Thank you so much for all the info you've provided. Someone mentioned this is long winded, but I don't feel that way because I really wanted learn and know everything you shared. So informative!
I'm a late Kombucha bloomer here, but have recently been brewing and fermenting... everything :) Your vids are so clear and creative... It's exciting! Sky's the limit!!! Now let us see that cold room of yours :)
Better late than never. Glad you're enjoying yourself. As for my cold room ... it looks a lot different now but here's what it looked like in 2019. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yz7vrnYwng4.html
I really like your voice and appreciate that you don't have annoying music in your video; I have subscribed because I can not get enough of your knowledge.
Bless you & thank you for such kind words Doug. Happy to hear you're enjoying the content. 😊 Yep, I get it. Personally I find the combination of music & talking far too distracting.
You are a GREAT teacher, thank you for what you do to help others! A question, please. Although I understand that if I start with 1/2 the usual sugar, that sugar will be consumed quicker and therefore "ready" to drink sooner, I'm wondering if it would then be less potent? And if it's NOT less potent, why wouldn't starting with less sugar be the standard recipe? Is there any downside to starting with 1/2 the sugar to reach a finished brew more quickly? Thanks so much!
Hey Levi. Great questions! I don't think kombucha is less potent as a result of less sugar. Furthermore, you can definitely use less sugar with no downside. In fact, using more sugar might not serve to benefit people who desire to consume their kombucha in 7-10 days. The amount of sugar you use comes down to personal lifestyle & habits. I merely offered this particular recipe using more sugar for people like me who either forget their ferments, have too many ferments on the go, or whose lives are so incredibly busy that they need extra time to consume their kombucha before it turns to vinegar.
I pour a little of my water kefir in a container and add a couple drops of dishwashing liquid and catch the fruit flies. Just have to replace once a week now.... Just a helpful idea for you.
Great suggestion Angela, thanks! Will try it but not sure it will 100% work. Have two rooms filled with ongoing ferments. Just like humans, it seems fruit flies like a variety of foods lol!
I've left (forgotten about) the kombucha I was making when I started making milk kefir. So my second ferment kombucha that didn't get refridged have turn into vinegar/alcohol, and they all have formed a scoby. As you suggested, I will be putting all scobys into that first ferment to start a hotel. The question is, will the scoby from the hotel be any good to start a new batch of kombucha? If so, will it require less time to make the new batch? Btw, I think this kombucha vinegar is about three months old. Thank you for sharing your vast of knowledge. ~Ming
Great questions Ming; thanks for asking! What you now have now is the perfect starter for subsequent batches of new kombucha. And yes, if you were to simply add 1-2 cups of sweetened tea to your current starter it will ferment "very" quickly. If you don't want it to ferment so quickly, simply use 1 cup of your starter to a one gallon jar or a quarter cup to a 1 litre jar of newly made kombucha. Btw, I am in the middle of creating a how-to eat & use scoby video that just might appeal to you now that you have a scoby hotel. I'm hoping to have it edited and uploaded by the end of next week.
Thank you for all the great information. I have a couple questions in regards to my Scoby. I have chosen to use herbal tea because I am very sensitive to caffeine. You say that will be alright by the Scoby. However, between my first & second batches I decided to measure my Scoby to see if it would suffer from the lack of caffeine. It did actually shrink 1/2 in diameter and seemed a little thinner. But - I was also thinking that because I am trying to reduce the sugar content as much as possible I left the batch for 14 days, maybe if I do that the Scoby will suffer because it runs out of fuel. Yet you have wonderful looking Scoby's sitting for months. Do you have a theory why my Scoby might be shrinking?
Very informative talk that I found on net infant one of the best and yeah you busted some major myths,I am saving this and thank you for the exemplary work on kambucha
Awesome - thank you so much - I'm just starting on making my own kombucha, and will be trying cold brewing white and green tea and hot brewing oolong and black tea - hopefully I'm not making things too difficult for me, lol
Linda, when you say cold brewing, are you referring to Sun-brewed teas such as leaving loose leaf or tea bags in cold water on the window ledge in the sun to infuse? If yes, the only thing I foresee is that sun-brewed tea will be ready at a different time than your hot brewed tea, meaning you'll be making kombucha on different days. Unless you live an uber hectic lifestyle and unless you're planning on making gallons upon gallons of the stuff, it shouldn't be too difficult a task for you. Wishing you all the best!!
I was planning on cold brewing in the refrigerator over night/day and then brewing the hot tea the next day. I read, (seriouseats.com - "The Tea Lover's Way to Make the Best Cold Brew Iced Tea"), that cold brewing green or white tea in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours works well
I am glad you have this video Judith. I have some very very old kombucha tea with ginger stored in my refrigerator. It's about three bottles. I had forgotten about it and so it's been there about a year and a half. So the mixture has become very potent unbearable to drink and thought about throwing it out but now I have this video to point out how beneficial even that strong kombucha can be to the stomach. So I will proceed to use it to help with digestion by diluting it first so I can at least tolerate swallowing it. Thank you for your videos.
You can also use it as a starter to make another new batch of fresh kombucha Linda! Simply make more sweet tea, cool it down, add it to about 1-3 cups of starter and voila - an entire new batch on the go for when you're done consuming those other 3 bottles!
Wow this is one of the best videos I’ve seen. I really do get so much guidance from your videos. I’m home sick today watching a lot of them I look forward to getting my kombucha. It’s interesting that I’m sick after starting kefir milk and fermented veggies. I wonder if I’m detoxing or what but I’m wiped out...
