Questions ...

[Guest guest]

Greetings, all. I've been lurking a bit, drinking oodles of GTs and salivating

over all the emails on this list.

I made my first brew of KT in a quart jar (had on hand when my SCOBY arrived; I

used 1/2 the SCOBY and kept the other half in the fridge). While I think it did

okay, I didn't wait more than 5 days and the baby was very thin and the tea

still pretty sweet, so I poured it in to bottles in the fridge to keep " eating "

the sugar.

QUESTION: for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in cooler areas? I'm

in Texas, and everything gets hot fast (usu around 80 degrees indoors here), so

I'm hesitant to try this (I bought glass bottles with the metal/rubber cork

tops).

I guess I could leave the uncorked, but then, tasting them over and over would

end up having NONE LEFT at the right taste.

So I started a new 1 gal batch in a 2 gal container with both the mother and

baby. I covered it carefuly with triple layered cheesecloth, but noticed little

flies (like fruit flies) INSIDE. I tossed the whole batch 'cuz at that time, I

also noticed a couple on the developing SCOBY.

QUESTION: Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT? I am using a hairband

to keep it taut on the rim.

And so I started another 1 gal batch I left a week before tapping (naturally, I

had dreams of continuous brewing right away but don't think I can resist

harvesting it all at once!).

It tasted right, but naturally I want to try using chia seeds ASAP since those

are the ones of GT's that I love so much. I did search this and read the chia

seed thread ('s post made me LOL thinking of her new chia pet, as my dogs

would also be standing next to me curiously watching me open the bottle!).

QUESTION: has anyone tried letting the chia seeds soak up and get fat before

capping the bottle?

Finally, back to the bottling stage.

QUESTION: I've read that folks are adding a juice to the bottom of the bottle

before the KT - what ratio? I don't want " sweet " KT (trying to minimize sugars

in my diet). HOW LONG before the sugar in the bottling stage has been " eaten " by

the KT?

I bought some organic black cherry concentrate and my kids LOVED it when I first

bottled it, but it was still a bit sweet to my taste.

I started a full 2 gal last night. My goal is to make enough to stop buying all

that GTs - not that they don't deserve my business, but at $3.50/bottle x 4

people, it's competing with my family's grocery bill!

[Guest guest]

>>QUESTION: for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in cooler areas?

I'm in Texas, and everything gets hot fast (usu around 80 degrees indoors

here)<<

I live in a cooler area. In WV/PA. (I am between the two states in residences

for right now.) My swingtop bottles are Grolsch beer bottles. I would not trust

anything made of thinner glass, such as the decorator colored glass swing top

bottles I have seen in Target and The Christmas Tree Shop. Grolsch bottles are

made to hold beer.

>>Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT?<< I wouldn't use terry cloth

because of the fuzz factor. I use tea towels, cloth napkins or handkerchiefs. I

change whenever I get tired of the color.

Lyn

[Guest guest]

I've been using coffee filters with rubber bands then when I test the tea I

throw the old filter away and get a clean new one out

Myree

myree.miche.com

> **

>

>

> >>QUESTION: for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in cooler

> areas? I'm in Texas, and everything gets hot fast (usu around 80 degrees

> indoors here)<<

>

> I live in a cooler area. In WV/PA. (I am between the two states in

> residences for right now.) My swingtop bottles are Grolsch beer bottles. I

> would not trust anything made of thinner glass, such as the decorator

> colored glass swing top bottles I have seen in Target and The Christmas

> Tree Shop. Grolsch bottles are made to hold beer.

>

> >>Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT?<< I wouldn't use terry

> cloth because of the fuzz factor. I use tea towels, cloth napkins or

> handkerchiefs. I change whenever I get tired of the color.

>

> Lyn

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, April. Welcome to the wonderful world of kombucha! Clearly you are

enthusiastic, and not afraid to experiment. Even though it is tempting to try

every idea you have immediately, experience will be your best teacher! And you

will learn lots of lessons, some fun and exciting, some more of a PITA, can't

rush that process...

One thing I'd encourage you to remember is to NEVER put a kombucha SCOBY in the

fridge! As long as your SCOBY is covered with mature kombucha, it will be fine.

In fact, it's good to keep a supply of backup SCOBYs in a jar covered with

*mature* kombucha (thus not actively fermenting); this is referred to as keeping

a kombucha " hotel. "

> for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in cooler areas...

I live in central Florida, and it gets plenty hot here, so no worries re. being

in Texas.

