Re: Organic Decaffeinated White Tea

[Guest guest]

I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for us, and

produces something good for us, completing a cycle. Using something that's

better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't be left

over in the end. While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea, do not

think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants found in

K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and create it's

own(Acetic Acid, amongst others). I enjoy the flavor from the mixture of

green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold. If you want

the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something different

entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on and it

won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when baking bread,

you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with water(or

KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something else.

Let kombucha be kombucha.

Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential, and if

you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time(as I do)

or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

--ph

>

> Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

> possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many different

> pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I use organic

> decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more nutritious than green

> tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea mix but cannot find an

> organic decaffeinated white tea. I have second thoughts about using an

> organic caffeinated white tea. I know that caffeine has been measured before

> and after a KT brew and that there is less caffeine after. That tells me

> that some of the caffeine was used up during the brewing process. Is

> caffeinated tea essential for producing the best medicinal brew, or is

> caffeine something the bacteria and yeast consume without it affecting their

> end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> Lawrence

>

>

[Guest guest]

The caffeine in a White Tea may be more that that in someof the

higher double fermented Pu-erh Teas. Depends upon what part of the

plant. The young budding btips are some of the highest. Those toward

the center and older the least.

You can do your own decaff tea by immersing the tea in hot water for

30 seconds, remove the tea, toss the water and then steep the tea in

your regular water. The majority of caffeine is released within the

first 30 seconds of immersion. Caution tender white tea should not be

placed in boiling water. The finer grades come with brewing

temperature suggestions.

Over steeped tea, especially the green and white tea will become

bitter as well as release more tannins into the ferment.

We have a selection of Organic and Premium Teas on our website that

is focused on kombucha brewing. We also have a selection of herbal

teas that people like to use with kombucha

http://tinyurl.com/ye7wkq

Ed Kasper LAc

Santa Cruz, CA

>

> Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I

use organic decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more

nutritious than green tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea

mix but cannot find an organic decaffeinated white tea. I have

second thoughts about using an organic caffeinated white tea. I know

that caffeine has been measured before and after a KT brew and that

there is less caffeine after. That tells me that some of the

caffeine was used up during the brewing process. Is caffeinated tea

essential for producing the best medicinal brew, or is caffeine

something the bacteria and yeast consume without it affecting their

end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> Lawrence

>

>

[Guest guest]

The caffeine in a White Tea may be more that that in someof the

higher double fermented Pu-erh Teas. Depends upon what part of the

plant. The young budding btips are some of the highest. Those toward

the center and older the least.

You can do your own decaff tea by immersing the tea in hot water for

30 seconds, remove the tea, toss the water and then steep the tea in

your regular water. The majority of caffeine is released within the

first 30 seconds of immersion. Caution tender white tea should not be

placed in boiling water. The finer grades come with brewing

temperature suggestions.

Over steeped tea, especially the green and white tea will become

bitter as well as release more tannins into the ferment.

We have a selection of Organic and Premium Teas on our website that

is focused on kombucha brewing. We also have a selection of herbal

teas that people like to use with kombucha

http://tinyurl.com/ye7wkq

Ed Kasper LAc

Santa Cruz, CA

>

> Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I

use organic decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more

nutritious than green tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea

mix but cannot find an organic decaffeinated white tea. I have

second thoughts about using an organic caffeinated white tea. I know

that caffeine has been measured before and after a KT brew and that

there is less caffeine after. That tells me that some of the

caffeine was used up during the brewing process. Is caffeinated tea

essential for producing the best medicinal brew, or is caffeine

something the bacteria and yeast consume without it affecting their

end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> Lawrence

>

>

[Guest guest]

The caffeine in a White Tea may be more that that in someof the

higher double fermented Pu-erh Teas. Depends upon what part of the

plant. The young budding btips are some of the highest. Those toward

the center and older the least.

You can do your own decaff tea by immersing the tea in hot water for

30 seconds, remove the tea, toss the water and then steep the tea in

your regular water. The majority of caffeine is released within the

first 30 seconds of immersion. Caution tender white tea should not be

placed in boiling water. The finer grades come with brewing

temperature suggestions.