I am so sorry Alisha; I am only just now seeing this message. Bless you and thank you. I'm so happy to hear the videos are helpful. Not uncommon to experience feeling wiped out after consuming fermented foods/drinks. Fermentation changes the vibration of foods, it increases the vibration, which can have an immediate and powerful effect on the body. Too, at a purely physiological level, it changes the microbiome of your gut, which can also have an immediate and powerful effect. Try scaling back on the amount you consume by half. If you still feel wiped, scale back by half again. Eventually you'll find the amount that works for you for now. Once your energy & microbiome adjust, you can slowly increase. Experiencing cold & flu like symptoms can be a symptom of detox as well as bad gut flora die-off.
Thank you so much.. I just use that for kombcha tea's. I also have apples brewing in the cubbard that will be one month feb. 18th is that long enough to for a scoby if so what can I do with that scoby. Bless you for all your help
Temperature has a lot to do with how long it takes for a scoby to form. Indoor temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees should be sufficiently warm enough to create a scoby. Of course it also depends on how much sugar you added to your apples. As for what to do with all those scobies ... I'll be creating and uploading a video within the next two weeks showing you exactly how to transform all your scobies into edible & delicious probiotic snacks; stay tuned!! Btw, don't toss those apples as I'll show you how to make edible probiotic snacks using those too!
I am very excited about trying my hand at kombucha but I cannot find a starter. Is there a commercial kombucha that can be used? I have acv and pomegranate scobies. Will they work?
Thank you. this was very informative. can you do a segment of medicinal teas. Im not sure of difference in teas that are medicinal and just floral, dried fruit teas.
Glad you found the information helpful Laura. If there's anything else you need help with regarding fermenting please just ask, especially if you are fermenting for health reasons. I have lots of helpful tips.
Hi Judith, I made Kefir water and drank a cup yesterday. Had bad cramps and diarrhea. Would this be the kefir do you think. Also have just started with fermenting vegetables. How do I know how much to consume. Will this help me lose weight also. Really need to lose. Thank you for all you do.
If you are very new to fermented foods & beverages, cramping, bloating & diarrhea can definitely be the end result. That's why it's so essential to start off uber slow and with really small portions. For example, best to start with 2-4 oz of water kefir or 1 Tablespoon of fermented veggies and increase slowly every 4-7 days. As for weight loss, eating fermented foods can help but you also need to reduce your overall consumption of food & beverages AND increase daily rest & physical activity. For long term success, aim for a lifestyle as opposed to one particular diet.
Thank you so much for this video. U have helped me to overcome my fears making Kombucha! I have a couple Questions: how do you pour the finished Kombucha into a glass and the big bottle? Will a plastic canning jar insert leach plastic into the Kombucha? Or is it safe? And can you give large breed dogs the Scoby and if so how much, and should it be dehydrated first? Thank you so much. I feel you were a Blessing sent for me to find you on here! 🙌💖💗🙏
That's wonderful! Nothing worse than being held back by fear. I typically pour my kombucha straight from my one gallon jars into an eight cup glass pyrex mixing bowl. I use my bare clean hands to hold the scoby from slipping into the pyrex bowl. Once the pyrex bowl is full of kombucha, I transfer it into 1L glass pouring jars. Unfortunately, yes, chemicals from plastic leach into kombucha. The longer kombucha sits in plastic, the more chemicals leach into it. That’s pretty much true of most ferments. If your dog will eat a scoby, by all means give it a very small portion to start and then wait 48-72 hours before giving it more. This will give your dog’s body time to respond to what has been ingested. No need to dehydrate. If your dog will eat the scoby as is, great. If not, the best way to feed it to your dog is to toss a small piece of scoby into a blender and then mix the scoby mush into its wet food. Start with about 1 Tablespoon and with each passing week, increase by 1 tsp. No need to feed it to your dog every day; even 2-3 times a week is sufficient.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork Thank you Judy for your prompt reply. I will do that. I started a 16 oz jar of Kombucha yest night, just to get my feet wet. I used black tea, 1 tsp organic cane sugar, artesian water and about 1/2 c of an older unopened jar of store bought organic kombucha thar is plain flavored. I have it in a dark, 65/66 degree room with 2 coffee filters inverted& 2 tight rubber bands around it with an inch head room like u said. Today I looked & saw lil bubbles around the top circumference of jar. I got excited :) i am hoping I get a scoby starting to form soon. You are a great Teacher and so helpful & supportive! I really like the positive energy that emanates from you! Want you to know that you brought courage back to me! Bless you. 🌷🌻🌼💖🙌
Where have you been all my life? I can’t believe I am just finding you. I made kombucha from store bought kombucha. I could only find flavored. I am sad to say that after 9 days I threw it away but it did form a thin SCOBY. Live and learn. I won’t do that again. I kept a little of the liquid and added a tablespoon of distilled vinegar to this batch. Thank you for all your information. Will certainly be following you.
Would you comment on how you keep your Kombucha warm in the winter. Living in a cold climate in the winter I use a heat mat. Do you use a heat mat or a heating belt around the middle of the jar ?
Hi Laura! I too live in a cold winter environment. Thankfully, my home, which is approximately 80-100 years old, has hot water heaters, which diffuse a gentle warmth much like a heating belt. That's all I need to keep them warm & constantly brewing.
