One of the unexpected side affects of a raw vegan lifestyle was a drink I had never tried. It was included because of the probiotic contents. I liked it and made it a part of our regular meal plans. The only problem was the cost. When I first started drinking it, the cost was about $2.89 for a 16 oz. bottle. Now, it is $3.99. I buy about 5 bottles/wk. Food cost has gone up and the drink cost has made my grocery bill huge. I have wanted to try making my own, but the task seemed daunting. What did I know about brewing? Oh, wait a minute. Maybe some of you are thinking I’m talking about whiskey, wine or the like. Nope. It is kombucha. Kombucha may have an alcohol content. It depends on the brand. I drink GTs Synergy brand. It is raw and the alcohol content is negligible. I have had some that gave me a slight buzz. I don’t remember the brand because I stick to Synergy. Until, now. I read a lot about making my own. I joined groups on Facebook to learn from experienced brewers and could get questions asked rather quickly. I bought a book entitled The Big Book of Kombucha by Crum and LaGory. Finally, I was ready to begin.
Oh, I need a SCOBY or pellicle. This is and starter tea is needed to begin. Hesitantly, I ordered a kit from Amazon. The kit included black tea, sugar, a pellicle aka SCOBY, ph strips, a pipette, a cover and the all important rubber bend. There was enough product to make two batches. NOW, I’m ready.
Of course I couldn’t do it exactly according to instructions. Where is the fun in that. Rather than brewing my tea with boiling water, I chose to make Sun tea. I sat a quart of water with 6 tea bags out on the patio. After that I followed the instructions. Seven days later my brew looked like this. It was growing a new, healthy pellicle.
Fifteen days later it was time for the second fermentation. This is where you add flavor and create carbonation if you desire. I added ground ginger and cayenne to the bottles Three days later I drank my first batch of Home Brew aka my Kombucha.. My grocery bill will be reduced about $20 because I can make my own and flavor it any way I want or not.
"Black Soil" Living 