Re. fruit flies: You should be able to find tips on this board, as well as on

the web, and even YouTube. One of my favorites (even tho' I've been blessed to

not have fruit flies) is featured (I believe) on Kombucha Kamp's site: Making a

fruit fly trap from a plastic drinking bottle.

-- Take a standard plastic water bottle (approx 16 oz, or smaller/larger is

fine).

-- Approx 1/3 way from top, slice the bottle horizontally, so you have a cone,

plus the bottle's base.

-- Remove the bottle's lid.

-- Pour some mature (fermented) kombucha into the bottle base.

-- Invert the " cone " (top of bottle) into the base. (The former bottle top is

inside the bottle's base.)

-- Use duct tape, etc., to secure the top to the base.

-- Leave trap near your fermenting kombucha.

The concept is that fruit flies are attracted by the kombucha, fly into the

bottle to feast on it, but cannot find their way back out the narrow cone

opening.

> Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT

A wash cloth is fine. Your main concern is not using cloth that is too porous

-- such as cheesecloth -- b/c you want to keep out dust, dirt, fruit flies, etc.

> I am using a hairband to keep it taut on the rim.

That's fine, whatever works for you. You can also use string, ribbon, etc. I

like to make batches (as opposed to my continuous brew) in Anchor Hocking

2-gallon " cookie jars " : http://tinyurl.com/ccchbuo

You can find these jars for less than $15 @ stores such as Target & Wal-Mart. I

find that rubber bands meant for folders/binders are a perfect size for holding

a bandana taut over the opening: http://tinyurl.com/bognlz5

> the tea still pretty sweet, so I poured it in to bottles

> in the fridge to keep " eating " the sugar.

When you do a secondary ferment, you should do it at room temperature.

Refrigeration slows down fermentation to such a degree that change is fairly

negligable. That said, store your harvested kombucha deep in the fridge, b/c

especially in warmer climes, the fridge door is enough warmer than the rest of

the refrigerator that kombucha stored there may keep fermenting, thus get more

tart than you prefer.

> adding a juice to the bottom of the bottle before

> the KT - what ratio?

I add 1 cup fruit puree (instead of juice) to a 1 quart bottle, and allow to

ferment at least 3 days. (I feel I have more control by using fruit instead of

bottled juice, don't want to inadvertently add HFCS, for instance.) After the

secondary ferment, I " decant " the bottle by straining the kombucha through a

nylon strainer. (I put the fermented puree into ice cube trays, and put those

cubes into smoothies, a trick I learned here.) I rinse out the bottle, then

pour the decanted kombucha back in and store in fridge.

While time-intensive, this process removes " ooglies " that can freak out folks.

Also, know that the fruit can settle to bottom, so I usually invert the bottle

gently before serving.

Most people whom I serve *love* this ratio, even though it's a higher ratio

fruit-to-kombucha than GTs. YMMV. If it's too sweet for you, let it ferment

longer. You might also prefer less fruit.

Speaking of fruit, don't be afraid to try dried fruit. Some of my faves use

dried fruits, which are easier to handle. I also use herbs, spices, sweetened

herbal teas, extracts, etc. for my secondary ferments. You are only limited by

your imagination!

You might find that you will keep some sweeter kt for your kids, at least in the

beginning, as their taste buds get used to the tartness. In fact, most

beginning kombucha drinkers prefer sweeter kt to start! It's not surprising

that you prefer a more tart beverage, tho', since you've been enjoying it for a

while.

When you get to the point that you are doing continuous brew (which I encourage

you not to rush, till you are comfortable in your batch routine), you will find

that your kombucha ranges the entire spectrum of sweet/tart. That's part of the

fun of the process!

Remember also that even when you find a consistent routine, your kombucha can

vary, depending usually on ferment time/temperature, but also your ingredients.

That's why it's really a good idea to keep records of what you do, for

troubleshooting purposes, and also to determine your own best practices.

BTW, I've been making -- and teaching -- kombucha for years, but still buy GTs,

so good luck with that goal, LOL!

hth,

Vicki in Orlando

>

> Greetings, all. I've been lurking a bit, drinking oodles of GTs and

> salivating over all the emails on this list.

>

> I made my first brew of KT in a quart jar (had on hand when my

> SCOBY arrived; I used 1/2 the SCOBY and kept the other half in the

> fridge). While I think it did okay, I didn't wait more than 5 days

> and the baby was very thin and the tea still pretty sweet, so I

> poured it in to bottles in the fridge to keep " eating " the sugar.

