Friday, April 28, 2006 

Bubbly Brew

Most of us kombucha drinkers of there like our brews to be sparkling and bubbly. I've noticed that some of my brews have been more bubbly than others. The yeasts in the brew converts the sugars to bubbles, and the liquid on the very top of the kombucha that has just finished maturing contains the most yeasts and cultures. This is the best liquid for your starter tea.

Take one cup of tea from the very top right after you remove the mother and the baby. Set this tea aside. Stir or strain the rest of the kombucha and take another 1/2 cup and add it to the tea set aside. Use this for your next starter. I recieved this tip saying that it helps to keep your brews from getting flat and too sweet.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 

Exploding Kombucha!!!

Now, I have never heard of this problem before, but then again, I always store my kombucha in the fridge. Apparently some brewers experience the rare case of exploding kombucha. Sounds kind of scary, doesn't it? A lot of kombucha folk store their brew at room temperature after it has finished fermenting. This is because it continues to ferment after it has finished and cooling in the fridge slows down that process.

In warmer climates, the kombucha ferments at a faster rate, and this causes more pressure to build up within stored kombucha bottles. If the pressure isn't released daily, it can lead to disastrously explosive results!

My solution is just what I've been doing all along. Storing my kombucha in the fridge. I've never had a problem with it before. In colder climates when the house is cold, instead of storing my kombucha at room temp to continue brewing, I will just let it brew a bit longer. I prefer my kombucha to be chilled, anyway.

Sunday, April 02, 2006 

The Basics, Baby!

I think it's about time to go over some basic aspects of kombucha. I suppose a good place to start may be what is kombucha and why do people drink it? Kombucha, (pronounced com-boo-cha), is a delicately cultured fermented tea beverage. For centuries, people have been drinking kombucha for its reported health benefits. It is often called a "wonder drink".

Millions of people all over the world drink kombucha for a myriad of reasons. The most popular benefit noted is probably the extra energy and overall sense of good health and well being a person feels after having a glass of this sparkling beverage. Some other benefits reported are healhty skin and hair, improved digestion, mental alertness, appetite and weight control, and the list goes on.

I know for myself, that it makes me feel extremely well balanced. My energy levels are effectually doubled after I have a glass in the morning. It curbs my appetite and I think my skin and hair have that lovely, vital "glow" of good health. I think the benefit that I most enjoy, is the way it affects my mood. Kombucha is essentially an anti-depresant to me. I can think of several instances where I was in a less than chipper mood, and after drinking kombucha, I felt like my whole day was turned around. There are some amazing things this drink can do for people. I suppose everyone just has to try it out for themselves to find out.