Very interesting. You are a wealth knowledge in many areas

 

[enbloc]

Very interesting. You are a wealth knowledge in many areas

Lol... Master of None though...

 

[Marty McFly]

Lol... Master of None though...

Nothing wrong with interests in many areas. You have taught me alot over the last year or so. Then you pop up with kombucha. I feel like I can ask you anything lol

 

[BigEd]

Great post @BigEd . Thanks for the contribution!

Couple of quick questions...

~Do you second ferment and add flavorings or consume straight (raw?)
I am partial to the cider-like taste of raw kombucha.

No secondary fermentation needed. The second ferment is what adds CO2 when bottling. Since I keg, the CO2 pressure works it's way into the liquid providing carbonation.

I usually drink it Raw or "as is" out of the fermenter. It's color looks like a lemon lime drink.

I have added flavorings by putting raspberries into Keg Dry Hop Filter, and putting that into the keg. But the flavor was weak & subtle.

~Do you brew the kombucha for health benefits, or do you just enjoy the flavor?
For me it's a little of both.

Yep for both. I just turned 50. I work for general contractor and do everything when it comes to construction trades.
I started to feel it in my joints and in my gut from bad diet. Kombucha helped out both immensely.

I suggested to a client who had to quit drinking because of Gout. I read that Kombucha slows and stops the acid build up in your feet and told him to try it for a couple weeks.
He did, and it worked! Pain and swelling subsided in his feet.

~How long will a scoby last between batches in ideal conditions?

Thanks again,
~Enbloc

Longest I ignored mine was 2.5 months in the winter years back. As long as it is in the fridge it will keep.

If your Scoby goes bad I will send you a chunk. I got mine from a Synergy bottle...

How to get a Scoby from store bought Kombucha

If you go to the store and see the crap on the bottom of a 1 liter Raw Kombucha bottle. That is the beginnings of a Scoby.

Just drink 2/3 of the bottle (for a small batch).
Ready your next batch of tea & sugar. Dump in the contents of the bottle.
Wait 2-3 weeks and you will have a new Scoby ontop like a layer of slime.
Save the Scoby slime, and dump in the contents on the bottom of the ferment container add a little water and store in refrigerator.

Next batch: Dump the contents from storage container. Each time you ferment the Scoby gets bigger, thicker, healthier.

One thing about tap water. If you have Chlorine/Florine water (like Holyoke) the Scoby MAY HAVE issues. Use store bought spring water, it will have some nutrients in it.

OT: I grew up in Holyoke, moved out in 1997. Went back to do a kitchen remodel in 2016 and a bathroom remodel in 2018.
The tap water was terrible. I could smell it when sprinkler's were running outside the house when I pulled up one day.

Cheers!

 

[BigEd]

I also found a SCOBY Jerky video that I found... Interesting.

Here's a bunch of 5 gallon Blobs I got rid of at work. I would split them when they got too thick and put them into a 5 gallon bucket in basement. At the time my wife would not let me put them in the compost. She does now.

When the "dead bucket" was full, I dumped them by a storm drain at work. Bugs loved them.




I will have to look into blob Jerky. I have a killer recipe for beef jerky - all spices, no Soy sauce or Worcester sauce

Cheers!

 

[enbloc]

Those "blobs" might be a real money maker for you in the future; if you were so inclined.
My stout 5-inch scoby cost $25 bucks before shipping and taxes...

Yours are HUUGE! "Big Ed's BIG SCOBYs" has a ring to it...

That pile would be worth a couple of hundred dollars... or 2 boxes of NES Classifieds 9mm.
~Enbloc

 

[enbloc]

For what it's worth, commercial kombucha prices are on the rise. When I started this thread (June 21st) Market Basket had 16oz GT's for $2.50 a bottle.
It is now $3.35...

 

[BigEd]

Those "blobs" might be a real money maker for you in the future; if you were so inclined.
My stout 5-inch scoby cost $25 bucks before shipping and taxes...

Yours are HUUGE! "Big Ed's BIG SCOBYs" has a ring to it...

That pile would be worth a couple of hundred dollars... or 2 boxes of NES Classifieds 9mm.
~Enbloc

I would still give them away. The Scobies for home use are usually found at some Local Home Brew shops. So if they sell them, I don't want to compete with their business.
If someone on NES PM's me for one, I would ship one for good Karma. If it helps someone get healthy/feel better, I'm doing good for the world.

It is tempting.... Here's a 3 pound frisby scoby for ya' for $20. (I would buy home brew ingredients with profits.)

Cheers!

 

[enbloc]

OUTSTANDING!

 

[enbloc]

Got my mini-racker in today. Nice little auto-siphon. Moves liquids fast!

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I've had this kit for about 6 months. I'm about to make my first batch.

 

[enbloc]

The wide-mouth vessels are really nice and super easy to clean... Happy brewing!