CARING FOR YOUR KOMBUCHA CULTUREIt is important always to bear in mind that your Kombucha culture is a living organism that must be treated with care and respect. The best way to ensure its vitality is to brew one batch straight after the other. When doing this, a good practice is to leave about 300 ml of beverage in the fermenter, it will not require cleaning out for five or six brews, and use this yeasty sediment as a 'starter' for the next batch. Should you need to store it for a while, however, the culture must be kept completely submerged in Kombucha beverage in a closed container. It is preferable to store cultures in a refrigerator, which slows down any microbial activity; otherwise the surrounding liquid will eventually turn to vinegar. If the culture is kept for too long in vinegar it may be adversely affected. All 'offspring' are potential 'mother' cultures, although it can take time for their full potency to be achieved. Usually, the baby cultures can be separated from the parents by simply pulling them apart. Mother cultures have a life span of between 5 and 10 brews after which they should be discarded and replaced by a healthy baby. Experimentation has shown us that a baby culture needs to go through a complete fermentation of its own before it can be classed as an adult. This can be done in company with a mother culture. An easy way to do this is, after separating the two cultures from the first batch (if they require separating) place them in the next batch with the mother culture on the bottom, dark side downward. When this second batch is ready a third culture will have been formed on top of the second. These two can then be used in tandem to produce a further batch. Another method of strengthening a baby culture is to make a 'mini-brew' of around one litre and allow this to ferment for two to three weeks, by which time the liquid will be highly acidic and the culture at full potency. Cultures can be safely stored on top of one another in Kombucha beverage in a sealed container. They should be positioned so that the oldest is on top. Whenever a new culture is added to the stock it should be placed at the bottom of the pile leaving the oldest on top to be used first. Should your stock of cultures become too large for your needs, you can donate them to friends so that they can start to brew, or even use them as 'sponges' in the bath or shower. Giving yourself a rubdown with a Kombucha culture is a very refreshing experience and well worth the effort.
HOW MUCH KOMBUCHA SHOULD I DRINK?There is no hard and fast rule in this regard but a good starting point is to take one dose (one dose equals 100ml) about 15 minutes before breakfast. This stimulates the body and prepares you for the day ahead. If you are generally in good health this will probably be all you need. It is safe, however, to take up to one litre per day should you wish. You should build up to this quantity gradually to avoid 'shocking the system'. As Kombucha helps to strengthen the immune system, sufferers from persistent diseases, including asthma and arthritis, may wish to follow this regime: Take one dose on rising; one dose 15 minutes before lunch; one last dose 15 minutes before going to bed. This will effectively stimulate the body's natural defences and in many cases provide relief or even cure. Taking Kombucha in this manner can also be of benefit to those with high blood pressure. Athletes and sportsmen can benefit greatly from Kombucha. One dose on rising followed by further doses just prior to exertion will help improve stamina and increase vitality. Kombucha can be very successful in aiding weight loss if taken in conjunction with a balanced diet. Try replacing lunch with a glass of Kombucha. You will get all the nutrition you need without the calories. SHOULD ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OCCUR FROM DRINKING KOMBUCHA STOP IMMEDIATELY AND CONSULT YOUR HEALTH PRACTITIONER!
INTRODUCTION |