Tag: probiotic

Kombucha – The Rant

The internet has become a “collective brain” that has spasmodic episodes when it comes to concepts and things that are rediscovered, uncovered, and moreover, currently in vogue.  Think “gone viral”.  Speaking of viral, the new popularity of Kombucha is growing in leaps and bounds. It has near legendary status as a mysterious “cure-all”.  There is nothing truly magical about this sweet tea that is fermented by a variety of yeasts and “friendly” bacteria.  This soup of helpful (versus harmful) yeast and bacteria are actually good to consume. Once they are consumed, they work in our intestinal system helping rid us of specific toxins, harmful bacteria, and supplying our system with other not-so-well-known benefits.

Scientific studies have shown that not a great amount of vitamins and minerals in the liquid.  Certainly, most of the benefits of tea are in Kombucha tea.  However, as it has been said by people very learned in the art and science of Kombucha, it is not a panacea.  The fermented tea by becoming part of the beneficial flora in your intestinal system helps to strengthen your immune system.  This happens in a natural way.  It cures nothing in particular and assists in your personal health in various ways.

When it comes to diabetes, there is still sugar in Kombucha finished tea.  Yet, the longer it ferments, the less sugar there is, but, there is still sugar.  Taking the 4 ounce intake dosage recommended by the CDC and many other authorities, you won’t be taking in much sugar. Many people drink up to 16 ounces of KT per day.  This amount won’t kill you, but the extra sugar intake could be harmful to type II diabetics.  I suggest moderation.  Besides, there is a point of diminishing returns on putting that much microflora into your system.  Everything in moderation.

The rant that I have is the commercial influx of Kombucha on the market.  Many of the commercially available brands has high sugar quantities.  Many have been pasteurized killing the beneficial bacteria that makes it a “probiotic” drink.  Therefor, it becomes quite simply a “Kombucha Flavored” drink.  This would not be so bad if a bottle were 99 cents.  But, currently, these drinks go for from $2.99 to $3.69 per 16 ounce bottle.  These prices are then compared to the more natural, personally controlled, and just as advantageous to your health homemade Kombucha.  Homemade Kombucha biggest expense is containers.  That is another reason why the commercial offerings are so expensive. The cost of tea and sugar needed for a homemade batch of KT is negligible compared to the cost of commercial offerings.

All in all, some of the commercially available brands of KT are good. GT’s Living Foods are my top pick.  I have no pecuniary interest in this, just making a blog entry.

If you love Kombucha tea, try making your own.  A great place to start is Cultures for Health.

Kombucha – The Beginnings

Raspberry Kombucha
Raspberry Kombucha

While at lunch on day, a coworker had a bottle of Kombucha and I asked her for a small sample.  I loved it.  Honestly, if you don’t like sour, vinegary, tart, slightly fermented flavors, I suggest you discontinue reading this piece.

I like kefir, buttermilk, sour cream, sauerkraut, sour pickles, and other food items that can be made using fermentation.  In all sincerity, most of us know that these foods were once created by natural fermentation are now processed and produced in mass quantities. Food in general is not nearly as healthy as they used to be back in the day.

So, while at Fresh Market, my wife Cat and I picked up a few bottles of commercially prepared kombucha. One was a ginger flavored bottle and the other a cranberry flavored one.  The are especially good when cooled and very effervescent.  Probiotics are all the rage now and kombucha also called “booch” by enthusiasts and are rather easy to make.  There is a little bit of SCOBY at the bottom of most bottles.  A SCOBY is a Symbiotic Culture (or Community) Of Bacteria (beneficial, of course) and Yeast.

SCOBY – Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast

When creating my most recent home brewed beer that I saw kombucha SCOBYs in the local brew supply shop.  They were in a large jar stacked together. It`s called a SCOBY Hotel (no joke). So, I ventured down to the brew shop and asked to purchase one.  I later learned that purchasing a SCOBY of size is only necessary if you wanted quicker gratification in making your own.  You can start your SCOBY from a commercial jar of plain, raw Kombucha, some black tea, non-chlorinated water, and plain white sugar.

The proportions for making 1/2 Gallon of the sweet tea are:

  • 1/2 Gallon Non-Chlorinated Water
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 4-6 Bags of Black or Green Tea (or mix is fine)

I prepared a 1/2 gallon batch of sweetened tea which cooled to room temperature.  I added the SCOBY to the tea which was in a 1/2 gallon pickle jar which I previously cleaned and rinsed in white vinegar.  I did not have any kombucha starter since this was my first batch, so I added about a 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  This is added to make the solution more acidic which inhibits undesired microbial growth.  I then added the SCOBY and a little of the kombucha liquid into the room temperature tea.  I placed a coffee filter over the top of the jar and secured it with a rubber band.  I waited 8 days tasting the tea each day after the 5th day of fermentation.  The kombucha tea can sit and ferment for up to 30 days without any negative effects on the SCOBY.  The longer you allow it to ferment, the stronger the vinegar taste and less sugar.

Ginger Ale on left, Cranberry Apple Kombucha, then Plain Kombucha on the right

Since this was my first brew, I waited only 8 days and bottled it in flip-top bottles. I made one bottle of plain unflavored kombucha and added about 1/2 cup of apple-cranberry juice to the other bottle.  These were 1/2 liter bottles.  I place to wait 1-2 weeks before refrigerating.

Here are the next batches of 1/2 gallon Kombucha brews:

Black and Green Kombucha Tea beginning their transformation