I love old houses too, miss the old metal water heaters. Currently I am living in a new house, but my passion for fermenting everything grows . Last year my belt heating element fried my kombucha and scoby. It got too hot. Looking around for a new heating element . I am a fan of continous brew. Have used the heat mats before, they are not as efficient but they are reliable. Any information would be helpful. Thank you
Fried kombucha and scoby - yikes!! While you're on the search for a new heating mat, here's a couple tricks that have worked for me over the years: 1. Wrap your kombucha jars in an extra-thick bath towel securing them in place with extra large elastics and shoe laces. Place them inside an opened cardboard box or an opened hot/cold food bag in the warmest room in your house. The towels, bags & boxes act as natural insulation. 2. Wrap dark colored light-weight tea towels around your kombucha jars and place them on your window sill for an hour each day during winter months to soak in the warmth of the sun. Of course it needs to be a window where the sun shines through.
I too live in a cold climate and have started using old school mini Christmas 🎄 lights (not led) wrapped around my vessels,as they give off a decent amount of heat. I have to monitor it thru out the day and try to keep it at 70-80 degrees. It has cut my brew time in half,from a month to 2 weeks! And I like it vinegary. Then usually a 4 day flavoring ferment at room temps,then strained and sealed in grolsh bottles for a minimum of 4 more days at room temps.
Doesn't matter. Scobies are formed due to bacteria & yeast consuming sugar, not caffeine. Interchanging your scoby from caffeine to decaf will not in any way affect your scoby.
is here a balance that would heal/dissolve a fibroid naturally? I am trying a combo of ferments - WK, Jun, MK and I wonder if you have had any experience/feedback with fibroids?
My knowledge of fibroids is this: fermented cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage help reduce fibroids, as does regular physical activity, the elimination of caffeine & alcohol, and extended water fasts upwards to 72 hours. Will WK, MK & Jun help you? Intuitively I'm getting a yes. In the coming weeks I'll be creating a free shamanic reiki video series for the Sacral that might aid you in this healing process.
OK, I just came across your video and I love your video, But I am confused I am a really bad Diabetic I'm overweight and I take lots and lots of medication. So my question is do I let the Kombucha tea set a long time or do I drank it sooner? Thank you!
Before I answer your question Pamela, I have a couple questions of my own. Firstly, with what type of tea/herb are you making kombucha? I ask because if you are making it with green or black tea, please know that if you consume kombucha (or any other caffeinated food/drink) within 1-2 hours of taking your medication, the molecules of your medication will attach to the caffeine molecules and will be excreted from your body. When this happens, it's like your body isn't taking its meds at all. To avoid this from happening, consume kombucha 1-2 hours before or after taking medications. Or, to be safe, only make kombucha using white tea. That said, however, the following herbs are reported to be highly beneficial to types I & II: bitter melon tea, goldenseal tea, Panax ginseng root tea, American ginseng root tea, milk thistle leaves/seeds, alfalfa, dandelion leaves/roots tea, burdock root/leaves, artichoke root tea, parsley leaves, and chicory root. Again, check with your pharmacist to ensure there are no contraindications with these herbs BEFORE you use them. Secondly, have you checked with your pharmacist to ensure the tea/herbs you are using to make kombucha do not cause contraindications with your medication? If not, please do so! Okay, my questions aside, now to answer your question. Because you are diabetic, and to consume the absolute least amount of sugar, let your kombucha ferment much longer, ideally between 21-30 days at a consistent 68-71 degrees celsius or 154-159 degrees fahrenheit. The taste will not be as sweet. In fact, it will be tart and vinegary like. If you want the benefits of kombucha but don't like the tart-vinegary taste, AFTER 21-30 days, pour yourself a glass of the finished kombucha and add a little xylitol to each glass you consume - DO NOT USE XYLITOL IN PLACE OF SUGAR FOR THE ORIGINAL FERMENT, only to each glass you pour and are about to drink - clear as rain? Also, please make sure you check with your pharmacist to ensure xylitol is safe for you to consume with your meds. If you don't yet know what xylitol is, it's a natural no-sugar sugar that is derived from either corn or birch bark trees. You can find it in most organic and regular grocery stores; however, it may be labeled as Xyla. The reason I like xylitol is because it is safe for most diabetics because it stabilizes insulin. Too, it doesn't have the aftertaste of stevia or harmful side effects as artificial sweeteners. That said, however, it may cause side effects in some people such as diarrhea so even if your pharmacist tells you it's safe to consume with your meds, and if you've never consumed it before, introduce it slowly in small amounts so you can see how your body reacts. Better to be safe than sorry. If you're not able to consume xylitol you'll have to find some other no-sugar natural or artificial sweetener to sweeten each glass. Yet again, double check with your pharmacist to ensure whatever you take is safe for you to take due to your meds. If you have any more questions, are still confused, or are uncertain about anything I've just said, please don't hesitate to ask!
WOW, I didn't know Caffeine messed with my meds, I drink coffee all day and night! Strong coffee too! Thank you-you answered my questions and more! I will talk to my Pharmacist! I drink lots of soda also so I was wanting to get off the soda really badly so I was wanting to try the Kefir.
I'm so sorry to hear that your family doctor didn't tell you about the caffeine/medication connection. Alas, I'm finding more & more doctors don't. Sad too because it makes me wonder how many people's health deteriorates so unnecessarily from this simply lack of knowledge. And yes, soda is loaded with caffeine too! Yet clearly your intuition is strong and accurate. You can rely on it because it's right; kefir & kombucha will definitely provide you with flavor that plain water does not and the probiotics will help your gut/brain and liver/spleen connections and curb those sugar cravings. So glad you reached out and that I was able to help! Many blessings to you on your recovery to optimal health. Am always here if you have any other questions or concerns. Much love to you!
