Guest guest Posted May 14, 2007 Report Share Posted May 14, 2007 Hi, Tim. Congrats on your kombucha!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.... WRT your questions: 1. I don't strain when I bottle. If there are a lot of brown floaties/yeast action, I might strain some of that out when I pour it into a glass for drinking. 2. I do usually put something in the bottle for a secondary ferment. I did not like the flavor of the kombucha w/ raisins, although I do like raisins. I usually use dried candied ginger. The problem I've had w/ narrow necked bottles is that the ginger swells, and can be difficult to remove. So, smaller is better I've decided. A friend puts fresh pear in his and says he *loves* the flavor. 3. As far as amount to start with: some people are quite conservative, but I hadn't heard that when I first started so I downed about a pint or more to begin with (it was tasty!). I felt a touch queasy after that, or I probably would have drunk more. Now I drink a quart or so a day, but have occassional days without any. If your constitution is strong, you can probably drink a cup-full, and see how it goes, but some people recommend starting with an oz or two. Have fun! Bruce ****** “If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” Jalal ad-Din Rumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2007 Report Share Posted May 14, 2007 Hi, Tim. Congrats on your kombucha!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.... WRT your questions: 1. I don't strain when I bottle. If there are a lot of brown floaties/yeast action, I might strain some of that out when I pour it into a glass for drinking. 2. I do usually put something in the bottle for a secondary ferment. I did not like the flavor of the kombucha w/ raisins, although I do like raisins. I usually use dried candied ginger. The problem I've had w/ narrow necked bottles is that the ginger swells, and can be difficult to remove. So, smaller is better I've decided. A friend puts fresh pear in his and says he *loves* the flavor. 3. As far as amount to start with: some people are quite conservative, but I hadn't heard that when I first started so I downed about a pint or more to begin with (it was tasty!). I felt a touch queasy after that, or I probably would have drunk more. Now I drink a quart or so a day, but have occassional days without any. If your constitution is strong, you can probably drink a cup-full, and see how it goes, but some people recommend starting with an oz or two. Have fun! Bruce ****** “If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” Jalal ad-Din Rumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2007 Report Share Posted May 14, 2007 On 5/14/07, Tim TenClay <teejtc@...> wrote: > > YIPEE! I've got a successful batch of KT going!! I can't tell you > how excited I am about that. Anyhow, I started it a week ago, the > baby on top is growing well. The tea is coming out pretty well and > I've a handful of pop-top beer bottles to bottle it in when I'm ready. > Just a couple of questions: > > 1) When I bottle it, do I strain it? If so, how fine of a strainer do > I use... cheese cloth? coffee filter? something else? You can strain it if you want to...but I don't. I drink the yeasty ooglies and the little scobys that start if it sits for any length of time before drinking. Some folks just bottle and then strain before drinking it. It all depends on whether you are bothered by the stuff that occurs in a live brew or not. When straining it (which I do if I am giving it away since not everyone can deal with what I choose to drink) I use a fine mesh strainer. You can pick them up in the housewares department in Walmart for a few dollars. I have used both stainless steel and plastic strainers without problem. Coffee filter takes too long. I haven't tried cheese cloth for KT but would imagine it would cause the same problems I have run into in the past by absorbing more than I care to lose...lol 2) I've read to put a couple of raisins or some ginger in the bottle > to help improve the carbonation. I like the idea. A couple of > raisins makes sense to me. But as for the ginger, how much? A thin > slice? A large chunk? Some grated? I tried raisin but wasn't crazy about them. Ginger works well sometimes too well...you really have to watch the pressure on the bottles with ginger. I typically put a couple of pieces about the size of my thumb nail into each bottle. Some people extract the juice from the ginger and add it. 3) Once we're ready to give 'er a try. How much a day do we start on? Typically anywhere from 2-4 ounces is what is recommended as a start and then slowly increase as you see how you tolerate it. Hope that helps. > > -- Live and Love Well, Sandy (Jennings, FL; zone 8b) http://www.dragondiscounts.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2007 Report Share Posted May 14, 2007 Hi, Tim. Congrats on your kombucha!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.... WRT your questions: 1. I don't strain when I bottle. If there are a lot of brown floaties/yeast action, I might strain some of that out when I pour it into a glass for drinking. 2. I do usually put something in the bottle for a secondary ferment. I did not like the flavor of the kombucha w/ raisins, although I do like raisins. I usually use dried candied ginger. The problem I've had w/ narrow necked bottles is that the ginger swells, and can be difficult to remove. So, smaller is better I've decided. A friend puts fresh pear in his and says he *loves* the flavor. 