Over steeped tea, especially the green and white tea will become

bitter as well as release more tannins into the ferment.

We have a selection of Organic and Premium Teas on our website that

is focused on kombucha brewing. We also have a selection of herbal

teas that people like to use with kombucha

http://tinyurl.com/ye7wkq

Ed Kasper LAc

Santa Cruz, CA

>

> Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I

use organic decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more

nutritious than green tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea

mix but cannot find an organic decaffeinated white tea. I have

second thoughts about using an organic caffeinated white tea. I know

that caffeine has been measured before and after a KT brew and that

there is less caffeine after. That tells me that some of the

caffeine was used up during the brewing process. Is caffeinated tea

essential for producing the best medicinal brew, or is caffeine

something the bacteria and yeast consume without it affecting their

end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> Lawrence

>

>

[Guest guest]

Exactly right ph. Kombucha loves a little caffeine to help fuel

it. That is why after a few brews of White tea, I always regenerate

my SCOBY with a little caffeine. After all, it is a 2000 year old

tea. I am pretty sure they did not have a way of decaffeinating tea

back in the day, LOL

I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

>

> Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for

us, and

> produces something good for us, completing a cycle. Using something

that's

> better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't

be left

> over in the end. While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea,

do not

> think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants

found in

> K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and

create it's

> own(Acetic Acid, amongst others). I enjoy the flavor from the

mixture of

> green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold. If

you want

> the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something

different

> entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on

and it

> won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when

baking bread,

> you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with

water(or

> KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something

else.

> Let kombucha be kombucha.

>

> Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential,

and if

> you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time

(as I do)

> or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

>

> --ph

>

>

> >

> > Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

> > possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different

> > pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I use

organic

> > decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more nutritious

than green

> > tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea mix but cannot

find an

> > organic decaffeinated white tea. I have second thoughts about

using an

> > organic caffeinated white tea. I know that caffeine has been

measured before

> > and after a KT brew and that there is less caffeine after. That

tells me

> > that some of the caffeine was used up during the brewing process.

Is

> > caffeinated tea essential for producing the best medicinal brew,

or is

> > caffeine something the bacteria and yeast consume without it

affecting their

> > end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> > Lawrence

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Exactly right ph. Kombucha loves a little caffeine to help fuel

it. That is why after a few brews of White tea, I always regenerate

my SCOBY with a little caffeine. After all, it is a 2000 year old

tea. I am pretty sure they did not have a way of decaffeinating tea

back in the day, LOL

I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

>

> Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for

us, and

> produces something good for us, completing a cycle. Using something

that's

> better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't

be left

> over in the end. While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea,

do not

> think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants

found in

> K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and

create it's

> own(Acetic Acid, amongst others). I enjoy the flavor from the

mixture of

> green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold. If

you want

> the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something

different

> entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on

and it

> won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when

baking bread,

> you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with

water(or

> KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something

else.

> Let kombucha be kombucha.

>

> Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential,

and if

> you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time

(as I do)

> or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

>

> --ph

>

>

> >

> > Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

> > possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different

> > pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I use

organic

> > decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more nutritious

than green

> > tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea mix but cannot

find an

> > organic decaffeinated white tea. I have second thoughts about

using an

> > organic caffeinated white tea. I know that caffeine has been

measured before

> > and after a KT brew and that there is less caffeine after. That

tells me

> > that some of the caffeine was used up during the brewing process.

Is

> > caffeinated tea essential for producing the best medicinal brew,

or is

> > caffeine something the bacteria and yeast consume without it

affecting their

> > end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> > Lawrence

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Exactly right ph. Kombucha loves a little caffeine to help fuel

it. That is why after a few brews of White tea, I always regenerate

my SCOBY with a little caffeine. After all, it is a 2000 year old

tea. I am pretty sure they did not have a way of decaffeinating tea

back in the day, LOL

I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

>

> Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for

us, and

> produces something good for us, completing a cycle. Using something

that's

> better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't

be left

> over in the end. While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea,

do not

> think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants

found in

> K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and

create it's

> own(Acetic Acid, amongst others). I enjoy the flavor from the

mixture of

> green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold. If

you want

> the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something

different

> entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on

and it

> won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when

baking bread,

> you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with

water(or

> KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something

else.

