Introduction: How to Flavor Kombucha With Herbs, Tea, & More, & Dangers of Kombucha – Part 3
How to flavor kombucha – part 3 – in this blog I show what I have found to be the healthiest way to flavor kombucha, the healthiest way to second ferment kombucha, what are the healthiest herbs to use with kombucha, and how to carbonate kombucha and how to bottle kombucha.
I also talk about the many benefits of kombucha and how much to drink per day. Some of the benefits are good bacteria, gut flora, friendly bacteria helping to improve your joint health, digestion, immunity and more.
I also talk about the downside of kombucha. That includes how much alcohol is in kombucha, is kombucha acidic, how much sugar is in kombucha, how much caffeine is in kombucha and who should avoid it
Flavoring kombucha with Basil, mint, ginger, turmeric, rosemary etc. I also like to add Blue Green Algae (click photo for link) This is my favorite option since it has flavor, added nutrients of herbs, with little sugar and alcohol and lightly acidic.
Who should avoid kombucha?
Because of the alcohol, I would advise against the consumption of kombucha for pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, children and anyone with a compromised immune system against consuming it.
PART 3: - How to Flavor with Herbs, Teas and Essential Oils
Option 4: (my favorite and healthiest method)
Flavor with juiced herbs – This is done by juicing herbs such as Basil, mint, ginger, turmeric, rosemary etc. I also like to add Blue Green Algae (click photo for link) This is my favorite option since it has flavor, added nutrients of herbs, with little sugar and alcohol and lightly acidic.
From here if you want some carbonation leave out of the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days in a sealed bottle. If not refrigerate immediately
Flavor with Herbal Tea or essential oils – Similar to flavoring with herbs, you just put your favorite herbal tea in it for 5 hours to up to 5 days before refrigerating. This depends on how strong the tea is and how strong you like it. Then strain from one bottle to another with a mesh strainer. This can be any tea such as jasmine, chamomile, nettle, lemon balm, hibiscus, lavender, passion fruit, mint, ginger, hops, peppermint, or any other herb you like the taste of. (Since the Scoby has been removed you can put anything in here without damaging your scoby)
(Regarding Hops – This is worth a try, hops are very floral, bittering and cascade hops are mild and bitter. Add ¼ cup per 32 oz. Just put it in the bottle and let sit for 3 days or over a week depending on your preference.)
- Easiest tea method - This can be done by simply steeping a cup of your favorite tea, letting it cool and adding it to your kombucha. (If you like this method, it’s a good idea to over ferment your first ferment of kombucha since you will be adding more liquid to it to balance it out.)
- Essential Oils – Lemon, Orange, Ginger, Peppermint,
After the first ferment and the Scoby has been removed, you can also add sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup or any sweeteners you like, but I would avoid processed and artificial sugars since they are unhealthy.
- herbal teas and hopps
- Organic herbal teas
- honey
Downside of Kombucha
- Acidic – This is from the tea that it is brewed with (usually black but Yerba Mate makes a less acidic kombucha) as well as the carbonation.
Acidic is not good for a couple of reasons. You want your body to be in a pH closer to Alkaline. It’s hard for our body to absorb nutrients especially from supplements in an acidic environment. For this reason I would not drink kombucha during a time that you are taking supplements.
The second reason the acidity is bad is because it can wear away at the enamel in your teeth. For this reason I would not sip kombucha taking hours to drink it but rather drink it twice a day about a cup to two at a time, then swish a bit of water in your mouth after.
- Sugar – Sugar is problematic for many reasons. The Sugar in Kombucha after the first ferment is usually 1 gram per ounce.
After the second ferment done with fruit it is about 2 grams per ounce
This is much better than soda and since Kombucha is satisfying to soda drinkers, I love this as a remedy to get them off drinking soda. However, it is still fairly high to drink in larger quantities, more than 16 oz per day, especially after second fermenting with fruit.
HOW MUCH SUGAR WILL BE LEFT IN MY KOMBUCHA WHEN IT’S DONE?
That’s up to you. The shorter your brew time, the sweeter it will be. That’s because sugar is the food for the SCOBY. As with all cultured foods, the longer it ferments, the more sugar it consumes. For less sugar, let it ferment until it tastes tart.
- Carbonation – although it may taste good to some especially soda lovers, carbonation creates an acidic environment in your stomach and prevents the absorption of nutrients especially from supplements
- Caffeine -- Caffeine - Too much caffeine has been shown to cause cardiovascular issues, linked to gout, headaches, indigestion, high blood pressure, increased anxiety, and more.
- Alcohol – Research shows that there is between .5 and up to 2.5% alcohol in kombucha. The higher percentages above .5% usually happens from the second ferment with fruit. For this reason, I do not suggest drinking Kombucha for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, elderly, have a compromised immunity or if you are in rehab or AA.
