Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

Question about the baby and mamma. Is the momma going to have layers? Or if there is a layer you can peel off, that's the baby?

The layer you can peel is the baby. :yes

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

i just did a batch and did a second ferment with 1/2 cup POM juice :melting:thumbsup

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

lisa - thanks for that very knowledgeable answer!!! :heart i understand now :)

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

So I was reading something about how drinking too much KT can cause metabolic acidosis? :scratch Everything I found seemed pretty vague...I'm wondering if that's more of a concern for people who eat too much processed food and don't exercise or if I should pay more attention to how much I'm drinking?

I think if you're really messed up to begin with it *might* be a concern. But then there are many ppl who are really messed up who gain health by including kt in their lifestyle changes. There have been 4 cases in the whole country where ppl had acidosis and had also been drinking kt. It was never shown to be caused by the kt.

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

okay--I apologize if I've missed this. I've tried to keep up with the thread but there's a lot here :phew

Lisa, *how* do you eat the baby scabies? I'm about to have more than I know what to do with :shifty They're freaky weird but I'm willing to add them to recipes :shrug3 Any suggestions?

Also, I bought some raw cabbage sauerkraut with probiotics, etc., so can I use the liquid from that to do my own fermented veggies? And I'm hearing about potatoes . . . is there a link or post number where the veggies are talked about? I'd really like to get some fermented something or other :giggle

:ty

Also . . . people keep saying "tastes good" and I'm still going :scratch My lemon ginger water kefir is :yum But the kombucha still tastes like acv :shifty I did the last batch with grape juice and another batch with peach juice and they both were good for a few days and now, nearing the end of the 2nd 2 weeks of brewing (we've been drinking it daily) all vinegary :sratch

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

You're in a hot climate. Shorten your brewing time. The second ferment I did last was room temp for 72 hours, then chilled in the fridge for 72. Tasted like wine coolers.

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

:jawdrop

OH MAN I wish I had known that! For the first couple of days it tasted yummy, but, yeah, it's nasty now :sigh

So I've already done the new brews for 2 weeks. I'm going to dump the old stuff and start the new brews and do the 72 hour 2nd ferment :think

Can it be stored in the fridge after the 72 hours of the 2nd brew?

After the 2nd ferment it needs to go in the fridge or it will keep fermenting. In warm weather, the first ferment can be as short as 7 days and the 2nd as short as 2.

If it's too strong to drink it makes an excellent marinade. Or you can cut it with water or juice or mix it with evoo to make salad dressing.

To make fermented veggies, you don't need to save any juice or anything, although you can. You just mix veggies in water with the correct proportion of salt. You can search for sauerkraut recipes or no pound sauerkraut. You don't need a special crock, a regular glass jar is fine.

We eat pieces of SCOBYs, I compost most of them.

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

OH shoot :doh I should have waited for your response. I dumped all of the vinegary kombucha ,but it would have been good as a salad dressing base :doh

and I'm going to try the 7 day ferment and then stick them in the fridge after the second ferment of 72 hours. We're already in the 90's here so that makes lots of sense.

I'm afraid to try a scoby :giggle I wonder if I can figure out some way to use it :think Off to google :walk

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:36 PM ----------

I found this--very fascinating http://www.happyherbalist.com/KOMBUCHA_recipes.htm

and I'm not going to worry about it. I needed the containers to make the new. I just hate when I get rid of something and almost immediately realize I need it--doesn't help the "collecting" tendencies in other areas :giggle

---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

And a wwyd question . . . (as if you need evidence of how hard it normally is for me to get rid of things :doh) I have a kombucha hotel (I learned that term googling :giggle) from maybe . . . 2 years ago when I was trying my hand at this the first time. We moved it and it's been in the fridge the whole time. Honestly, I was never quite sure if I was doing things right and I figured I'd messed them up somehow :doh

I just got it out and the vinegar smell is SUPER strong. The scobies all *look* fine. But I'm reading stuff about them holding bacteria. I was thinking I might give them to the dogs to eat--or dry them out to be chew toys for them (some of the ideas I encountered) but I'm not wanting to poison them :shifty Would you give it a try or just throw them out?

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

whoa. fascinating!! interested for answers...

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

ArmsOfLove, I don't know where you are located exactly, but if it's anywhere like FL or TX, an even smaller ferment might be good. Food Renegade (a blogger) lives in TX and I believe she ferments for 5 days and only 48 hours for the second. I live in FL and while we haven't been brewing long, we do 5-6 days and then 48 hours. I've been testing the pH (since I'm nursing and new at making it) and it's about where it should be.