Thank you so much! I have been drinking water not coffee or soda this evening! you may have just prolonged my life just a little! Yeah, its sad doctors don't spend enough time with there patients at all. I had a real good doctor for 25 plus years, he new me very well! I have HBP, Diabetes,Heart problems, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and IBSD.Oh and I'm a heavy smoker! I'm just so glad I found you it's so strange how I read your message and I just stopped and started drinking water! I have tried and tried and just didn't care about me anymore! I do know its really hard to eat right when a person don't have the income to do so! I do try tho but its hard for me when I have so many health problems I don't know what to eat! Thanks again so much!
Sometimes we need to know that others care for us as a reminder that we're worthy of being cared for and for caring for ourselves. Sending you lots of love on your journey to optimal health.
Perfect description of those dang fruit flies! They are the bane of my existence. I wish the canning companies like Mason and Bell would invent a lid that has such a fine mesh it can let air in but keep the fruit flies out. I doubt if the ones created for sprouting seeds are fine enough.
Thanks for the explanation! So we can use non caffeinated tea like camomile to make kombucha without hurting the scoby? As some of them mention that using non caffeinated tea will cause the scoby to be unhealthy and mold will grow on them. And it is fine to use a starter tea made of non caffeinated tea.
Yes you can most assuredly use non-caffeinated herbal teas. Mold is the result of bad bacteria proliferating a jar which has nothing to do with caffeine. Btw, the funniest moment I've ever experienced is when a man stood in my kitchen staring at my 24 X 1 gallon jars of non-caffeinated kombucha each jar with contained upwards to 4-inches of healthy scoby and adamantly declared you could NOT make kombucha without caffeine and that non-caffeinated herbs caused the scoby to mold.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork thank you so much for clearing my doubts. And in glad I came across your channel. I actually throw out quite a few good things you mentioned in th video. Thanks!
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork hi, one more question. You might that not to mix medicinal kombucha together if possible, does it mean that the scoby used to brew ginger kombucha should not be used to brew dandelion kombucha?
Hey Tony! Yes. I make a first ferment with ginseng tea; actually, I only do a first ferment with ginseng tea though I'm sure you could do a second ferment as well. As for carbon dioxide, sometimes I use a grolsch bottle and sometimes I don't. It all depends on whether I want fizz or not.
Thanks Tony! Science reveals that caffeine contains a larger molecule than ginseng, which means if you make ginseng kombucha with a caffeinated tea the medicinal properties of the ginseng attach to the larger molecule of the caffeine which is then excreted through your urine before it has a chance to do its good in your body. So if you're making ginseng kombucha for it's medicinal properties you want to make it with a non-caffeinated flavorless tea such as white tea. That said, if you're making ginseng tea for no other reason than, 'just because' then go ahead and use caffeinated tea. Make sense?
Ok thank you, so i heard you mention it doesn't matter if we use organic teas because its being fermented. & in regards to filtered water, would it really matter if its filtered water?
Love your questions Tony! So here's the low-down on water: 1. Most towns & cities add fluoride to their drinking water not to mention all the fluoride that gets dumped into our water systems every year from dentist's offices that cannot be removed during regular water filtration. Flouride calcifies the pineal gland and messes with your hormones. When the delicate balance of your hormones becomes disturbed you become vulnerable & susceptible to all sorts of illness & disease. So if optimal health is something you're after, steer clear from town & city waters. 2. Alkaline water does not contain sufficient bacteria for fermentation. Too when using to make water kefir, again due to insufficient bacteria, it can kill your water kefir grains. 3. Most reverse osmosis and distilled waters originate from town & city waters and as I mentioned in #1 above, flouride does not get removed during filtration. For these reasons, the best water to drink, cook with, and use in any fermentation process are spring water and well water.
This is entirely new to me. No one ever said to me to put anything other than the scoby and water. Who knew about putting actual tea in the jar with the kambucha? I always drank it straight.. Lol
was thinking about the same thing but then since we're talking yeasts and bacterias, I can only assume it's fairly similar to sourdough starter. Say, it's nice to get a starter from someone, but you can make your own pretty easily. With this scoby it probably is a bit more complicated ( or not, maybe it's just the propaganda around it) but there obviously has to be a way because everything does ferment if conditions are proper. Also everyone says it's been around for "tousands of years".. well white cane sugar is a very recent addition to our food dictionary so the chinese were fermenting tea very successfully without this mania of "everything has to be perfect" we see just about everywhere these days :D )))
It isn't quite like sour dough, the Kombucha starter is felt to come from the East. Some say China others say Japan.The easiest way to get a starter is to buy a bottle of unflavored unpasteurized commercial kumbucha like GT. Poor the bottle in a wide mouth jar, cover with a cloth or coffee filter, I use a for of a pantyhose. Let sit on the counter for a few weeks to get sour. You will see a thin pellica form
I just subscribed to your channel a few days ago and I am just happy how you explain things. Like you are just next to me. I will be making my own kombucha and your video explains it so well. Thank you so much!
Hey Shirley. I'm receiving the information that you've been fermenting your kombucha for about 10-11 days; is that true? If yes, it currently contains about 7-10 grams of sugar per serving (a serving being 4 ounces). When I tuned into your body it told me it needs 28 net grams of carbs for it to be in a state of ketosis. Therefore, depending on what other foods & beverages you consume and how much kombucha you want to drink each day, and in accordance to the information I've received about the 'average' temperature of your home, these are your options: For 3-5 grams of sugar per serving, ferment 7 more days then remove the majority of it and refrigerate while reserving at least 2 cups to make a new batch. For 1-3 grams of sugar per serving, ferment 13 more days then remove the majority of it and refrigerate while reserving at least 2 cups to make a new batch. . For 0-1 grams of sugar per serving, ferment 16 more days then remove the majority of it and refrigerate while reserving at least 2 cups to make a new batch. Anything beyond 16 days will yield 0 sugar and will taste more like vinegar though it will still contain probiotics for at least another 10 days. After 16 days it will be vinegar and will be more of a digestive aid than a probiotic drink. Hope this helps!
The Vegan Vegetarian Foodie Network ...you are so incredibly easy to understand what seems difficult. ..I've been so intreaged by your vidios...ty...I am trying to be optimal performance /health...I will follow your vidios for more inspiration. ..keep smilen xoxo
strangely, walmart seems to have the best deals if you're searching for pre-bottled water. where I live you can buy 4 liters of 'great value' spring water for less than $2.
Actually I do. Furthermore, I will be creating a video on Jun tea later next month. Any chance that's something you are familiar with or would like to learn about?
Interesting question. Sadly I don't have a definite answer. Did you know nitrogen is an important part of human health; the air you breathe is around 78 percent nitrogen. Alas we cannot absorb nitrogen in its gaseous form; it gets immediately exhaled. As a side note ... excess nitrogen is excreted from the body. When cells use protein, the waste product is urea, which is almost half nitrogen. It travels through the bloodstream, and the urea gets filtered out in the kidneys and mixed with water to produce urine. Ditto for most animals. The ammonia and urea in urine then become a valuable fertilizer for plants because of its high nitrogen compound content. Some nitrogen is lost in the shedding of hair, nails and skin as well. Do you have a specific health concern that requires you to consume low amounts of nitrogen?
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork Nitrogen is a good thing, I know. Is it not the challenge to have a proper ratio (balance) for the environment applied? Each of us has different environments in our body that may require some tweaking. As far as the garden goes having too much nitrogen has some kind of correlation with aphids throwing things out of wack. For the most part, I am good at the idea of using processed sugar as I do so in moderation for me. My favorite recipe is the JUN kombucha recipe :) You do great work, keep it up :) and Thank YOU :)
@@unoken1 Good point. True, but unless one gets blood work to test for excess nitrogen or unless you are a medical intuitive, how do you know for sure? Health symptoms aren't overly reliable, as so many health issues often have similar symptoms. Maybe that's why it's common to say, "everything in moderation". Jun ... yummy!
Very nice video with lots of valuable information - thank you! As far as I know and according to latest analyses white tea has even more caffeine than black or green tea but the body's reaction to it is much milder. But according to studies and the information of professional kombucha brewers the caffeine gets mostly converted during the fermentation process. That may be the reason why I don't react as sensitive to kombucha as I react to caffeinated coffee or teas.
Thanks sahajasthithi. Unfortunately I'm out on a limb on this one. Granted, while much of the information on the internet is distracting, comforting, agitating, shocking, entertaining, and awakening, something I've discovered while doing research for a wide variety of articles that I myself have written in past; while many online writers source their material most are not investigative and don't check facts or have access to Independent scientific studies/reports/articles. Consequently, much of what they produce is a watered down, slanted, or adulterated copy of someone else's partially true, rumored, perceived yet not proven, or completely erroneous information. That said, I can confirm there must be some truth to what you've learned and shared because my own reaction to caffeine in kombucha is highly dependent on how long/short the kombucha ferments; a shorter ferment contains more caffeine while a longer ferment contains less; apart from less sugar longer brews and less caffeine is yet another excellent reason for brewing for a minimum of 21 days before consuming. So while I'd like to believe everything I hear and read, due to years of work experience in writing, journalism, advertising, marketing, sales, public relations & research, you'll have to forgive my skepticism about most things, but also about the caffeine levels in kombucha. Something I've learned is that advertising, marketing & sales are highly depended on studies proving something true, even if the actual results are exaggerated, false, or only partially true. Do you remember DDT? According to US government funded studies, it was proven 100% safe for humans ... until an Independent study proved otherwise. That said, there are many Independent studies, which, while funded by someone or something, are not funded to produce a specific outcome. Instead, they are funded to experiment, analyze, and provide whatever information their research uncovers, regardless of outcome. Some of today's most beneficial medicines were the result of this type of unbiased funding. Personally speaking, it is the information produced by Independent studies that I find most valuable and truthful.
21 days seems like a very long time to ferment kombucha, my kombucha turns really sour after only 10 days, and that’s only using ¾ Cup sugar per gallon. Also, Kombucha vinegar is great just like apple cider vinegar but you shouldn’t consume it like its kombucha, dilute it as you would apple cider vinegar which you wouldn’t normally drink in large amounts as is.
I finished the video today. Excellent job as always , I have 2 questions , 1- I use silicone spoons when it comes to honey and kombucha , is it okay ? I have several scobies but as I learned from your video they don t matter as much as the actually bacteria that converts sugary juice into beneficial drink. I m planning to give some and get rid of the rest :D 2- What are your ideal ratios ? . The shop's recipe which I bought from is 3 liter water , 1 and 1/2 cup sugar , and half of the starter and scoby they sent . I used linden tea leaves , est 1 grab of a hand . From your video I realize sugar is too much in that recipe. I will really appreciate if you can share an ideal recipe including starter's amount . Next I m gonna watch your fermented Coffee video and the rest of them .