> Let kombucha be kombucha.

>

> Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential,

and if

> you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time

(as I do)

> or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

>

> --ph

>

>

> >

> > Since KT is a health drink, when I make it, I want it as pure as

> > possible. I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that many

different

> > pesticides are used in the growing of coffee and tea, so I use

organic

> > decaffeinated green tea. Since white tea is even more nutritious

than green

> > tea, I would like to use a white tea/green tea mix but cannot

find an

> > organic decaffeinated white tea. I have second thoughts about

using an

> > organic caffeinated white tea. I know that caffeine has been

measured before

> > and after a KT brew and that there is less caffeine after. That

tells me

> > that some of the caffeine was used up during the brewing process.

Is

> > caffeinated tea essential for producing the best medicinal brew,

or is

> > caffeine something the bacteria and yeast consume without it

affecting their

> > end-product potency. Thank you for your responses.

> > Lawrence

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

>I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

>

>Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for us, and

>produces something good for us, completing a cycle.

This is a modern-day view. Kombucha has been being brewed for more than

2000 years, and it is only in the last 100 years that white sugar has been

available to the masses, and certainly caffeine was not considered a bad

thing until recently, and only by some people. I think caffeine is not a

bad thing in itself, only if it is abused. THe amount of caffeine in KT is low.

>Using something that's

>better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't be left

>over in the end.

I very much disagree with this. Again, 2000 years ago people did not have

white sugar to brew with. They used grain sweeteners (which were invented

by the Chinese thousands of years ago), honey when they could get it, tree

saps, etc. These things all have minerals in them. It is, in my opinion,

a bogus theory that says the minerals harm the kombucha. If they did harm

it, kombucha would never have become the worldwide phenomenon that it

continues to be, with such a high reputation for health-giving

properties. It is simply contrary to logic and historical practice to make

these statements against organic and non-white-sugar sweeteners. The

minerals enhance the final beverage. And the lack of pesticide residues is

a real plus.

>While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea, do not

>think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants found in

>K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and create it's

>own(Acetic Acid, amongst others).

I disagree. The supposition that the ingredients that go into the brew do

not affect the outcome is just not intuitive. There is absolutely no

proof that the brew becomes all one thing, ignoring the specific properties

of what is put into it, and in fact common sense and common practice

indicate the specific properties certainly do affect the brew. Enhanced

and changed, but KT does not macerate all various ingredients into the same

exact brew, no.

>I enjoy the flavor from the mixture of

>green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold.

I've never heard this before. What would be the reasoning behind this? I

have always used a mixture and that didn't stop the mold from forming when

I did something stupid.

>If you want

>the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something different

>entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on and it

>won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when baking bread,

>you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with water(or

>KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something else.

>Let kombucha be kombucha.

Kombucha may be kombucha, but that doesn't mean that green tea and black

tea don't add different constituents. Looking at the very few lab analyses

of KT, they are all different. Why are they all different? Differing

brewing environments and different ingredients. These published analyses

are by definition incomplete because the analysis was only done for

pre-specified constituents, the analysis was not done to discover all

possible constituents, yet nevertheless of the ones they tested everything

for, all the brews were different.

>Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential, and if

>you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time(as I do)

>or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

yall keep saying you've always heard that caffeine is essential or that the

caffeine is used up in the final brew, but at least one of the people who

have done laboratory analyses say that the caffeine is intact at the

end. I don't know, but I've " always heard " quite a lot of disagreement on

these points, though I'm newer to KT than some folks.

Personally, I'm very sensitive to caffeine and I don't have any problem

drinking KT before going to sleep, but KT also doesn't have that much to

begin with. OThers have said they do experience an effect. That's why for

me the question is an open one.

I do use caffeinated teas because I believe that some caffeine is a good

thing for humans, and I believe in traditional brewing (such as using grain

sweeteners). I've thought this issue of traditional brewing through a lot,

and I simply don't accept as true the notion that minerals in sweeteners

cause any lack in the finished KT. In fact, such brews are enhanced for

human consumption.