I would think the refrigerated SCOBYs would be fine. I've used them after being in the fridge for months. But feel free to toss them. You'll have plenty more. To taste scoby, just cut a small piece off and tell yourself it's a sour patch kid or whatever those sour gummi candies are. :lol or throw some chunks into a smoothie. I've read that dogs love SCOBYs. I'd start with a small piece, though, it could initiate die-off.

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I think I'll let them dry a bit and give them to the dogs for chew toys outside. I imagine it will be healthy for them :)

I'm in AZ so it's definitely getting hot here. I'm going to check it from 5-7 days and then do just 48 hours for the 2nd--then refrigerate :yes I think that will keep it good :phew

:ty everyone!

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

Question. I just finished my kombucha for the second time ever. I did the second ferment, but only did it 24 hours. When I drink it, it burns my throat bad, same with the kids. We had to add a lot of water to it to make it drinkable. What would cause it to be like this? I made three batches at the same time, and this was the only one I did a second ferment with, and the other two was drinkable.

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

Here is some good info. make sure to check out her other links too.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/why-choo...king-kombucha/

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

food renegade is where i first learned about all of this. :heart she rocks!

It's more acidic and probably a bit carbonated, especially since it's warm where you are.

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

So should I not ferment it as long? I'm fermenting for 12 days.

I've been weighing continuous brew for awhile ... I make 11 gallons at a time and it is quite an undertaking. But I don't think continuous brew is GAPS compatible so I'll have to wait until we're off GAPS. I think. :think

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

That seems like a really long time, but I guess it depends where you are. I do mine for 5 days usually, but sometimes it seems to come out better than other times...trying to figure it out. Anyway, yes, I'm a beginner still, but if it comes out tasting (not just smelling, it always smells like vinegar) and it's too acidic, then you need to do it for less time. Maybe check it (taste by getting some out with a straw) every day starting at day 4 or 5.

---------- Post added at 05:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:38 PM ----------

Interesting...is the end product different then regular? Like what would make it not GAPS legal?

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I usually do 14-20 days. It will depend upon what time of year, how warm your house is and how you like the flavor.

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

My house is usually between 75 and 80, but I'm sure the kitchen is hotter because I always have one crockpot going, sometimes two, and the oven going, plus the stove top. I don't like it burning going down, but I don't want a lot of sugar left in it.

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I have my first batch going! I'm starting from scratch and using a bottle of KT from the store. I'm assuming my initial ferment will take longer, right? Anything specific I need to know since I'm starting from scratch? I'm super excited (DH is, too, but only because I won't be buying KT every time I go to Sprouts).

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

yes it will likely take a little longer but start checking it about day 10 or so.

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

My friend gave me a scoby and encouraged me to try kombucha. Has anyone used tap water? Do you just let it sit for a while to dechlorinate or ?

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I filter and boil our tap water, then cool before adding the scoby.
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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I use a Pur filter to filter tap water then boil it a few minutes before brewing my tea. I let the tea cool completely before adding the scoby

---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------

i let my 1st batch go about 13 days with a storebought kt scoby. my 2nd batch was much faster- about 6 days

To be GAPS compatible you need to ferment away as much sugar as possible while still keeping it palpable. Most GAPSters do the first ferment a really long time then do a second ferment with fruit to make it more palatable.

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In continuous brew you are regularly adding fresh sweet tea so you're getting a mix if really old, medium, and unfermented kt

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I take back what I said about sauerkraut. Imo, sauerkraut and other self-brining ferments should only be made in an anaerobic container like a Pickl-It jar.

Dilly carrots should be ok in a regular jar with the lid very tightly closed but a pickl-it jar is the ideal.



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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

I don't remember who asked about how/if you can grow a Kombucha Scoby... Food Renegade says you can... and how!

Happy brewing! :heart

Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

:hissyfit

Ok, so my last scoby died a moldy death. I cleaned the (glass) crock out well. Tried to grow another scoby from scratch and it is infested with the same black moldy stuff. What am I doing wrong?
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Tell us exactly what ingredients you used, how you made it, and where you are storing your fermenting vessel.

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

organic cane sugar, organic english breakfast tea, boiled filtered tap water, and the countertop :bag should I sterilize the crock between brews? I cover it with a tea towel.
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What amounts of each did you use?

I would switch to plain Lipton tea.
What else is on your counter? What's the temp? Any electronics nearby? Kombucha, as a living thing, doesn't thrive near EMF.

Don't ever wash your glass brewing jar unless you take a break or need to start over due to mold.

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Rubberband?

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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

It's next to an outlet, so occasionally electronics. Rubber band yes.

Didn't know it was so sensitive!
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Re: kombucha 101 thread! *another new question #63 and 64*
 

Are there problems with rubber bands?