Kombucha, like any other living thing, has a strong will to survive. If you start out with a bottle of store bought raw, unpasteurized Kombucha (you know the kind), you can get a fully functional mother culture within a week. It's cake. In fact, you would probably have to try pretty hard to NOT get a fully functional mother.
Also, if you are into things like taking down the man and Thoreau, this is a baby step to self reliance. Almost.
Also, if you are into things like taking down the man and Thoreau, this is a baby step to self reliance. Almost.
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
1. A bottle of raw, unpasteurized Kombucha. I won't name names, I'll just say avoid the kind with juice added. I started mine with the ginger flavored one, but that wasn't my first choice.
2. A clean glass jar, preferably rinsed out with boiling water prior to use. Preferably a small one with a rather narrow throat.
3. Tea. Black or green, as long as it's got no additives. I used some kind of green tea in a tin with no English writing, and it worked just fine. My last culture I did with black tea, worked just fine.
4. Sugar.
5. Cheesecloth or similar cloth. I use sterile gauze I pilfered from a first aid kit and it works just fine.
2. A clean glass jar, preferably rinsed out with boiling water prior to use. Preferably a small one with a rather narrow throat.
3. Tea. Black or green, as long as it's got no additives. I used some kind of green tea in a tin with no English writing, and it worked just fine. My last culture I did with black tea, worked just fine.
4. Sugar.
5. Cheesecloth or similar cloth. I use sterile gauze I pilfered from a first aid kit and it works just fine.
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... [several days later]
And, going pretty slowly. Started it up about 4 days ago, and the colony didn't grow much (it was already growing in the bottle, a few days past expiration). Probably needs a warmer climate...
It smells right (like, dead on), but the white clumps worry me. It should be fine, but I might try for a second one while I'm waiting.
2 questions for anyone out there:
1) Is there a good way to increase the fizziness? That's one of the best parts for me.
2) I read somewhere that keeping the top moist is important to avoid contamination. Is this true, and what is the best way to go about doing this?
1 lingering concern:
My mother, towards the end of the first batch, ended up with what looked like wax or plastic that had been melted on top of it. Anyone know what that is? I know nothing dripped onto it.
Does this have any alcohol content? I dont need to start up any old bad habits;) and what about a "sun tea jar" with a spigot?could you just keep adding tea as you siphon it off?
Lots of ideas already. Would other fungi cultures work? reshi is a good medicinal type.
I'm not really sure about how to bottle it. It keeps pretty well in swingtop bottles in the fridge, but I've never kept it bottled for very long because I've heard lots of stories of exploding bottles and jars.
The Kombucha isn't a true fungus -- it's a bacteria and yeast colony -- while the ganoderma is a real mushroom. I don't think it would work quite the same way.
http://www.cracked.com/article_17174_p2.html
Give it a shot if the opportunity presents itself. =)
~XzaggX~