3. As far as amount to start with: some people are quite conservative, but I hadn't heard that when I first started so I downed about a pint or more to begin with (it was tasty!). I felt a touch queasy after that, or I probably would have drunk more. Now I drink a quart or so a day, but have occassional days without any. If your constitution is strong, you can probably drink a cup-full, and see how it goes, but some people recommend starting with an oz or two. Have fun! Bruce ****** " If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished? " Jalal ad-Din Rumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi, Mandi. Congrats on your first batch! Sounds like things are going well. You prob were advised to strain the tea b/c of the " swirly things " (which were prob just spent yeast, or bits of SCOBY). While the extra " stuff " in kombucha is totally harmless (and actually healthy to digest), some people get grossed out by the appearance. You can certainly add sugar to your harvested kombucha. You can also add tea, or juice, or seltzer, or... use your imagination! Enjoy, Vicki in Orlando > > Well I made my first batch and took the scoby(s) out and am starting a new batch...I strained the tea into a gallon pitcher and placed in the fridge... > My question is this...was I supposed to strain it? It had a bunch of swirly things in the tea so that is why I strained it. Also, do I just leave it in the fridge or should I try to bottle it? > I am new at this and not quite sure what the next step is so ANY help would be appreciated. Also, I had the SCOBY that I was able to get from someone, and after this tea, it has made a new one. Do I put both into the next batch or can I just do one? How does that work? > And another question... can I add a little more sugar to the tea after I put it into the fridge (after taking out SCOBY)? > > So many questions > thanks, > Mandi > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 And texture. Slimy things in my kt - UGH! :-) Polly BTW, did I ever mention that one probably shouldn't use stevia leaf in their KT? I brewed some in with the tea, thinking that I could let it go longer and get a stronger KT. I like the taste better when it still has some sweetness, but was trying to think of ways to cut back on the amount of sugar in it. The bacteria would eat the regular sugar, but that the sweet stevia taste would leave me with a still sweet tasting KT, right? Unfortunately, the resulting smell and taste were more than mildly reminiscent of vomit. Another UGH! Maybe someone else tried it with better results, but I won't be trying that again. Just thought I'd warn you all. Vicki wrote: > While the > extra " stuff " in kombucha is totally harmless (and actually healthy > to digest), some people get grossed out by the appearance. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Ewwww,assaulted by stevia. I always found the stuff to leave no less aftertaste than synthetic chlorinated sugars. Thank you for sharing, Polly. Micah p.s. Think of the slimy drifters settling on the bottom as Special K Soup > > While the > > extra " stuff " in kombucha is totally harmless (and actually healthy > > to digest), some people get grossed out by the appearance. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 24, 2009 Report Share Posted December 24, 2009 Stevia is an excellent natural sweetener. Have you ever eaten a raw leaf of stevia right off the plant? It will surprise you. The standardized extract works to compliment natural sweetness very well. It may be a mistake, however, to use it as the sole sweetener in anything - or if you like things very sweet and think you're going to use it in place of sugar. It is not sugar but, rather, it works exceptionally well paired with sugar for most things..(cacao banana smoothies for ex.) This however, will not work with your kombucha brew unless you add it during the secondary fermentation process. I tried to brew a batch of kombucha tea blended with stevia leaf and, although not much resembling vomit, it wasn't great. I also tried infusing stevia leaf in the secondary ferment to sweeten... no good. peace, aandi in Chicago On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Micah M <dissection1101@...> wrote: > > > Ewwww,assaulted by stevia. I always found the stuff to leave no less > aftertaste than synthetic chlorinated sugars. > Thank you for sharing, Polly. > Micah > p.s. Think of the slimy drifters settling on the bottom as Special K Soup > > > > > > > While the > > > extra " stuff " in kombucha is totally harmless (and actually healthy > > > to digest), some people get grossed out by the appearance. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 24, 2009 Report Share Posted December 24, 2009 Um, just can't do that, Micah. LOL I even toss out the stuff in the bottom of my glass if it is too cloudy. I know, I'm a wimp! Polly (still straining my KT!) Micah M wrote: > p.s. Think of the slimy drifters settling on the bottom as Special K Soup > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 24, 2009 Report Share Posted December 24, 2009 Heehee, yes, Polly, at least you know. You might consider using the ooglies in pet water or as yard food, seeing as how they are quite nutritious. They are, right? I remember reading somewheres about ooglies having a higher concentration of B vitamins. Micah > > p.s. Think of the slimy drifters settling on the bottom as Special K Soup > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 24, 2009 Report Share Posted December 24, 2009 Heehee, yes, Polly, at least you know. You might consider using the ooglies in pet water or as yard food, seeing as how they are quite nutritious. They are, right? I remember reading somewheres about ooglies having a higher concentration of B vitamins. Micah > > p.s. Think of the slimy drifters settling on the bottom as Special K Soup > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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