First, I'm aware that my SCOBY picture is a little scary looking, so I've updated that with a little quick fix. I figured adding a smile to it might make it seem a little friendlier. Trust me, this is what the SCOBY would look like if it had a mouth to smile with:
In regards to preparing the tea:
The goal here is a strong, sweet tea. The sugar is what the SCOBY (Symbiotic Commnunity of Bacteria and Yeast) eats, and the tea provides essential nutrients to help keep the SCOBY healthy.
I've been asked if a sugar substitute is acceptable, such as Splenda. The short answer is no. The sugar is not for you, it's to feed the kombucha. If you want less sugar in your kombucha, then let it age longer; the yeasts will eat and process the sugar, making it less sweet. The yeasts and bacteria need real sugar of some sort in order to eat. Plain white sugar is the easiest for the SCOBY to process, so it ferments fastest and produces a good "clean" flavor. Right now I'm experimenting with honey, which is more complex and therefore produces a more complex flavor and nutrition profile. Later on I want to experiment with agave nectar and other natural sugar sources. I will certainly post my results. If you are just starting out, I recommend starting with white sugar.
My general formula is about 2 cups of sugar per gallon of water.
What kind of tea is best? Green tea, black tea, white tea, or a combination of teas all work fine. Because the different teas have different nutritional profiles, some kombucha brewers recommend a combination of black and green teas. This kind of makes sense in producing a healthy happy SCOBY, but some people use just one kind of tea with no problems.
I use a loose leaf tea, but tea bags work fine. I put a small handful of tea, or about 4-5 teabags per gallon. As in using wine for cooking, I recommend a decent quality "drinkable" tea, but you don't need to go crazy and get something very expensive. This is a situation where Lipton's, Tetley, or PG Tips is perfectly fine. I tend to use a tea called "Madame Butterfly" which I buy from a local coffee and tea place; it has a nice peach flavor to it, is not too expensive, and complements the natural kombucha flavor very well.
Length of time for fermenting varies with temperature and personal preference. After about a week, start sampling your kombucha. I use a clean turkey baster to draw up a small sample. The longer you let your kombucha ferment, the more tart the flavor becomes. I tend to let my kombucha ferment for at least 2 weeks at a stretch.
When the weather is warmer, the kombucha ferments faster. Also there are variations in flavor between a kombucha that is fermented in warmer temps than cooler ones. If I were producing kombucha for commercial purposes, I would want to keep my culture at a constant of about 85 degrees F for consistant flavor. Since I'm producing kombucha for personal consumption I really enjoy how every batch is different.
One other thing I'm doing with my kombucha is "racking" it. I set aside a quart or two of kombucha, put it in sealed bottles or jars and put it in a relatively cool dark place, aging it like wine. I wasn't sure if this would work or if I'd just end up with vinegar. So far the results are promising: The kombucha is becoming more wine-like, drier and pleasant. I've only been doing this for a month and this is an experiment that will take 6 months to a year. I will post later on the success (or lack thereof) of this technique. Kombucha wine? Oh yeah!
No comments:
Post a Comment