D.I.Y. Ginger Flavoured Kombucha
Step 1:
Bring sugar, tea, and water to a gentle boil. Turn off and let cool. Remove tea bags and dispose of in compost.
The following recipes is for 2 gallon of kombucha brew
4 1/2 Liters of clean water (approximately)
6 organic ginger tea bags (Traditional Medicinals)
1 1/2 cups of organic cane sugar
Note: Most people would tell you that a SCOBY requires more sugar than this and needs caffeine. Not sure why or how this works for us, but it produces a fizzy, not so sweet, ginger flavoured beverage that reminds me of Vernors Ginger Ale.
Step 2:
Take your fermented, ready to be bottled, kombucha out of the cupboard. Note – Kombucha needs to be stored in a dark space while it’s fermenting. The time it takes to frement kombucha varies from person to person and house to house. I personally let mine sit for at least 2 weeks, sometimes 3. The longer it sits, the more it ferments. If you leave it for to long, it may end up tasting like vinegar. You can taste it using a straw and bottle it when it tastes just right.
Remove the cover off your kombucha. I use earth friendly brown paper towels, but you can use cheese cloth or any cloth that allows for air flow but keeps bugs out.
Place SCOBY culture in clean non-metalic bowl – make sure that there is no chemical residues for detergents.
Using wood or plastic spoon, stir fermented tea to mix bottom sediment throughout.
Step 3:
Now it’s time to transfer the fermented tea into your bottles. Bottles with a swing top work best. Tip – It’s better to do this over the sink.
Make sure that you leave enough space for air to circulate, otherwise you may have an explosion. About 1″ will do.
Step 4:
Be sure that you leave fermented tea in your container to start the next batch. I usually try to leave about 1/4 of the gallon.
Pour cooled, sweetened, ginger tea into your kombucha fermenting containers. Replace SCOBY to container. Cover with paper towel or material of choice and return to dark container for another 2 to 3 weeks until it’s ready to bottled.
Transfer harvest tea (filled bottles) to a dark cupboard and let sit for another week or two before putting them in the fridge. This is referred to as the second ferment.