2.5 ceramic dispensers and how I brew and testimonial

[Guest guest]

I have been wanting to do continuous brewing for so long now. No luck

in thrift shops. But this weekend, I scored! Saturday morning we

passed by a garage sale on the way home from the mall, and I saw the

ceramic crock common for water dispensing, with the blue stripe. It

came with a 3 gallon bottle and I was able to get it for $5. I was so

thrilled and made a brew right away when I got home. If only I had

another one, I could do continuous brewing with hibiscus infused tea,

I told my hubby. I looked on craig's list on friday and came across a

$5 white one with 5 gallon jug and white stand. Matches my decor and

I was wanting it so bad I wrote the guy 2 times begging him to sell

it to me :-). No one could beat that price. I didn't hear from him

till sunday afternoon, and he said it was all mine. I thought it was

already sold since he didn't reply anyway. So I was thrilled once

more. I begged hubby to drive me 26 miles to pick it up and he

happily obliged since he has vested interest and I promised him an

hour massage :-). So when I got home, the first thing I did was scrub

it clean and brew a hibiscus kombucha. So there are two 2.5 gallon

crocks brewing away in my pantry, and you should see the smile on my

face. You'd think I won the lottery :-). Now I just need one more for

my experiments with other flavored teas. I can retire some of the

gallon jars for now.

I looked at my pantry and there are 8 gallons brewing right now plus

two scoby hotels for growing scoby and making vinegar.

The way I made it was to first boil a quart of water for steeping the

loose tea. I steep the tea and put the timer to 20 minutes. Then I

fill the crock with 1 gallon and a quart of water. To this I added 2

1/3 cups sugar and stir it thoroughly while waiting for the tea

and /or hibiscus to steep. Sugar dissolves well all the time with

this method I chose to do. I don't want to use another container and

have to boil water for dissolving sugar since that is an extra step

for me and another pot to wash. I love shortcuts.

I use 14 teaspoons of loose jasmine green tea and/ or 3 tbsp. dried

hibiscus per 2 gallons. After the tea has steeped, I strain it with

a metal strainer directly into the crock, pressing with a spoon to

release all the liquid. Then I stir again. I add 3 cups of hot water

again into the tea leaves and steep for another 20 minutes to get

more tea and/or hibiscus out of it. This I then add to the brew and

stir.

Let it cool to room temperature which should take only about 10

minutes maximum. Then I add 2 cups starter and mix it in. Then I put

the scobies in and add another 2 cups on top to prevent mold.

Then I cover with two layers of paper towel and put the plastic ring

on top of it and tape the sides so it is tight.

That's it! Now I can't wait to decant the finished brew and start on

my continuous brewing journey. I understand that the flavors have

different complexities in this continuous fermentation process so it

will be fascinating to taste the different nuances at different

brewing stages.

I by the way, bottled my hibiscus brew this time after 4 days of

fermentation. The bigger mouth glass vessel was very tart while the

smaller mouth pedestal vessel was still sweet. It goes to show that

the bigger surface area brews faster indeed and makes thicker

scobies.

I bottled most of them in wine bottles and Pellegrino mineral soda

bottles, with wine corks, some of which were tapered to fit the

mouth.I hope to retire all plastic bottles soon.

As for a testimonial, my 6 year old son after two years of drippy

nose 24 hours a day due to allergies, has finally had clear sinus

just after drinking 3/4 cup of kombucha in the morning and 3/4 cup

at night. I used to just give him a sip every now and and then, but

decided to up his intake. That's when it worked its healing powers.

He is always stuffy and has had no respite for 2 continuous years. He

is now drip free, and if it were only for that, my kombucha work is

all worth it. It's been a week and I am so happy that he doesn't have

to be congested anymore. This magic elixir has done its magic once

more. I can't be more thankful at this moment.

To the wonders of kombucha!

gratefully,

Idy

p.s. How many of you prefer to brew continuously in your 2.5 gallon

crocks over glass gallon jars? How many crocks do you own and use

regularly? What flavors and recipes do you use for them?