Thanks! Silicone is perfect!! Btw, another suggestion for your scobies; sell them or if you live on a farm, feed them to your pigs & chickens; they make perfect probiotic livestock food and can produce double yolks in chicken eggs! Without knowing where you live, they sell here for in Canada anywhere from $5 to $25 per scoby! 3 L = 1 gallon. Providing you have a 1 gallon jar reserve 1 c of starter. Combine 1 c sugar with 1/4 c loose leaves or 8 tea bags and 10-12 cups of hot water. Steep 5-10 minutes then remove tea. Stir to ensure all sugar is dissolved and leave to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to your jar and pour in your 1 cup of starter. No need to stir. Cover with lid or upside down coffee filter secured with elastic and leave in a warm spot out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks. This will ensure much of the sugar is fermented out. After 2-3 weeks, reserve one cup to use as starter for your next batch and refrigerate the rest if you like it the way it is. Refrigeration will slow down the fermentation process. Otherwise you can leave it as is and pour out however much you wish to drink each day into a glass or separate jar. Just know the longer it sits at room temperature the more vinegary it will become. Usually by 30 days it's almost straight vinegar, which you can drink as is or use in salad dressings and other recipes that call for vinegar. You can even use kombucha vinegar to clean glass, stainless steel & some floors. It also makes for a wonderful skin tonic and fabric softener. Too, you can dilute 1/2 cup kombucha vinegar in 12 cups water and use it as a mild fertilizer to water your plants. Something to keep in mind if you get too much on the go. Happy fermenting and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!
I know this is probably a sacrilegious question but don't block me! I was wondering if you ran out of tea bags or were in a hurry could you use something like lipton's instant tea to keep your batch going until you got to the store to buy more bags?
OMG yours is the first message I read today; what a great way to start the day. I am truly laughing so much it hurts lol! Thank you!! Personally I've never used instant tea and so can't intelligently speak about how well the outcome will be; however, intuitively I get a resounding yes! Just remember that some of those instant teas already contain sugar so you may want to adjust how much sugar you add. Let me know how it turns out, as I suspect it'll be just fine.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork I'm glad if I gave you a good laugh. That repays you for the good laugh I got out of the fried fruit-fly pieces, haha! I was almost afraid to ask the question. I tried Googling it and there was absolutely nothing to indicate if instant tea might work. I think for the sake of experimentation I might just separate a piece of the scoby and start a new batch using that just out of curiosity. I'll let you know.
Oh no! I have been grabbing kombucha from the store and chugging them down with this 90 plus degree weather! And yes i have been peeing too! I was going to go to the doctor! Thank you for sharing! Im 70 and my bladder has been very irritable. Is there a calming kombucha?
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork thanks, good to know as I'm a big fan of tea but pretty sensitive to caffeine/theïne. I usually stick to herbal teas because of this.
Yes you can. Keeping in mind that a scoby is a symbiotic culture of bacteria & yeast that requires tannins and sugar as a food source, if you were to make a cup of tea, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and leave it in a glass jar on your counter for 1-4 months, a paper thin whitish-colored film will form. That is a scoby. Not exactly comparable to what you see in this video, but a scoby nonetheless.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork I'm not very familiar with Kombucha, but I'm assuming that the culture of bacteria and yeast would be similar to a sourdough starter? You can start it with just the raw ingredients of flour and water (or in the case of Kombucha, tea and sugar) it would just take much longer than if you got some starter from a bakery, or a friend with some (or with Kombucha, starting with some you got from a friend or non pasteurized store bought product)? Another question is, would "sun tea" be a problem with making Kombucha?
@@donaldrouze1851 if anything, sun tea is likely a good way to MAKE kombucha, bc setting it outside exposes it to more environmental bacteria and yeasts. However, you never know whether you'll get the good kind or a kind that'll make you sick. But, it's worth at least trying, I'm sure. Just be smart and safe and practical. Sterilize everything by boiling, first. Use a glass jar, if possible, and cover with a clean, thick cloth. Or at least clean cheesecloth. Amd make sure it doesn't get too hot, bc that'll kill the bacteria and yeasts. You'll wanna keep it well below boiling, for example.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork im not sure 1-4 months is necessarily a good idea, but then again, you are starting from scratch, and I've never made any kombucha, but seems kinda long to me, regardless. I've seen up to a month, but beyond that, it starts overfermentimg into basically straight vinegar, and beyond that, will eventually just break down to nothing.
Is it possible to make kombucha without scoby or starter? Yes, I think it just might be possible. In fact, I would assume a long, long time ago, someone made a batch of sweet tea and left it out at room temperature for a very long time (probably because they forgot all about it) and returned to find a thick layer of jelly-like substance floating on the top. And when they removed that jelly-like substance to sample the tea, discovered it had soured slightly. Hence "maybe/possibly" how kombucha was first discovered. Exactly how long that process took, I don't know. Feel free to find out if you have some spare time. In the meantime, I find it's pretty quick to make kombucha with either a starter or a scoby. That said, a starter works faster than a scoby.
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork Thank you for the reply. Later, I did a scoby. I was ordering a Mason Top Ferenting kit and noticed that they were selling scoby. :)
You can remove it at any time. That said, however, it's not necessary to get rid of the scoby. The worst that will happen if you keep it in your jar of brewing kombucha is that over time it will grow so thick that your jar will be mostly scoby and just a little bit of kombucha. And while you don't need a scoby to make kombucha, if for some reason you run out of starter, you can always use your scoby to help make a new batch of starter, though it takes much longer than if you had starter. Btw, if you do remove it, put all your scoby's in a jar (called a scoby hotel) for future use or slice them thin, season with your favorite fruit juice or spices, and dehydrate into a probiotic jerky.
