Re: Boiling water with sugar, then steeping tea...

[Guest guest]

I always steep the tea at the correct temperature (212° for black, Pu Erh or

dark oolongs, 175° for green, white, darjeelings and light oolongs) in

whatever

amount of water (I only use artisinal spring water from a source I know) allows

the tea to move around freely (I only use organic loose leaf tea). In a separate

container, I dissolve the sugar (I only use organic sugar) in whatever amount of

water will allow the sugar to dissolve. I steep the tea only for the amount of

time it needs to steep to make a deent cup of tea (3-5 minutes for black, 1-3

minutes for green, 3-5 for white, 2-5 for oolong). Then I add the cooled result

of both into whatever amount of water is still need to make my gallon of KT.

This technique allows the heated elements of the KT to come to room temperature

much quicker.

Gallon Example:

1oz tea in 16 oz (pint, 2 cups) of water.

1 2/3 cups sugar in 16oz (pint, 2 cups) water

mother and 8oz of KT (1/2 pint, 1 cup)

1 gallon = 8 pints (16 cups)

8pints (16 cups) - 2.5 pints (5 cups) = 5.5 pints (11 cups) of water still

needed

 

Just how I do it... Hope this helps.Namaste --

donnalynn, teasmith & KT devotee

SensibiliTeas, Glens Falls, NY (518) 824-1290 (888) 449-9888

www.sensibiliteasonline.com 580 teas available. Over 400 organic teas in the

collection. 10% discount to KT users when KT IS OK is written in the special

comments area of the online order form.

________________________________

From: eveheart <eveheart@...>

kombucha tea

Sent: Mon, July 19, 2010 10:32:57 PM

Subject: Boiling water with sugar, then steeping tea...

 

I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I use

is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off the

chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm (but not

boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the boiling water

over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well, then cool?

I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be a

reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

Eve

[Guest guest]

I always steep the tea at the correct temperature (212° for black, Pu Erh or

dark oolongs, 175° for green, white, darjeelings and light oolongs) in

whatever

amount of water (I only use artisinal spring water from a source I know) allows

the tea to move around freely (I only use organic loose leaf tea). In a separate

container, I dissolve the sugar (I only use organic sugar) in whatever amount of

water will allow the sugar to dissolve. I steep the tea only for the amount of

time it needs to steep to make a deent cup of tea (3-5 minutes for black, 1-3

minutes for green, 3-5 for white, 2-5 for oolong). Then I add the cooled result

of both into whatever amount of water is still need to make my gallon of KT.

This technique allows the heated elements of the KT to come to room temperature

much quicker.

Gallon Example:

1oz tea in 16 oz (pint, 2 cups) of water.

1 2/3 cups sugar in 16oz (pint, 2 cups) water

mother and 8oz of KT (1/2 pint, 1 cup)

1 gallon = 8 pints (16 cups)

8pints (16 cups) - 2.5 pints (5 cups) = 5.5 pints (11 cups) of water still

needed

 

Just how I do it... Hope this helps.Namaste --

donnalynn, teasmith & KT devotee

SensibiliTeas, Glens Falls, NY (518) 824-1290 (888) 449-9888

www.sensibiliteasonline.com 580 teas available. Over 400 organic teas in the

collection. 10% discount to KT users when KT IS OK is written in the special

comments area of the online order form.

________________________________

From: eveheart <eveheart@...>

kombucha tea

Sent: Mon, July 19, 2010 10:32:57 PM

Subject: Boiling water with sugar, then steeping tea...

 

I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I use

is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off the

chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm (but not

boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the boiling water

over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well, then cool?

I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be a

reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

Eve

[Guest guest]

I think what you describe is a better way. My thought has been that if the

tea is allowed to steep without the sugar in the water then more of the tea

will get into the water. I could be wrong about this, but it's the way I've

been making it for about 15yrs. Sometimes I don't even boil the sugar water.

I just boil two quarts of water for tea, then stir a cup of sugar into one

quart of room temp water. That allows me to get the temperature lower

faster, add the mother and inoculate with KT faster. Any way you make it

I'm sure will be fine. Don't let any other person's recipe nag at you.

A note though; last summer a friend of mine decided to try and save energy

and steep the tea at room temp. What he ended up with looked evil. At least

that's what I kept telling him. I suspect the tea he bought had all kinds of

dormant microorganisms in it that took over and would have otherwise been

killed off by boiling water.