I will accept the statement that the minerals in these other sweeteners may

influence flavors and that some people may not enjoy those flavors, but

there are plenty of us out here who do enjoy these flavors, so that's just

a matter of taste, not a matter of truth.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>I've always heard that Caffeine and Sugar fuel the SCOBY.

>

>Kombucha is a wonderful thing that feeds on that which is bad for us, and

>produces something good for us, completing a cycle.

This is a modern-day view. Kombucha has been being brewed for more than

2000 years, and it is only in the last 100 years that white sugar has been

available to the masses, and certainly caffeine was not considered a bad

thing until recently, and only by some people. I think caffeine is not a

bad thing in itself, only if it is abused. THe amount of caffeine in KT is low.

>Using something that's

>better for us harms the kombucha end result, and most of that won't be left

>over in the end.

I very much disagree with this. Again, 2000 years ago people did not have

white sugar to brew with. They used grain sweeteners (which were invented

by the Chinese thousands of years ago), honey when they could get it, tree

saps, etc. These things all have minerals in them. It is, in my opinion,

a bogus theory that says the minerals harm the kombucha. If they did harm

it, kombucha would never have become the worldwide phenomenon that it

continues to be, with such a high reputation for health-giving

properties. It is simply contrary to logic and historical practice to make

these statements against organic and non-white-sugar sweeteners. The

minerals enhance the final beverage. And the lack of pesticide residues is

a real plus.

>While I do use a mixture of green tea/black tea, do not

>think that either of those will increase the amount of antioxidants found in

>K-Tea, as the kombucha itself will use those antioxidants and create it's

>own(Acetic Acid, amongst others).

I disagree. The supposition that the ingredients that go into the brew do

not affect the outcome is just not intuitive. There is absolutely no

proof that the brew becomes all one thing, ignoring the specific properties

of what is put into it, and in fact common sense and common practice

indicate the specific properties certainly do affect the brew. Enhanced

and changed, but KT does not macerate all various ingredients into the same

exact brew, no.

>I enjoy the flavor from the mixture of

>green tea/black tea as well as I believe it helps prevent mold.

I've never heard this before. What would be the reasoning behind this? I

have always used a mixture and that didn't stop the mold from forming when

I did something stupid.

>If you want

>the benefits of green tea, drink green tea. Kombucha is something different

>entirely. Kind of like cooking, there's chemical changes going on and it

>won't be quite the same. Water is absorbed and evaporates when baking bread,

>you can't get thirsty and eat bread even though it was made with water(or

>KTea! nor can you separate out the flour to use it for something else.

>Let kombucha be kombucha.

Kombucha may be kombucha, but that doesn't mean that green tea and black

tea don't add different constituents. Looking at the very few lab analyses

of KT, they are all different. Why are they all different? Differing

brewing environments and different ingredients. These published analyses

are by definition incomplete because the analysis was only done for

pre-specified constituents, the analysis was not done to discover all

possible constituents, yet nevertheless of the ones they tested everything

for, all the brews were different.

>Just my thoughts, but yes, I've always heard caffeine is essential, and if

>you want to reduce what may be left, either go for a long brew time(as I do)

>or go half decaf tea bags and half regular.

yall keep saying you've always heard that caffeine is essential or that the

caffeine is used up in the final brew, but at least one of the people who

have done laboratory analyses say that the caffeine is intact at the

end. I don't know, but I've " always heard " quite a lot of disagreement on

these points, though I'm newer to KT than some folks.

Personally, I'm very sensitive to caffeine and I don't have any problem

drinking KT before going to sleep, but KT also doesn't have that much to

begin with. OThers have said they do experience an effect. That's why for

me the question is an open one.

I do use caffeinated teas because I believe that some caffeine is a good

thing for humans, and I believe in traditional brewing (such as using grain

sweeteners). I've thought this issue of traditional brewing through a lot,

and I simply don't accept as true the notion that minerals in sweeteners

cause any lack in the finished KT. In fact, such brews are enhanced for

human consumption.

I will accept the statement that the minerals in these other sweeteners may

influence flavors and that some people may not enjoy those flavors, but

there are plenty of us out here who do enjoy these flavors, so that's just

a matter of taste, not a matter of truth.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste