Hello all I have been making kombucha since 2015 and I kinda feel like now I have sorta mastered it, no not ready to write a book on it but can share with you a bit of how I do it and how much my husband and I enjoy it. So at the bottom I am putting in my recipe and where I originally got the Scoby (Symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) We have been making beer and wine off and on for year since like 2001really it may have been more like 1997 or so I can't really remember. We first learned of this at Wine and Cake Hobbies in Norfolk Virginia. We have been loyal customers since I know like 1988 or 1989 I was going there trying to figure out cake decorating when my oldest son Bruce Jr. was a baby. He is now 31 years old. Wine and Cake Hobbies have been excellent in providing me a place to shop and teach for all my hobby needs over the years. I have bought all my bottles from there and wine making and beer making supplies. Oh and cheese making ingredients. Chris can order you a Scoby from Wine and Cake too. Thanks Wine and Cake!!
This is the Butterfly Pea Scoby which turns the most beautiful purple color, and not to mention taste Yummy! It is made with the butterfly pea flower tea which is a caffeine free tea. The tea possess many antioxidants. Known as Clitoria Ternatea, Asian Pigeon wings and other names like blue pea. Known for brain booster, anti-stress, and calming your nerves. Has many properties for providing many health related issues. Great for stress and anxiety. An amazing herb which could be f=grown around here at least in the summer. It is known for Zone 9. You can buy seeds to grow some right here. You can buy the tea flowers HERE You buy your Scoby with some of the Butterfly Pea Tea at Zenobia's Garden
This is one of the places I have bought excellent healthy Scoby's from and they are amazing they ship fast and everything comes with excellent instructions.
This is another pic of the butterfly pea scoby I always wear gloves with so you don't transfer any germs or oils from your hands
I use some of the half gallon Ball jars and old pickle jars (which I learned something amazing from Tiffany Don't Waste the Crumbs) which you soak the jars full of hot water and Dawn Dish soap and soak turned upside down for several days and I tell you it works!!!! When you dump the soapy water out and wash like normal and dry there is no vinegar pickle smell left behind and you can now use the pickle jars for really anything. I also use the 2 1/2 gallon jars you buy from Target or Walmart which we have had for many years. They used to be $9 bucks at Walmart and I stored a lot of stuff in them like my cookie cutters, flour, and other stuff. We only use purified drinking water and we also use that to make the tea too. We have the stick on thermometers on most of the jars, the ideal temp for kombucha is 75 -85 degrees Farenheight. Which is perfect for fermentation. I have a few of the heating blankets jars from Amazon.See Recipe Below
Bruce usually makes all the tea which I do all the bottling and the second fermentations
This is one of the first batches and where I split the scoby I add different things for the second fermentation like Welche's Grape Juice 100% juice, Dole Pineapple Juice, ginger, apple juice, its endless.
These Grolsch bottles are ready for the second fermentations
These are the grape after the second fermentation. See all the bubbles and fizz
I enjoy at least one a day whether in the car of just working around the farm
This is the pineapple ginger (just grate up a thumb size piece of ginger root) add some to each bottle and add the pineapple usually about a 1/4 cup per bottle and then add the tea allow to sit for several days (all depending on the temps) and once you have the fizz or carbonated part then you have a delicious kombucha or aka at my house as a buch or a buchi
We make a lot every time for all to enjoy
Note the stick on bottle thermometer
a perfect little one gallon jar scoby
another perfect scoby
I cover all the jars with muslin and a rubberband and also a crochet cloth or towel if you have issues with the fruit flies especially in summer and fall just have to make sure those little bugs do not get into your buch as they love that fermented smell and will do anything to get to it. So keep it covered well.
One of the 2 1/2 gallon jars with the large scoby it is best to let your scoby be at last about a 1/4 of an thick
I also add freezer tape to all the bottles and the brewing jars
Kombucha Recipe
12 Cups of Purified Water to start (I use one gallon for each batch)
8 Tea bags of Oolong Tea or Black Tea
1 cup of cane sugar we use the Organic one
2 Cups of kombucha from a previous batch or if you don't have that or it didn't come with your scoby use one cup of white distilled vinegar I always have the kombucha from a previous batch and it is best to buy the scoby with the extra kombucha
We brew the tea in a coffee pot filled with the purified water (you don't want any chlorine in the water so I buy the purified water in the jugs)
once brewed add the organic cane sugar and then pour the rest of the gallon of the water in the tea sugar mix allow to cool to approx. 80 degrees then add your kombucha brew from a previous batch or the white distilled vinegar. Mix in and then place the scoby in. Then cover well it muslin cloth and a rubber band as you don't want any bugs to get into the tea. I cover with crocheted towels too to try to avoid in penetration of the fruit flies. As they love the stuff.
These are from the wine and cake hobbies store bottles and item number
On Valentine's Day I got to make one of my original heart chocolate chip cookies which my family got to enjoy. It was like "old times" I used to make these every year and I still have many of these pans which I will eventually be listing on Ebay as I am going to sell all my cakes pans too. They are all Wilton.
Ledger celebrated his First Valentine's Day .....#adorable
Really mom????
Dusty got him some new Converse shoes we called the Journeys after the Landstown Craft show and picked them up for him, I was glad I made enough to get them as he certainly has enjoyed these new shoes.
Converse last a long time too.....they are one shoe I don't mind spending good money on as Dusty has had a lot of shoes that just don't last no time.
We have also been working on the greenhouse and I should be planting all my seeds within the week.
I'm glad to see these cups filled let me tell you it seems to take forever....but we now have both sides completed
My wonderful neighbor Linda who always thinks of me and is like and angel and when things are tough and I am going thru things more than you can control or sometimes beyond your own control. Linda shows up with bag and hands it to me and wanted to let me know that her Prayer group has been thinking and praying for me and they made me this beautiful prayer shawl. Which brought tears to my eyes and I have been wearing it as much as I can it just makes you feel better. THANK YOU LINDA and THE PRAYER GROUP.......
This is the poem that came with the bag. Again thank you all so much!!!!
This is where we will be next Saturday for another craft show so if you can make it out stop by and see us.
Have a great week,
Dawn Gallop
