Kombucha is a great and tasty fermented beverage that can be added from Stage 1 of the Introduction diet. This is the Kombucha Starter Kit I purchased. I really love this kit because it comes with everything you need to get started if this is your first time making Kombucha.
Kombucha has recently become a newer health trend due to its beneficial properties. An article from Science Direct states, "Kombucha is a source of both probiotic bacteria and yeast, as well as prebiotics (microcellulose), which supports the growth of beneficial microorganisms in digestive track."
Gather your supplies:
Kombucha jar
Organic Cane Sugar or Organic Honey
Filtered Water
Ph Test Strips
Cloth Tea Bags
Organic Kombucha Tea
Scoby with Starter Culture
Pipette
Adhesive temperature strip
Cotton Cloth & Rubberband
Optional: Kombucha Warmer
Step 1: Bring 4 cups of filtered water to a boil in a pot on stove.
Step 2: Place 3 Tablespoons of Kombucha Tea to Cotton Tea bag.
Step 3: Place tea bag in hot water. Turn off stove. Let tea steep 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Remove tea bag. Add 1 Cup of Organic Cane Sugar. Stir and allow sugar to dissolve completely in tea.
Step 5: If you are in a crunch for time, you can cool your tea by placing your pot in an ice bath in the sink for a few minutes.
Step 6: Pour tea into Kombucha Jar.
Step 7: Pour 8 cups of cold filtered water into Kombucha jar & stir.
Step 8: Check your temperature. This is important. You will want your temperature to read between 68-85 degrees Farenheit. If it is too hot, add an additional 1/2 cup of cold filtered water to bring to temperature. It is important to have your Kombucha at the correct temperature before adding your scoby and starter culture as too hot of temperatures can kill the beneficial bacteria & yeasts.
Step 9: Add scoby & starter culture
Step 10: Stir gently. Check PH with PH test strip. You want your PH to be at 4.5 or lower.
Step 11: Place cotton cloth on top of jar. Place jar on a counter or on top of fridge out of the sunlight where it will not be disturbed to ferment. You want your temperature to remain between 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit while fermenting. The colder your brew, the longer it will take to ferment. The warmer the brew, the faster the fermentation. If it is cold in your home, you can buy a Kombucha Heating Wrap online to help stabilize your proper fermenting temperature.
It is recommended for GAPS folks to allow kombucha to ferment for enough time that it is not sweet, but also not taste like vinegar (which would mean it was brewed too long). We want it right in the middle. For our family, In the winter, we have found we need to ferment for about 3 weeks to ensure all of the sugar has been consumed by the bacteria and yeast. In the summer, for us, this time can be a little shorter with the warmer temperatures. Do a taste test after 8-10 days. Use a pipette or end of the straw to taste the brew without contaminating. If it is too sweet, allow to ferment for another 5-7 days before testing again. There are other methods for testing the amount of sugar remaining in your brew, but will to go into detail on this topic in this post.
Second Fermentation:
After your initial ferment, you can do a second fermentation adding herbs, fruit, or a different tea into the mix. Our family enjoys using freeze dried fruits for our second ferments as they are easy to use and last a long time.
To do this, you will want to first remove your scoby and place it in a glass jar. Pour off 1-2 cups of your brew liquid to use as your culture and place in same jar as your scoby. Cover with a cloth and set aside until you are ready to prepare your next batch. This will be your next starter culture for your next batch of Kombucha.
Pour your Kombucha into glass jars using a strainer like this one. I like these bottles. Add your freeze dried fruit to each bottle. Allow your bottles to sit and ferment for an additional 2-4 days in a warm and dark place. Move to fridge and enjoy!
**I do not make any commission off of the products I share on this post. I am only sharing products that I have tried and love and have had success with **
Resources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620305089