>

> QUESTION: for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in

> cooler areas? I'm in Texas, and everything gets hot fast (usu

> around 80 degrees indoors here), so I'm hesitant to try this

> (I bought glass bottles with the metal/rubber cork tops).

>

> I guess I could leave the uncorked, but then, tasting them over and

> over would end up having NONE LEFT at the right taste.

>

> So I started a new 1 gal batch in a 2 gal container with both the

> mother and baby. I covered it carefuly with triple layered

> cheesecloth, but noticed little flies (like fruit flies) INSIDE.

> I tossed the whole batch 'cuz at that time, I also noticed a couple

> on the developing SCOBY.

>

> QUESTION: Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT? I am

> using a hairband to keep it taut on the rim.

>

> And so I started another 1 gal batch I left a week before tapping

> (naturally, I had dreams of continuous brewing right away but don't

> think I can resist harvesting it all at once!).

>

> It tasted right, but naturally I want to try using chia seeds ASAP

> since those are the ones of GT's that I love so much. I did search

> this and read the chia seed thread ('s post made me LOL

> thinking of her new chia pet, as my dogs would also be standing

> next to me curiously watching me open the bottle!).

>

> QUESTION: has anyone tried letting the chia seeds soak up and get

> fat before capping the bottle?

>

> Finally, back to the bottling stage.

>

> QUESTION: I've read that folks are adding a juice to the bottom of

> the bottle before the KT - what ratio? I don't want " sweet " KT

> (trying to minimize sugars in my diet). HOW LONG before the sugar

> in the bottling stage has been " eaten " by the KT?

>

> I bought some organic black cherry concentrate and my kids LOVED it

> when I first bottled it, but it was still a bit sweet to my taste.

>

> I started a full 2 gal last night. My goal is to make enough to

> stop buying all that GTs - not that they don't deserve my business,

> but at $3.50/bottle x 4 people, it's competing with my family's

> grocery bill!

[Guest guest]

Hi, April. Welcome to the wonderful world of kombucha! Clearly you are

enthusiastic, and not afraid to experiment. Even though it is tempting to try

every idea you have immediately, experience will be your best teacher! And you

will learn lots of lessons, some fun and exciting, some more of a PITA, can't

rush that process...

One thing I'd encourage you to remember is to NEVER put a kombucha SCOBY in the

fridge! As long as your SCOBY is covered with mature kombucha, it will be fine.

In fact, it's good to keep a supply of backup SCOBYs in a jar covered with

*mature* kombucha (thus not actively fermenting); this is referred to as keeping

a kombucha " hotel. "

> for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in cooler areas...

I live in central Florida, and it gets plenty hot here, so no worries re. being

in Texas.

Re. fruit flies: You should be able to find tips on this board, as well as on

the web, and even YouTube. One of my favorites (even tho' I've been blessed to

not have fruit flies) is featured (I believe) on Kombucha Kamp's site: Making a

fruit fly trap from a plastic drinking bottle.

-- Take a standard plastic water bottle (approx 16 oz, or smaller/larger is

fine).

-- Approx 1/3 way from top, slice the bottle horizontally, so you have a cone,

plus the bottle's base.

-- Remove the bottle's lid.

-- Pour some mature (fermented) kombucha into the bottle base.

-- Invert the " cone " (top of bottle) into the base. (The former bottle top is

inside the bottle's base.)

-- Use duct tape, etc., to secure the top to the base.

-- Leave trap near your fermenting kombucha.

The concept is that fruit flies are attracted by the kombucha, fly into the

bottle to feast on it, but cannot find their way back out the narrow cone

opening.

> Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT

A wash cloth is fine. Your main concern is not using cloth that is too porous

-- such as cheesecloth -- b/c you want to keep out dust, dirt, fruit flies, etc.

> I am using a hairband to keep it taut on the rim.

That's fine, whatever works for you. You can also use string, ribbon, etc. I

like to make batches (as opposed to my continuous brew) in Anchor Hocking

2-gallon " cookie jars " : http://tinyurl.com/ccchbuo

You can find these jars for less than $15 @ stores such as Target & Wal-Mart. I

find that rubber bands meant for folders/binders are a perfect size for holding

a bandana taut over the opening: http://tinyurl.com/bognlz5

> the tea still pretty sweet, so I poured it in to bottles

> in the fridge to keep " eating " the sugar.

When you do a secondary ferment, you should do it at room temperature.

Refrigeration slows down fermentation to such a degree that change is fairly

negligable. That said, store your harvested kombucha deep in the fridge, b/c

especially in warmer climes, the fridge door is enough warmer than the rest of

the refrigerator that kombucha stored there may keep fermenting, thus get more

tart than you prefer.

