New Kombucha caretaker with some questions

October 31, 2006

Hello! I bought a starter kit from happyherbalist.com and started my

first batch last week. Now I just need a little reassurance and a

couple questions answered if noone minds.

The instructions sent were to make a 3 quart solution of tea and

sugar and then to add the SCOBY and the starter tea sent with it

(abbreviated instructions obviously). I did this adding ALL the

starter tea the SCOBY was shipped in. Problem is the starter tea was

definitely in the extreme vinegar stage and I think adding all of it

was too much. Today is the fifth day and it still smells and tastes

STRONGLY of vinegar. Is it possible this vinegar smell/taste will

lessen or is this batch doomed to the sole purpose of creating a

back-up SCOBY and a bottle of fresh vinegar?

When I start my second 1 gallon batch, how much of this first batch

should I add to it? 1 cup??? Will it taste and smell like vinegar

too or will it be okay?

Thanks!

November 2, 2006

I tried the GT kombucha. The original tasted like straight vinegar and

the grape Synergy one tasted like a wine cooler (but smelled like

vinegar). A lot of people say homebrewed is better, so I'm banking on

that.

I tasted my tea again last night and it was more like a cross between

sour cider and vinegar. I've read the sour means it could be out of

balance between the yeast and bacteria, but being the first batch I

think it's probably best to leave it alone. I'll just write this batch

off as a starter and make adjustments to the next one if still needed.

I'm sure either way the taste is going to require some getting used

to, I just don't want to get used to straight vinegar. LOL.

No matter what one good thing is I finally found a tea I really like -

royal pu-erh (figures my mouth would have expensive taste).

Thanks,

> KT has a vinegary whiff to it, that's normal. Your brew will get

*more*

> vinegary over time, not less. Have you tried KT before from another

> source? It may be that the normal taste/smell is a new and intense

thing

> for you. Try diluting your KT with a little water and/or fruit

juice if

> it's too intense.

>

> Yes, the minimum amount of starter to use for a gal-size batch is 1

cup. I

> always use 2 cups.

>

> -V

November 2, 2006

>I tried the GT kombucha. The original tasted like straight vinegar and

>the grape Synergy one tasted like a wine cooler (but smelled like

>vinegar). A lot of people say homebrewed is better, so I'm banking on

>that.

One of the most important advantages of homebrewed is being able to drink

it when it tastes good to oneself. And, Bev and others\? believe that is

the most healthful time to drink it, for each person.

>I tasted my tea again last night and it was more like a cross between

>sour cider and vinegar. I've read the sour means it could be out of

>balance between the yeast and bacteria, but being the first batch I

>think it's probably best to leave it alone. I'll just write this batch

>off as a starter and make adjustments to the next one if still needed.

>I'm sure either way the taste is going to require some getting used

>to, I just don't want to get used to straight vinegar. LOL.

If your brewing environment is quite warm, you could have finished KT in

4-5 days. So, continuing to brew is unnecessary, and yes, the longer it

brews the more acidic it gets and more like vinegar. You can use the

vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as salad dressings, and as a

skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes wonderful salad dressings and

marinades. So don't throw it away!

A yeast overgrowth creates a sourness that I call " short " -- you only taste

it in one place in the mouth (right behind the upper front teeth, or so),

it's very one-dimensional and unpleasant. The proper tartness excites the

mouth in many places at once. It's possible you could get a yeast

overgrowth on the first brewing, but it seems a little unlikely. But, this

is an aceto-ferment, meaning it creates acetic acid, which is what vinegar

is, so you're going to have a vinegar whiff no matter what, that's what

this is.

Again, I recommend diluting it with juice (5% totally changes it) if you

really don't like it.

--V

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

November 2, 2006

> If your brewing environment is quite warm, you could have finished

KT in

> 4-5 days. So, continuing to brew is unnecessary, and yes, the

longer it

> brews the more acidic it gets and more like vinegar. You can use

the

> vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as salad dressings, and

as a

> skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes wonderful salad dressings and

> marinades. So don't throw it away!

