Sterilize

[Guest guest]

I don't think the boiling water is so much to sterilize the sugar and

tea as it is to sterlize the water. This drink goes around the world

and to countries where the water is not as purified and treated as in

the USA. In fact not only did it come from a coutry with out the high

standards of water treatment, but also from a time (a very, very long

time ago)when there WAS NO water treatment at all-hence the boiling

to kill the bugs. My original receipe was to add the tea and sugar

AFTER it stopped boiling: the first to steep, the second to

dissolve, but not sterilize. Nor did I use any starter, just the

mushroom. And my directions were sketchy using litres and

milligrams, or whatever, Remember I'm the one who is metrically

challenged. I still battle with that. And as for metal; the short

time the Kombucha is in contact with rings is just that. So short

that no damage would be done to either, EXCEPT rings with jewels can

harbor bacteria under the setting, so I do take mine off. I used to

brew in an old corning ware coffee pot that had metal around the top

edge-back in the days (20+ years ago) where it was thought best not

to use brown sugar, honey was anti bacterial so it probably wouldn't

work Earl Grey wouldn't work because of the oil, and you were

supposed to keep light away from the brew! The house was cold and I

would put the pot near the heater hoping to get it up to 68 degres, I

brewed for 16 days. But I have to confess that my brews then were

not as tasty as they are today. Nor as consistant. (Different house)

And I didn't have much if any fizz. In all that time, I think I have

only thrown one batch out. Now I am finding a lot of new ways to

brew and some fun sounding additions thanks to this group. That

raisin thing works well! I can always learn something new!!! Thanks

for all your interesting postings! BTW, my health is excellent!!!! I

rarely, rarely get sick with a cold or flu (maybe 5 years ago?) and

don't get any kind of infections! So keep on drinkin'!!

:-)

Summer

[Guest guest]

hi summer... and every body else who might be interested in what a

newbie has to say. i do have some experience in some things and

thats fish tanks. and when my doctor gave me my scoobie he said you

need to care for it like exotic golds. ok - here's what i know.

even though our water here in the United States is treated, most of

the water is treated with clorine. clorine will kill bacteria. even

the good ones that we are trying to brew. that is why we use either

store bought or boiled water. as far as the metal ring around the

top - it would've killed my fish.

thats all i can say. maybe it wont kill all the bacterias and yeasts

cause they are in that glutonese shell that they make - but if you

are doing without the bad stuff - won't your brews be better? Arielle

>

> I don't think the boiling water is so much to sterilize the sugar

and

> tea as it is to sterlize the water. This drink goes around the

world

> and to countries where the water is not as purified and treated as

in

> the USA. In fact not only did it come from a coutry with out the

high

> standards of water treatment, but also from a time (a very, very

long

> time ago)when there WAS NO water treatment at all-hence the boiling

> to kill the bugs. My original receipe was to add the tea and sugar

> AFTER it stopped boiling: the first to steep, the second to

> dissolve, but not sterilize. Nor did I use any starter, just the

> mushroom. And my directions were sketchy using litres and

> milligrams, or whatever, Remember I'm the one who is metrically

> challenged. I still battle with that. And as for metal; the short

> time the Kombucha is in contact with rings is just that. So short

> that no damage would be done to either, EXCEPT rings with jewels

can

> harbor bacteria under the setting, so I do take mine off. I used

to

> brew in an old corning ware coffee pot that had metal around the

top

> edge-back in the days (20+ years ago) where it was thought best not

> to use brown sugar, honey was anti bacterial so it probably

wouldn't

> work Earl Grey wouldn't work because of the oil, and you were

> supposed to keep light away from the brew! The house was cold and I

> would put the pot near the heater hoping to get it up to 68 degres,

I

> brewed for 16 days. But I have to confess that my brews then were

> not as tasty as they are today. Nor as consistant. (Different

house)

> And I didn't have much if any fizz. In all that time, I think I

have

> only thrown one batch out. Now I am finding a lot of new ways to

> brew and some fun sounding additions thanks to this group. That

> raisin thing works well! I can always learn something new!!!

Thanks

> for all your interesting postings! BTW, my health is excellent!!!!

I

> rarely, rarely get sick with a cold or flu (maybe 5 years ago?) and

> don't get any kind of infections! So keep on drinkin'!!

>

> :-)

> Summer

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > I don't think the boiling water is so much to sterilize the sugar

> and

> > tea as it is to sterlize the water. This drink goes around the

> world

> > and to countries where the water is not as purified and treated

as

> in

> > the USA. In fact not only did it come from a coutry with out the

> high

> > standards of water treatment, but also from a time (a very, very

> long

> > time ago)when there WAS NO water treatment at all-hence the

boiling

> > to kill the bugs. My original receipe was to add the tea and

sugar

> > AFTER it stopped boiling: the first to steep, the second to

> > dissolve, but not sterilize. Nor did I use any starter, just the

> > mushroom. And my directions were sketchy using litres and

> > milligrams, or whatever, Remember I'm the one who is metrically

> > challenged. I still battle with that. And as for metal; the

short

> > time the Kombucha is in contact with rings is just that. So

short

> > that no damage would be done to either, EXCEPT rings with jewels

> can

> > harbor bacteria under the setting, so I do take mine off. I used

> to

> > brew in an old corning ware coffee pot that had metal around the

> top

> > edge-back in the days (20+ years ago) where it was thought best

not

> > to use brown sugar, honey was anti bacterial so it probably

> wouldn't

> > work Earl Grey wouldn't work because of the oil, and you were

> > supposed to keep light away from the brew! The house was cold and

I

> > would put the pot near the heater hoping to get it up to 68

degres,

> I

> > brewed for 16 days. But I have to confess that my brews then

were

> > not as tasty as they are today. Nor as consistant. (Different

> house)

> > And I didn't have much if any fizz. In all that time, I think I

> have

> > only thrown one batch out. Now I am finding a lot of new ways to

> > brew and some fun sounding additions thanks to this group. That

> > raisin thing works well! I can always learn something new!!!

> Thanks

> > for all your interesting postings! BTW, my health is

excellent!!!!

> I

> > rarely, rarely get sick with a cold or flu (maybe 5 years ago?)

and

> > don't get any kind of infections! So keep on drinkin'!!

> >

> > :-)

> > Summer

I should have made that clear...I didn't let the brew come in contact

with the metal, the only time it touched the metal is when I was

decanting it.

:-)

Summer

> >

>