The Intuitive Body Foodie Network thanks for your clear answer, now I understand the process. Your channel is so informatie, specially the fermetation vids, a bacteria’s life is so interesting and all they produce foodwise is so beneficial for us. Thanks for explaining it all so well
Not all body's can consume large amounts of fermented foods & beverages. Each body is unique and requires very specific doses of this and that for optimal health. For example, my husband's body only requires 1/4 cup of fermented foods for optimal health each day. My body, on the other hand, requires 90% of my diet to be fermented foods & beverages. When I asked your body, it told me it would benefit from 80% of your dietary intake to be fermented foods & beverages. So as you can see, each body truly does have it's own formula for health.
If you are simply making kombucha to enjoy its flavor while reaping the benefits of probiotics, yes. You can use any kombucha starter as the foundation of creating a different type of kombucha.
Sorry but you lost me ... GT? What is that? Kombucha typically doesn't bubble upon first ferment. However, if you transfer some of the finished first ferment to a Groschl bottle, it most likely will.
Because kombucha and water kefir contain different strains of probiotics both are wonderful probiotic drinks to consume. As for which one tastes better, that is a personal preference. Because I like the taste of both and because I want to ingest multiple cross strains of probiotics, I drink both every day.
You asked for criticism, so here it is LOL! Please try to refrain from (or edit it) swearing in videos, so that it's young child friendly content? The children can learn so much from your vids. Thank you. Other than that, this was such a great video, thank you! There's so much info here! I'll have to save the vid and watch again! I'm subbing and looking forward to more great info and I'll be going through past vids of yours. Thank you thank you! BTW, have you tried fermenting with honey instead of sugar? No I'm not talking jun, just using honey in general? Would the beneficial bacteria in honey still be active? Is there a benefit to honey over sugar? I know it's more expensive but we produce our own honey. I would just like to not support the sugar industry and support the bees instead. Should I get organic honey instead? (mine is not). I have watched a video about making kombucha with honey and know it works fine, but she didn't go into detail about the bacteria, etc. So I was wondering if you know that info? Thank you very much! ❤
Thank you Wayne & Jessica! I'm delighted to hear you are benefiting from the information. :-) Btw, yes, I will most definitely refrain from swearing. It's just a habit, and habits can be changed. ;-) I do ferment honey with other foods & beverages, but I don't fermented honey on it's own for the simple fact that it turns into an alcoholic beverage and I don't drink alcohol because my body cannot tolerate it. That said, however, if you do consume alcohol and are still interested in learning how to ferment it, simply google, "how to make mead". Personally I only ever use organic raw honey due to all its wonderful health benefits. Same for bee pollen; it has to be organic. Of course there's is a huge controversy over what constitutes organic in North America, so even then it's wise to know the bee keeping practices of the bee keepers from whose honey you consume. Too, even organic honey isn't 100% pure because how do you control where a bee receives its pollen unless you live in a country where it's truly 100% pure organic and nobody sprays. But those are just my thoughts & opinions. Best to learn what organic really entails for yourself before deciding. OM gosh, yes! The benefits of honey over sugar are exponential!! Here's a couple sites that contain priceless info on honey, both raw and not raw. This first article also talks more about the various strains of bacteria in honey (in the Microbes in Honey section), which I think you'll find beneficial. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2269714/ draxe.com/the-many-health-benefits-of-raw-honey/ www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-honey#section3
Although some plastics do not contain BPA, ALL plastics contains a wide variety of other toxic chemicals. When you ferment or store fermented foods/beverages in plastic, the chemicals leach into the food/beverage. You then ingest those chemical toxins.
I guess I didn't screw up by saving my apple cider vinegar scabies all together and using them to start a new kombucha! So many videos tell you they're not the same as kombucha scobies, but yes they are. The liquid is a great starter, too
Never tried white vinegar myself but can't see why it wouldn't work as kombucha starter is essentially vinegar. If you try, will you let me know how you make out? I'd love to hear how it turns out!
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork I opened it two months later and it was a weak brown scoby and a week later I took part of it to make a new batch and it was a big scoby
Wow, im hooked! You have inspired to to get back into making my own! I alread see two more of your videos to watch! What if you took a bowl, put a piece of scoby in it and let the fruit flies lay their eggs and if you can sneak up on them with a saucer you can put them out in the compost. I had a tibetian monk friend who went crazy doing catch and release on my ant problem! He would lick his finger and gentle pick up even spiders!
Continous brew? I have never heard this before! I love this idea? Do you have more teaching on this? If i understand i keep my 30 day plus scoby and an amount of tea in my jar. This is now vinegar and the scoby continues to grow. If my liquid goes to low i just put in brewed tea with no sugar? To make a new bottle, say one quart i would make a swee t tea and add 1T of the vinegar tea and it will start a new scoby and it will grow quicker? How long can you maintain a vinegar? Are there books on this way of making kombucha? Thank you
You've understood everything correctly except ... when liquid gets too low add tea & sugar, otherwise the bacteria & yeast will have nothing to eat. Yes, to make 1 quart of new kombucha, make sweet tea, add 1T kombucha vinegar, and leave to ferment. A thin new scoby will form on top but it will take a while before it grows thick. Best to toss all your extra scobys in a jar of sweet tea and leave them for 3-4 months after which you'll find they've grown quite thick. Like all other vinegars, kombucha vinegar will last for years & years & years. One of my favorite kombucha books is: The Big Book of Kombucha by Hannah Crum & Alex LaGory. Over 400 recipe ideas. You can find it on Amazon.