I won't throw it away. This weekend I'm going to hunt for lots of

recipes using vinegar. No sense letting it go to waste!

THanks, V!

November 2, 2006

some of mine has turned to vinegar. what is the standard for hair rinse again?

just pour it on and rinse off before shampoo and conditioner or between or

after? would a conditioner be necessary if we use kt as a rinse?

" R. " wrote: > If your brewing

environment is quite warm, you could have finished

KT in

> 4-5 days. So, continuing to brew is unnecessary, and yes, the

longer it

> brews the more acidic it gets and more like vinegar. You can use

the

> vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as salad dressings, and

as a

> skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes wonderful salad dressings and

> marinades. So don't throw it away!

I won't throw it away. This weekend I'm going to hunt for lots of

recipes using vinegar. No sense letting it go to waste!

THanks, V!

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November 2, 2006

> You can use the vinegary stuff in culinary applications such as

> salad dressings, and as a skin tonic/antiseptic, etc. It makes

> wonderful salad dressings and marinades. So don't throw it away!

> --------------------------------------------------------

You can make vinegar with the over-fermented brew. I have a

1 gallon jar with about 3/4ths full of the vinegary brew, and to

my surprise, it also is making me new Scobys. When they are

about 1 inch thick I take them out and either use them or give

them away. Then the vinegar gets busy and starts filming over

the top of the sour liquid, and goes on and on and on. I do add

some over sour ferment now and then to keep it topped off.

I also keep a cloth cover over it. And now and then I take some

of the liquid off to make salad dressing. With garlic and blue

cheese fighting for flavor dominance, it is a good dressing for

strong veggies of many kinds, with just a touch of Stevia.

Pat in CA

November 2, 2006

>I won't throw it away. This weekend I'm going to hunt for lots of

>recipes using vinegar. No sense letting it go to waste!

Sounds good, I tried a recipe a while back that is absolutely

wonderful, consisting of a coleslaw with a vinegar (I used KT vinegar)

dressing as a base, with a broiled piece of fish on top, that had been

marinated for 15 minutes in the same spicy dressing. Really

superb. (Rusty, I almost posted this recipe when you asked about recipes

on TYH a while back, but never did. You might enjoy this, if you ever eat

fish.)

here's the recipe. It came as a freebie from http://www.SavingDinner.com

I used the oven broiler, not a grill. Also, I used KT vinegar instead of

cider vinegar, and, I shredded my own cabbage instead of using bagged. I

also just used a glass pan for marinating and not a plastic bag. Also,

some fish is more endangered than others, so choose accordingly. We used a

cod that is local and plentiful.

Fish on Cilantro Chili Slaw

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

2/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon cumin

1 4-oz. can diced green chilies

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

4 halibut, mahi-mahi fillets or other solid white fish

1 package coleslaw mix

1/2 cup thinly slivered red onion, rinsed

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, cilantro,

garlic, cumin, chilies, cayenne pepper,and salt to taste. Rinse fish and

pat dry. In a large, heavy zipper-topped plastic bag, combine fish and 1/3

cup of the vinegar mixture; let stand, turning occasionally, for about 15

minutes. Preheat outdoor or indoor grill or oven broiler. In a large bowl,

combine coleslaw mix, onion, and 1/2 cup of the vinegar mixture. Add salt

to taste. Lift fish from marinade (discard marinade) and place on a

preheated, oiled grill over high heat; if using a gas grill, close the lid.

Cook fish, turning once, until barely opaque but still moist in the center

(about 6 to 8 minutes). Mound cilantro-chili slaw equally on four dinner

plates; top each with a piece of the grilled fish; drizzle remaining

marinade equally over fish.

NUTRITION per serving: 398 Calories; 21g Fat; 43g Protein; 11g

Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 102mg

Cholesterol; 137mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 1

Vegetable; 4 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

LC SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Sauteed or grilled zucchini, yellow squash and

tomatoes (add a little garlic powder, salt and pepper).

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

November 2, 2006