Re: Theory about GT's kombucha and the thin cultures it produces

[Guest guest]

What makes you think GTs is caffeine free? --V

>I was thinking that because GT's kombucha is caffeine free, this may

>be why the cultures it makes are so thin.

>

>I just brewed a caffeine free batch and I can tell you that the baby

>was much much thinner than the caffinated ones I usually make.

>

>This raises another question...Why is GT's decaff and by what process

>does he use to decaffinate? Does he just use decaff tea to start with?

>

>For that matter, the 3 different brands of KT we sell where I work

>including GT's are all caffeine free. Does anyone know why this is,

>and if you can buy store bought KT with caffeine?

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>

> What makes you think GTs is caffeine free? --V

That's what it says on the bottle

>

>

> >I was thinking that because GT's kombucha is caffeine free, this may

> >be why the cultures it makes are so thin.

> >

> >I just brewed a caffeine free batch and I can tell you that the baby

> >was much much thinner than the caffinated ones I usually make.

> >

> >This raises another question...Why is GT's decaff and by what process

> >does he use to decaffinate? Does he just use decaff tea to start with?

> >

> >For that matter, the 3 different brands of KT we sell where I work

> >including GT's are all caffeine free. Does anyone know why this is,

> >and if you can buy store bought KT with caffeine?

>

>

>

>

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

> --A.J. Muste

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > What makes you think GTs is caffeine free? --V

>

> That's what it says on the bottle

You know what? I'm sorry...I just went and checked an empty bottle of

the " gingeraid " flavored one and I couldn't find " caffeine free " on it

anywhere!

I swear that I read it on a bottle of KT though, and since we only

sell three brands where I work, and I checked the one other brand as

well, I'm thinking that it might be the " Synergy " brand we sell?

Either that or I'm going crazy. I will check tomorrow.

>

> >

> >

> > >I was thinking that because GT's kombucha is caffeine free, this may

> > >be why the cultures it makes are so thin.

> > >

> > >I just brewed a caffeine free batch and I can tell you that the baby

> > >was much much thinner than the caffinated ones I usually make.

> > >

> > >This raises another question...Why is GT's decaff and by what process

> > >does he use to decaffinate? Does he just use decaff tea to start

with?

> > >

> > >For that matter, the 3 different brands of KT we sell where I work

> > >including GT's are all caffeine free. Does anyone know why this is,

> > >and if you can buy store bought KT with caffeine?

> >

> >

> >

> >

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

> > --A.J. Muste

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> > What makes you think GTs is caffeine free? --V

>

>That's what it says on the bottle

I have several of their bottles downstairs and just went and verified what

I'd thought: There is no mention of caffeine on the label.

Does your specifically say " no caffeine " ?

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>You know what? I'm sorry...I just went and checked an empty bottle of

>the " gingeraid " flavored one and I couldn't find " caffeine free " on it

>anywhere!

>

>I swear that I read it on a bottle of KT though, and since we only

>sell three brands where I work, and I checked the one other brand as

>well, I'm thinking that it might be the " Synergy " brand we sell?

>Either that or I'm going crazy. I will check tomorrow.

I checked a Synergy bottle and it doesn't mention caffeine either. I'd

already looked, so I was pretty sure. I also tried to Google to find out,

but I was unable to find any information on USA regulations regarding

caffeine content. Other countries have policies requiring that it be

labeled, but I could not find anything online for the USA. The FDA does

have documents on its website about other countries' policy on labeling

caffeine, but none for USA policy. That doesn't mean it isn't required to

be labeled in the US, but it might not be.

Back to your theory though, we don't know for sure what role caffeine plays

in kombucha. I believe Mike Roussin may have reported that the amount of

caffeine is not much changed after fermentation, but that's the only thing

research may have shown.

Longtime brewers, however, do many times say they think caffeine is a

factor. (Reminder: the caffeine content in finished KT is low.)

If you didn't change anything else, and the temperature has been steady,

you might be onto something. However, drops in barometric pressure or

temperatures can affect the SCOBY formation, as well as could minute

differences in the ingredients used. Or, some actvity in the house might

have inhibited the formation, such as spraying antibacterials in the air.

But, if you can reproduce the phenomenon in a parallel fashion, where you

take a fat SCOBY and brew it with the same ingredients in two identical

vessels at the same time, only the one has decaf tea and the other has

caffeinated, and you get the result again, you can do the trial again, and

again. If you continuously get the same results, that would constitute

strong evidence; although because it would not be a strictly controlled

experiment, it would still not be accepted by the scientific community. It

would, however, be of interest to brewers.

Ideally for this experiment you would have a whole stack of SCOBYs from the

same source, and use them in pairs, so that the SCOBYs are all roughly

similar. If someone did do this experiment, it would be great to take

pictures of your process to document it, which would help people to know

whether the experiment could be believed.

--V

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

--A.J. Muste

[Guest guest]

>

>

> > > What makes you think GTs is caffeine free? --V

> >

> >That's what it says on the bottle

>

> I have several of their bottles downstairs and just went and

verified what

> I'd thought: There is no mention of caffeine on the label.

>

> Does your specifically say " no caffeine " ?

No...now that I looked at it, it doesn't say anything about caffeine.

But about a month ago maybe a little longer I remember seeing it

labeled on what I thought was a GT bottle. I work in a health food

groceiry store, and some of the people there are very consciencious

(sp?) about caffeine, and do not consume any. So it is suprising that

it's not labled on the bottle. All the other teas we sell list

caffeine as an ingredient.

Remembering back to that day, I went to this guy at work who was going

to start a kt business like GT and asked him how there could be " no

caffeine " labeled on the bottle, and he said that during the process

the caffeine is used to " feed " the culture and is used up (like the

sugar). I was suspect then, and I now know this is not true. It just

shows the misconceptions people have about KT.

What is weird is that my friend at work responded the way he did.

The only explenation I can think of that makes sense is that my memory

is false, which is possible.

Less likely is that GT changed the label recently but I doubt it. Does

anyone have an empty GT bottle that is more than a couple months old?

I'm at a loss for an explenation here, but I'm still curious about the

caffeine content.

>

> --V

>

>

>

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

> --A.J. Muste

>