Kombucha the Magical Drink

Kombucha is a fermented drink of sweetened black tea. It is produced by fermenting the tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or "SCOBY". It's very close cousins to the mother used to make vinegar. The scoby bacteria and yeast eat most of the sugar in the tea, the finished product is a refreshingly fizzy, slightly sour fermented  beverage that is relatively low in calories.

Why drink Kombucha?

1 — Detoxification
Detoxification produces healthy livers and aides cancer prevention. One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body.

2 — Joint Care
Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis.

3 — Aids Digestion and Gut Health
Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage.

Here are a few articles on the health benefits of kombucha:
http://www.kombu.de/val-gwf.htm
http://www.gaiaresearch.co.za/kombucha.html
http://www.acupuncture.com/herbs/kombucha1.htm

First Brew

You will need:

3 quarts water
1 cup white sugar
5 bags black tea (or 2 tablespoons loose tea)
2 cups starter tea from last batch of kombucha
1 scoby per fermentation jar


Equipment needed to start and have continuos brewing

Stock pot
1-gallon glass jar with spout
2 large mason Jars with plastic lids
Bottles: Six 16-oz glass bottles with plastic lids or swing-top bottles, or clean soda bottles
clean cotton cloth
string
Instructions

Note: Avoid prolonged contact between the kombucha and metal both during and after brewing it can affect the flavor of your kombucha and weaken the scoby over time.

1. Make the Tea Base: Boil water and add tea bags. Remove from heat, remove tea bags, and stir in the sugar. Then allow to reach room temperature.

2. Add brewed tea, started tea, and scabby to glass jar

3. Cover with cloth and tie off with string or large rubber band

4. let brew for 7 to 10 Days: Keep the jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and safe from too much movement. Check the kombucha and the scoby periodically.

Second Brewing -

Pour the fermented kombucha into jars ( always leave a few cups left in your continual brewing, add any juice, herbs, or fruit you may want to use as flavoring, leaving about an inch of head room in each Jar I add 3 Tablespoons of organic sugar to promote more fizz like soda. Add lid and let sit in room temperature for 24hrs. Once 2nd brewing is over you can strain and add to bottles and refrigerate. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation, and then consume your kombucha within a month.


1.Remake the Tea Base to feed the mother: Boil water and add tea bags. Remove from heat, remove tea bags, and stir in the sugar. Then allow to reach room temperature.

2. You can now start doing the second brewing every other day. repeat steps 1 and 2.

To Your Health!!