I have IBD is there something that I should know, is there a med type for me? I do know that it is not recommended, but if my symptoms are in remission, what information do you have for me to try?
IBD is an inflammatory RESPONSE to an underlying condition. In other words, it's a SYMPTOM of an dis-ease, imbalance, or disharmony in the body. Typically IBD occurs when the immune system goes into overdrive and begins attacking harmless bacteria, virus and food particles in the colon. That said, it's essential to examine what exactly is causing the immune system to go into overdrive? Science hasn't yet concluded if IBD is genetic, environmental, or both. Hypothetically speaking, if IBD is strictly environmental, then dietary and lifestyle modifications should correct it. For that matter, even if it is genetic and presupposing you didn't have IBD from birth, dietary & lifestyle modifications should also correct it, as these two factors (diet & lifestyle) would have contributed to initiating and worsening the genetic response. The best medicine for ALL gastrointestinal issues is a delicate balance between prebiotic, probiotic and sometimes, such as is required for SIBO, antibiotic. In your case, probiotic strains of bacteria that survive and thrive in the colon are best such as those found in fermenting milk kefir, yogurt kefir, cheese kefir, and feta cheese. Btw, I'm getting an intuitive vibe that you'd benefit enormously from vibrational healing modalities such as reiki, crystal singing bowls, gong, tibetan metal singing bowls, acupressure, acupuncture, reflexology, qi gong and tai chi. By the way, have you heard of the Weston A Price diet? www.westonaprice.org/wp-content/uploads/booklet-phd-eng2009.pdf
Yeah, that's what I once believed too. And why? Because someone said it was true. Thankfully because I don't always believe what I hear & read, and because I'm willing to experiment I discovered that simply isn't true. Light seems to have no bearing on the fermentation process of kombucha or any other fermented food/beverage for that matter.
oh ok cool glad to hear this!!!!! glad i saw your video....i just started my first ever kombucha and its on its 5th day fermenting,,,,,its starting to smell vinegary but still tastes like a tea but less sweet,,,,,,im guessing few more days it'll start tasting sour vinegary???
Unless your indoor temperature is consistently above 75 degrees, kombucha will not turn to vinegar or have a vinegar taste until approximately 21-30 days. Too, if your indoor temperature is 68 degrees or less, it may take longer to ferment. Please remember that even if your kombucha turns to vinegar it is still a viable food source; however, instead of being a probiotic beverage it is now a digestive enzyme beverage. You can still drink it (though not many people prefer it this way) or you can use it in place of other vinegars that you would add to salads, salad dressings, etc. And of course, it makes for an excellent starter for your next batch of kombucha and an ideal environment if you're going to make a scoby hotel. If you're only going to make a first ferment, and for a tart-tasting kombucha packed with probiotics, anywhere between 7 and 10 days is ideal. Otherwise, if you're making a second ferment, bottle it in a grolsch type bottle with whatever you're going to use for your second ferment and leave it another 1-3 days on the counter. By then it will be tart-tasting, full of probiotics and fizzy! Much success to you on your first batch!!
That is not a s.c.o.b.y it is the mother or mushroom s.c.o.b.y refers to an action (verb) not a (noun) a s.c.o.b.y is not a thing I have watched several kombucha videos and everybody gets that wrong so i am glad that you covered that in your video a little. you do not need the gelatinous goo to make the drink just the starter fluid the mushroom that develops is a sign that the you are getting the reaction or fermentation that you want you do not need to keep a "scoby hotel" you need to keep is the liquid next time you make kombucha try it with out using the mushroom you will get the same result you can keep the starter fluid in a bottle and from time to time add the tea and sugar mixture to it to keep the culture fed you can keep it in the refrigerator by keeping the starter in the refrigerator it slows down the fermentation process but will not kill the bacteria they will go dormant when you need to use the starter to make your next batch of tea take out the fluid let it go to room temperature and then use as normal and when you make your tea and sugar mix feed some of it to the stater to keep it going. the reason why green tea and black tea is used is because of its b vitamin content white tea doesn't contain b vitamins so i am not sure if using white tea only will give good results. also there is sugar in kombucha it doesn't matter how long you let it sit. yes the yeast and bacteria eat the sugar but it converts it in to sugar alcohol which i think of as hidden sugars so it is important to keep that in mind when drinking
Thanks for the info kt t. My understanding of fermentation is that b-vitamins are created during the fermentation process. I've never once heard, read, or intuited that black and green tea actually contain b-vitamins. Of course I'm always open to receiving new/different information, even if it contradicts what I currently think, believe or know. Might you be able to source some links that support what you are saying. If yes, thanks in advance!
16 mins, speak to your pharmacist, you have to be joking, here in the UK it would be useless to speak to a pharmacist, he/she wouldn't have a clue what on earth I was asking about if I asked their advice about this topic. Ah well it did give me a laugh. I'd sooner take advice from a dedicated amateur than a fully qualified professional coupled with my own common sense thank you very much.
Oh wow! I didn't know that. Where I live most pharmacists are well versed in herbs and their contraindications. Guess I just took for granted that most pharmacists would know that information. Huh. That's sad. But then again so many things about the entire health care system is.
My kitchen is well ventilated so it does not have an odor; however, my back pantry, which isn't as well ventilated, almost always smells sweet and delicious!
@@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork never to long for me …lol so good 🫶🙏🫶Can YOU share how many tea bag of Milk Twistle and how many of the white tea for medecinale kombucha ….I put 4 Milk Twistle tea bag for 2 white tea bag with 1 cup of starter and a Scooby and it only create a very very very thin thin white Scooby on top??? After 19days ??
