This is the bottles I use ,they are ( I believe ) a Dutch made beer …hubby usually buys a pack of 4 once or twice a year and I save and use the bottles @Yvonne Smith
My Big Book of Kombucha arrived today, so that will be part of my reading material for tonight, and probably information for some time to come. I have been drinking the kombucha that i got from the store, and I am feeling more energy, maybe from all the extra B complex vitamins that are made in kombucha. My first batch is still fermenting, but is not ready to bottle up yet; so I will continue to leave it and enjoy watching it grow the new SCOBY. One thing that I have noticed that I really like about the kombucha is that it does not lose carbonation like a soda pop would do, in fact, it seems to gain more carbonation the longer it sits out, since it is still fermenting in the bottle. It does not go flat overnight, it is still that same delicious , fizzelated flavor the next day !
Have you tested your brew @Yvonne Smith you don’t it to taste like vinegar …..there again it’s cold where you are so it will be slower than warmer climates. That was quick postage of your book.
I have been using the straw method and tasting a little bit each day, @Kate Ellery . It is still a little sweet, so I am going to leave it a little longer before the second ferment. I checked the Tepache and it is fermenting, but still sweet, too, and I think that it is because it is still chilly at night here right now and there is no heat in the kitchen. Here is a screenshot from the book that talks about some of the health benefits of kombucha, for those of you who are following along on this thread and wondering if you should try some kombucha or not.
I followed the directions that came with the SCOBY I purchased on amazon from Poseymom. I think it was a half cup for the half gallon batch; but I would have to check back on her website to be sure. I believe that the colder weather here is just slowing it down. I have the same situation making kefir in the winter also.
I add 1/2 cup sugar to 12 cups of tea ….however I’m not a sweet tooth so a lot depends on how “ tart “ you like your kombucha
A half gallon is two quarts , @Kate Ellery ; so I used a half cup of sugar for 8 cups of tea. I tasted it today, and most of the sugar is gone now and it tastes more like the commercial kombucha. I took some of the kombucha and an apple and blended it and then strained the juice out of the pulp and added the juice into my kombucha, so it now tastes a little bit like apple cider. I put it in bottles and will let it sit out for a few days to carbonate and then refrigerate it. I am also starting my second batch. The gallon container I ordered should be here either today or tomorrow; so the next batch, I can make a whole gallon. I think that I would also like to try the continuous kombucha method. Do you do yours in batches of a gallon or the continuous method , and what do you do to flavor yours ?
Continuous method but when I’m away I just let the scoby sit in the brewed lot till I’m ready to make another lot …..it’s NOT drinkable of course unless you like vinegar but I just stain ……tip any Brew down the sink ……and start again……..WHEN I’m ready …. ( using one of your bottled brews as a starter ) it doesn’t harm the scoby doing that ….it’s tough stuff ……I believe old scobys are good for the garden so if you get excess ( and you will ) bury old ones or any excess ones in your garden . I know someone where I live who just leaves his all winter as I mentioned up here ….then he starts it again in summer ……if you do that it’s essential to top up with extra tea …of course it depends on how long you may be staying away …..or as the man in town dose leave it all winter ….just top up with tea as needed @Yvonne Smith
Have you had a chance to look at your big heavy book you bought @Yvonne Smith I know it’s allot of reading and not really a book you can read in bed ( where I do allot of reading )
Oh, Kate, you will be laughing at me now ! Yes, I started reading it; but it is harder for me to read print books than ebooks where I can adjust the print size, so I went ahead and bought the ebook version also, and have been reading that. When I want to reference something, or use a recipe, it is much easier to find in the print version; so I am sure that i will be using both of them a lot ! And it is really easy to highlight things in various colors with the ebook, so between the two of them, I should be able to handle everything. My gallon jar with the spout for the continuous brew arrived, and I decided to order another SCOBY, rather than wait for mine to grow enough to start another container of kombucha. It should be here around Tuesday, and then I will start a second batch in there. This way, I have the smaller batch going in the half gallon (2 quart) jar, and they should be getting ready at different times. If I am going to drink a bottle each day, I definitely need more than I am making right now.
Why not buy a book you can read on a tablet ….hubby wanted a book about corruption in the AFL ( Australian football league ) so he bought a download version for his iPad since we’ve been away ….I’ve never tried reading books online / versions … @Yvonne Smith yes I know how heavy the ( book) or I would have happily sent you mine .,cause I mainly read stuff online about kombucha and other fermented veggie preserves I tend to do more in summer ….or I like YouTube for the same subjects
Most of the time, I read everything online with the ipad. I have Bookbub.com and bookgorilla.com and get fermenting books information on both of them then Amazon has them either free or on sale cheap. I have most of my online book collection that i got when it was free or 99 cents. Besides fermenting, I have all kinds of health books, as well as books with knitting and crochet, homesteading, gardening, and just about everything else i am interested in.