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!