THE METHODAs with beer and wine making, there
is no right and wrong way to brew Kombucha. Many books on the subject
contain totally contradictory advice, usually with both being 'correct'.
The methods described below are the ones that work for us. They
are not intended as definitive procedures and may be adapted to
suit your own preferences or conditions.
Optional Equipment
PREPARING THE MEDIUM FOR THE CULTUREThe following recipe is for a brew of 3 litres. The quantities should be adjusted proportionally for other volumes. Ingredients:
Method 1. Pre-heat the teapot and add the loose tea (teabags can be used but are not recommended as they do not normally contain the best quality tea). Pour boiling water onto the tea leaves to about three-quarters full. Allow the tea to infuse for 10 minutes. Add the sugar to the teapot and stir with a stainless steel or polypropylene spoon until it is completely dissolved. Leave to stand for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile calibrate your fermenting vessel by pouring in a measured 3 litres of water and marking the level. Pour the water away. Tip: If you are using one of the self-adhesive thermometer strips, stick this to the side of your fermenter so that the top edge is in line with the water level. Add one litre of boiled and cooled, or filtered, water to the fermenting vessel, pour in the sweet tea through a stainless steel strainer or sieve and top up to 3 litres with more cooled water. Check the temperature of the tea. Do not continue until the temperature is 30°C or below. Too much heat will kill the culture! If the temperature is too high, cover the vessel with your muslin cloth and allow it to cool naturally.
Making sure that your hands are clean put the culture into the cooled tea. You may notice that one side is darker than the other. In this case insert the culture so that the darker side is facing down. Cover with muslin and secure with an elastic band. Place the vessel away from strong smells and contaminants such as tobacco smoke, which can kill the culture. The temperature of the liquid should be maintained as close to 25°C as possible (a thermostatically controlled heater tray is ideal for this purpose). Do not place in direct sunlight, as this is harmful to the Kombucha culture. The wide-necked demijohns from Aurora are supplied in plastic baskets with handles, which adequately exclude light. Usually the culture will float on top of the tea. Occasionally, however, it may sink to the bottom. This is of no consequence as in both cases another culture will form on the surface. Your Kombucha beverage should be ready for bottling within 8 to 10 days providing it has been kept at the correct temperature. Please check the temperature regularly. It should always be between 20°C and 30°C. Never allow the temperature to exceed 30°C! The finished Kombucha beverage should be within the pH range 2.7 to 3.2. If it is allowed to continue downward below 2.7 it will taste very sour, although should this occur your Kombucha is not wasted. You could mix it in the glass with your favourite fruit juice to mask the acidity or, alternatively, you could allow it to fall further until it becomes Kombucha Vinegar, which retains all of the properties of the beverage, making it a healthy alternative to other types of vinegar. If the pH is above 3.2 not enough of the desired organic acids will have been produced. It is very good practice to monitor the pH of your Kombucha whilst it is in the fermenter. Inexpensive and easy to use testing strips in the range 2.8 to 4.6 are available from Aurora. When you are an experienced Kombucha brewer you will know the pH that best suits your palate. You can then bottle at this level every time. When you have determined that the Kombucha is ready for bottling, give your hands a thorough wash and take out the culture. You may be surprised at its weight, which increases dramatically during the brewing process. Occasionally you will have two cultures to remove if the 'mother fungus' remained on the bottom. Place the culture(s) on a clean plate while you conduct the bottling. Although completely harmless, there will often be substances floating in the beverage at this stage. These are usually fragmented pieces of culture, which may grow if carried over into bottles. Filtering the Kombucha prior to bottling is a good idea. Paper coffee or wine filter papers can work, although somewhat slowly. A spiral filter funnel with a re-usable cloth, available from Aurora, is much faster. You simply pour the liquid straight into the bottles through the funnel. Store your bottles of Kombucha in a
cool, dark place for about 5 days after which time they will be
ready to drink. INTRODUCTION |