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**Astrochik**

No conspiracy here...

I just want to know if anyone here brews their own kombucha and I need some advice

Container size/right type to brew it in?

Best tea to use?

Organic cane juice or regular sugar?

Any tips?

I'm thinking of ordering this jar to brew in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anchor-Hocking-8...1e715a935d

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 119514 09-09-2012 01:31 AM

I have been brewing it for years.

I've tried all sorts of organic teas and none work as good as luzianne for me.

White sugar is best. I use half gallon ball jars.

For the second ferment I use honey and fresh ginger slices. I use my old GT kombucha bottles for this. Good stuff.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 112402 09-09-2012 02:30 AM

yUM...:)

**Astrochik**

LoP Guest Wrote:

I have been brewing it for years.

I've tried all sorts of organic teas and none work as good as luzianne for me.

White sugar is best. I use half gallon ball jars.

For the second ferment I use honey and fresh ginger slices. I use my old GT kombucha bottles for this. Good stuff.

what is this "second ferment"?

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 119514 09-09-2012 03:21 AM

Astrochik Wrote:

LoP Guest Wrote:
I have been brewing it for years.

I've tried all sorts of organic teas and none work as good as luzianne for me.

White sugar is best. I use half gallon ball jars.

For the second ferment I use honey and fresh ginger slices. I use my old GT kombucha bottles for this. Good stuff.

what is this "second ferment"?

After your kombucha is finished brewing you can bottle it and add fruit, herbs, etc for flavoring. Leave it out for 2-3 days and you will have a very fizzy, flavored drink.

**Enaid**

Does it become alcoholic?

What is it good for? Digestion?

What does it taste like?

I've never heard of it and am curious.

**Astrochik**

LoP Guest Wrote:

Astrochik Wrote:
LoP Guest Wrote:
I have been brewing it for years.

I've tried all sorts of organic teas and none work as good as luzianne for me.

White sugar is best. I use half gallon ball jars.

For the second ferment I use honey and fresh ginger slices. I use my old GT kombucha bottles for this. Good stuff.

what is this "second ferment"?

After your kombucha is finished brewing you can bottle it and add fruit, herbs, etc for flavoring. Leave it out for 2-3 days and you will have a very fizzy, flavored drink.

that's what I want!

I like it fizzy.

my favorite GT flavor is trilogy - citrus, raspberry, and ginger

**Astrochik**

Enaid Wrote:

Does it become alcoholic?

What is it good for? Digestion?

What does it taste like?

I've never heard of it and am curious.

It's full of healthy enzymes, and tastes delicious - a little sour for some, but I like it

**Astrochik**

Enaid Wrote:

Does it become alcoholic?

What is it good for? Digestion?

What does it taste like?

I've never heard of it and am curious.

http://happyherbalist.com/analysis_of_kombucha.htm

**Enaid**

Thanks.

I wonder if I can buy is at an asian store.
I'll have to go look soon.

I'm curious now.

**A. R. K.**

Healthy living zoological culture for replenishing the Life (Kingdom) in your gut...

Where do you think intuition comes from?

Perhaps all that life going on inside you that is also going on in the soils all around you?

Eat fermented foods like miso, kimchee, kefer, and make your own!

**Astrochik** · (This post was last modified: 09-09-2012 03:51 AM by Astrochik.)

A. R. K. Wrote:

Healthy living zoological culture for replenishing the Life (Kingdom) in your gut...

Where do you think intuition comes from?

Perhaps all that life going on inside you that is also going on in the soils all around you?

Eat fermented foods like miso, kimchee, kefer, and make your own!

http://www.happyherbalist.com/continuous_brewing.htm

**Betty F. Crocker** · (This post was last modified: 09-09-2012 03:57 AM by Betty F. Crocker.)

No conspiracy here...

I just want to know if anyone here brews their own kombucha and I need some advice

Container size/right type to brew it in?

Gallon glass jar (old pickle jar works well). I would not reccommend buying anything fancy for your kombucha - before you know it you're going to have more jars of kombucha and scobies than you know what to do with. So, use recycled glass jars - big ones. Find a source for acquiring more. Old school, indy convenience stores that have big jars of pickles for sale individually will give you the pickle jars for free when they're done with them if you ask. Or, ask on freecycle or craigslist. Do NOT use plastic anything.

Best tea to use?

Regular old black tea (might want to try to find a source not from Japan...), chai tea makes for a nice change, didn't like green tea as much

Organic cane juice or regular sugar?

Regular old sugar (gets digested anyway and is not really present in large amounts in the final product, so don't waster your money on fancy cane juice.) I tried turbinado sugar, but honestly, they like regular old white sugar best.

Any tips?

Yes. Keep everything meticulously clean. Clean everything with boiling hot water and a splash of bleach before starting a batch. And, of course, be sure to rinse the bleach off well.

Get your scoby from a good source and do your best to ensure that it is healthy from the start. If it looks like it's going bad or looking not quite right, live by the rule, "when in doubt, throw it out". (This should not be a problem if you adhere to best practices and do not neglect your scoby).

Do not use metal utensils. I didn't even brew my tea in a metal pot - I used my coffee maker to make a big batch of tea and let it come to room temp before adding the sugar and scoby.

The small of the brew will attract fruit flies. Keep your jar covered, but not with a lid (or your jar will explode as the batch ferments). . The best thing I found for covering the top of my jars and keeping the nasties out was a paper coffee filter secured over the top with a rubber band. Cheap, easy to change out if it gets dirty.

I'm thinking of ordering this jar to brew in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anchor-Hocking-8...1e715a935d

I don't like the fact that that jar mouth is so much more narrow than the middle of the jar. Might be hard to get your scoby out as it grows. If you want to get a fancy brewing jar, invest in one with a wide mouth. But really, one gallon jars are sufficient, unless you're planning on making kombucha for the whole neighborhood. :) (Which, you'll wind up doing anyway one your scobies start multiplying...)

Don't be intimidated - it's pretty easy and fun.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 119514 09-09-2012 04:21 AM

Astrochik Wrote:

that's what I want!

I like it fizzy.

my favorite GT flavor is trilogy - citrus, raspberry, and ginger

Those are my favorites too. I even like the new chia seed flavors.

The secret to getting the most fizz is to add 1/2-1 tsp of honey or sugar when you bottle them.

And they have to a nice warm place to ferment.

Summer is when I have the best brews.

In the winter I use a seed warming mat. This is the one I use.. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MT10006-...ed+warming

I've tried many, many different flavors and always go back to the ginger/honey kombucha. Add a little lemon juice & zest and it tastes similar to GT's citrus.

My other favorite is to add pureed strawberries and lime juice/zest.

You'll have fun creating your own special brews. It's definitely an art. Heartflowers

**shaun1111** · **shaun1111** love User ID: 119647 09-09-2012 04:41 AM **Posts: 1,077**

i brewed my own for a couple years...

strong stuff, my stuff was therapuetic!

use glass containers...

use organic/whole sugar if possible, like sucanat or something...

use organic teas....green/black/etc.

mix it all together in the glass vase and watch it grow, oh keep it in a warm area, 80 degrees or so, i forgot best temps..

lots of love...

when brew is done, pour most of it into glass container, but leave 20% of original brew in with the scoby as that will protect the scoby from ph-imbalance...

oh and keep a cotton cover on it, sealed enough to keep out bugs, but allow air flow.

enjoy