> adding a juice to the bottom of the bottle before

> the KT - what ratio?

I add 1 cup fruit puree (instead of juice) to a 1 quart bottle, and allow to

ferment at least 3 days. (I feel I have more control by using fruit instead of

bottled juice, don't want to inadvertently add HFCS, for instance.) After the

secondary ferment, I " decant " the bottle by straining the kombucha through a

nylon strainer. (I put the fermented puree into ice cube trays, and put those

cubes into smoothies, a trick I learned here.) I rinse out the bottle, then

pour the decanted kombucha back in and store in fridge.

While time-intensive, this process removes " ooglies " that can freak out folks.

Also, know that the fruit can settle to bottom, so I usually invert the bottle

gently before serving.

Most people whom I serve *love* this ratio, even though it's a higher ratio

fruit-to-kombucha than GTs. YMMV. If it's too sweet for you, let it ferment

longer. You might also prefer less fruit.

Speaking of fruit, don't be afraid to try dried fruit. Some of my faves use

dried fruits, which are easier to handle. I also use herbs, spices, sweetened

herbal teas, extracts, etc. for my secondary ferments. You are only limited by

your imagination!

You might find that you will keep some sweeter kt for your kids, at least in the

beginning, as their taste buds get used to the tartness. In fact, most

beginning kombucha drinkers prefer sweeter kt to start! It's not surprising

that you prefer a more tart beverage, tho', since you've been enjoying it for a

while.

When you get to the point that you are doing continuous brew (which I encourage

you not to rush, till you are comfortable in your batch routine), you will find

that your kombucha ranges the entire spectrum of sweet/tart. That's part of the

fun of the process!

Remember also that even when you find a consistent routine, your kombucha can

vary, depending usually on ferment time/temperature, but also your ingredients.

That's why it's really a good idea to keep records of what you do, for

troubleshooting purposes, and also to determine your own best practices.

BTW, I've been making -- and teaching -- kombucha for years, but still buy GTs,

so good luck with that goal, LOL!

hth,

Vicki in Orlando

>

> Greetings, all. I've been lurking a bit, drinking oodles of GTs and

> salivating over all the emails on this list.

>

> I made my first brew of KT in a quart jar (had on hand when my

> SCOBY arrived; I used 1/2 the SCOBY and kept the other half in the

> fridge). While I think it did okay, I didn't wait more than 5 days

> and the baby was very thin and the tea still pretty sweet, so I

> poured it in to bottles in the fridge to keep " eating " the sugar.

>

> QUESTION: for all of you leaving bottle " out " , do you live in

> cooler areas? I'm in Texas, and everything gets hot fast (usu

> around 80 degrees indoors here), so I'm hesitant to try this

> (I bought glass bottles with the metal/rubber cork tops).

>

> I guess I could leave the uncorked, but then, tasting them over and

> over would end up having NONE LEFT at the right taste.

>

> So I started a new 1 gal batch in a 2 gal container with both the

> mother and baby. I covered it carefuly with triple layered

> cheesecloth, but noticed little flies (like fruit flies) INSIDE.

> I tossed the whole batch 'cuz at that time, I also noticed a couple

> on the developing SCOBY.

>

> QUESTION: Is a wash cloth too thick to use to cover my KT? I am

> using a hairband to keep it taut on the rim.

>

> And so I started another 1 gal batch I left a week before tapping

> (naturally, I had dreams of continuous brewing right away but don't

> think I can resist harvesting it all at once!).

>

> It tasted right, but naturally I want to try using chia seeds ASAP

> since those are the ones of GT's that I love so much. I did search

> this and read the chia seed thread ('s post made me LOL

> thinking of her new chia pet, as my dogs would also be standing

> next to me curiously watching me open the bottle!).

>

> QUESTION: has anyone tried letting the chia seeds soak up and get

> fat before capping the bottle?

>

> Finally, back to the bottling stage.

>

> QUESTION: I've read that folks are adding a juice to the bottom of

> the bottle before the KT - what ratio? I don't want " sweet " KT

> (trying to minimize sugars in my diet). HOW LONG before the sugar

> in the bottling stage has been " eaten " by the KT?

>

> I bought some organic black cherry concentrate and my kids LOVED it

> when I first bottled it, but it was still a bit sweet to my taste.

>

> I started a full 2 gal last night. My goal is to make enough to

> stop buying all that GTs - not that they don't deserve my business,

> but at $3.50/bottle x 4 people, it's competing with my family's

> grocery bill!