Who should avoid Kombucha:
Because of the alcohol, I would advise against the consumption of kombucha for pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, children and anyone with a compromised immune system against consuming it.
To test your brew’s sugar and alcohol level ///
- hydromiter
sugar test strips –
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These are top questions from Brooklyn kombucha:
There are a few things about kombucha that may keep people from achieving total brewing mastery, which is why we've compiled a list of the top kombucha brewing questions we receive.
Is this mold?
The most frequently asked question we get from home brewers revolves around the question of mold. The good news is that it’s easy to prevent, easy to spot, and relatively rare.
A few rules of thumb apply with mold:
Mold will always be dry and fuzzy (never dry and bubbly) Mold will never form below the surface of the liquid in your brew jar Low temperatures and weak nutrient can invite mold proliferation
Check out this blog post that covers all of the aspects of mold speculation!
How can I store SCOBY? How long can I keep it there?
You can store a SCOBY almost indefinitely in the refrigerator. You will want to make sure the culture is completely submerged in kombucha and covered. Ideally, you should store it in glass, but any vessel that seals and keeps out refrigerator odors will work well.
The longer you store a SCOBY, the longer it will take to ferment the first brew. You can also store your SCOBY in a jar outside of the fridge, but over time it will grow into a monster SCOBY. You must be sure there is still liquid in the jar as long as you are storing it at room temperature, since if the culture dries out, it will be hard to resuscitate and may grow moldy.
It is possible to resuscitate a frozen SCOBY. Simply allow it to thaw, and brew with it as you would normally. Be sure to speak softly to it, playing lilting ukulele music.
My kombucha isn’t fizzy. What am I doing wrong?
While carbonation isn't a necessary component of kombucha, it is a highly polarizing yet satisfying aspect. However, one should not be troubled if unable to effectively carbonate kombucha.
There are a few things to take note of when you want to carbonate your kombucha:
Kombucha will not be inherently effervescent (bubbly) right out of primary fermentation The simplest carbonation method for a homebrewer is to bottle your kombucha and allow it to continue fermenting, with the lid on, at room temperature The sugar content of the kombucha you are bottling will play a huge role in your resulting effervescence. Sugar is contributed in either primary fermentation (and will be residual when you bottle) or it is added as a flavoring when you bottle. This is usually juiced or dried fruit, but can also be more sugar, a couple of raisins, honey, maple syrup, etc. The temperature of the environment in which you are doing secondary fermentation plays a large role as well. Just like during primary fermentation, higher temperatures will result in quicker fermentation and lower temperatures will result in slower fermentation
Check out this blog post to read up on carbonating your kombucha.
My kombucha is too sweet. What am I doing wrong?
That’s a good problem to have, as it means that your brew hasn't fermented too far yet. You will just need to wait a little bit longer for your brew to reach a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. It’s better to find that it’s sweet, because at the other end of the spectrum you could be finding your ‘buch to be too vinegary.
After day 5 of primary fermentation, taste your brew daily. Use a spoon, straw, sample thief, etc. This will help to acclimate you to the changes your brew is experiencing, giving you a good foresight on when it will be completed and ready to drink or bottle!
My kombucha is too vinegary. What am I doing wrong?
You simply need end primary fermentation sooner. All kombucha, left at room temperature, will eventually become vinegar. Start tasting it daily after 5 days, and when you find it to have a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, it’s ready to drink!
But if you go too far, don't fret! Simply blend in some unfermented tea and/or sugar before you bottle. This will balance out your brew and make nice bubbles in secondary!
Can I use any tea to make kombucha?
Following a few guidelines, it is very easy to use pretty much any of your favorite herbal or standard teas for making kombucha:
A majority of your plant matter should be actual tea (Camellia sinensis) If you want to use herbs, use no more than 25% the total mass of plant matter for your steep. For example - 12 grams black tea, 3 grams lavender Herbal tea is not an adequate substitute for actual tea!
For more information on using tea and herbs for your brews, check out this blog post.
Can I use sweeteners other than sugar?
Yes, you can! There are a few caveats, however.
Plain sugar is the best sweetener for your standard kombucha brew You can try using other sweeteners, but train your culture into becoming comfortable with them Use a Jun culture if you want to brew with honey Maple syrup makes excellent kombucha, and both standard and Jun cultures do well with it For liquid sweeteners, use 3/4 cup per 1-gallon brew Maple crystals do not do so well alone in kombucha, the same goes for brown sugar
Read up on Jun kombucha here
8. How much alcohol is in kombucha?
As a home brewer, you will generally see higher alcohol content in your 'buch than you will find in store-bought kombucha. This is due to a legal requirement that non-alcoholic beverages must contain less than .5% alcohol by volume, and they are carefully processed and handled to keep the alcohol content low.
So, in your home-brewed kombucha, you will generally see alcohol content anywhere from .5% to 2.5%. At the high end of that scale, the booziness will be evident but still very subtle and easily broken down by your body.
