CARING FOR YOUR KOMBUCHA CULTURE
It 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.
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
THE KOMBUCHA CULTURE
THE BEVERAGE AND ITS BENEFITS
HOW TO BREW KOMBUCHA - INGREDIENTS
HOW TO BREW KOMBUCHA - THE METHOD
PREPARING THE MEDIUM FOR THE CULTURE
CARING FOR YOUR KOMBUCHA CULTURE
HOW MUCH KOMBUCHA SHOULD I DRINK?
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