On 19 July 2010 22:32, eveheart <eveheart@...> wrote:

>

>

> I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

> together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I

> use is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off

> the chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm

> (but not boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the

> boiling water over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well,

> then cool?

>

> I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be

> a reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

>

> Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

>

> Eve

>

>

>

--

Murray -<|>- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

[Guest guest]

I think what you describe is a better way. My thought has been that if the

tea is allowed to steep without the sugar in the water then more of the tea

will get into the water. I could be wrong about this, but it's the way I've

been making it for about 15yrs. Sometimes I don't even boil the sugar water.

I just boil two quarts of water for tea, then stir a cup of sugar into one

quart of room temp water. That allows me to get the temperature lower

faster, add the mother and inoculate with KT faster. Any way you make it

I'm sure will be fine. Don't let any other person's recipe nag at you.

A note though; last summer a friend of mine decided to try and save energy

and steep the tea at room temp. What he ended up with looked evil. At least

that's what I kept telling him. I suspect the tea he bought had all kinds of

dormant microorganisms in it that took over and would have otherwise been

killed off by boiling water.

On 19 July 2010 22:32, eveheart <eveheart@...> wrote:

>

>

> I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

> together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I

> use is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off

> the chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm

> (but not boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the

> boiling water over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well,

> then cool?

>

> I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be

> a reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

>

> Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

>

> Eve

>

>

>

--

Murray -<|>- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

[Guest guest]

So after all that, do you just add the

" Gallon Example:

1oz tea in 16 oz (pint, 2 cups) of water. 5.5 (11 cups) of filtered or room temp

boiled water to the rest?

Thanks in advance!

Blessings & Aloha,

Kim

" 1 2/3 cups sugar in 16oz (pint, 2 cups) water

mother and 8oz of KT (1/2 pint, 1 cup)

1 gallon = 8 pints (16 cups)

8pints (16 cups) - 2.5 pints (5 cups) = 5.5 pints (11 cups) of water still

needed "

Blessings & Aloha, Kim Skaggs

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Boiling water with sugar, then steeping tea...

 

I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I use

is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off the

chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm (but not

boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the boiling water

over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well, then cool?

I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be a

reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

Eve

[Guest guest]

So after all that, do you just add the

" Gallon Example:

1oz tea in 16 oz (pint, 2 cups) of water. 5.5 (11 cups) of filtered or room temp

boiled water to the rest?

Thanks in advance!

Blessings & Aloha,

Kim

" 1 2/3 cups sugar in 16oz (pint, 2 cups) water

mother and 8oz of KT (1/2 pint, 1 cup)

1 gallon = 8 pints (16 cups)

8pints (16 cups) - 2.5 pints (5 cups) = 5.5 pints (11 cups) of water still

needed "

Blessings & Aloha, Kim Skaggs

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Boiling water with sugar, then steeping tea...

 

I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I use

is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off the

chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm (but not

boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the boiling water

over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well, then cool?

I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be a

reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

Eve

[Guest guest]

This is how I roll:

I boil the water for 5min, to get rid of the harmful contaminants (in the

event I absolutely must use tap water).

I then add the sugar, and boil for slightly longer.

I then REDUCE HEAT, and let my tea steep, until infused.

I like to think of it this way: if I pour boiling water onto my skin, it

will destroy the properties of my skin, and kill cells. I don't want to

kill and destroy all of the wonderful properties of my tea, so that's my

strategy. There's no set 'right' way.

[Guest guest]

Hi EveryOne,

This post reminded me to remind you, never leave your tea, sugar, water mixture

out overnight to cool.....a good way to get mold!

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

>

> >

> >

> > I was wondering why kombucha instructions say to boil the sugar and water

> > together first, then steep the tea in the sugary water. Suppose the water I

> > use is clean and chlorine-free, so it doesn't need to be boiled to steam off

> > the chlorine. And suppose also that my sugar dissolves completely in warm

> > (but not boiling) water. In that case, is there any reason I can't pour the

> > boiling water over the tea leaves, steep, strain, then add sugar, stir well,

> > then cool?

> >

> > I do it this way, but I've always had the nagging doubt that there might be

> > a reason to follow the boiled-sugar instructions.

> >

> > Thanks, wise kombucha brewers!

> >

> > Eve

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

> --

> Murray -<|>- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

>

>

>