Milk kefir is one of the many ways you can get your probiotics. Milk kefir is a tart, fermented milk where you use specific “grains” that eat the natural sugar in the milk. With the fermenting process of the grains in the milk at room temperature, you get a sour/tart probiotic rich drink. Probiotics are essential for good gut health, why not give this tasty drink a try?

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I have been making milk kefir off and on for a couple years now. I purchased my live grains and started making this tasty drink and we haven’t looked back. My husband is quite the fan of it, he particularly likes it in popsicles.

We like to have milk kefer during the summer the most because of the delicious popsicles that I make every summer. They are a nice cool treat on those hot summer days and a great way to get your probiotics and vitamins.

I find that making fermented food is very easy. Milk kefir is a great place to start if your wanting to get some natural probiotics. The process is very simple and all you need milk, grains and a little time.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILK KEFIR

As you may already know probiotics are essential for good health and good gut flora. The probiotics in all fermented food, helps to build your good gut flora. In turn your healthier and many would say they don’t get sick very often because of it.

During the fermenting process, the grains turn the lactose into lactic acid. This gives the milk a sour flavor like yogurt but a thinner consistency.

There are many nutrients in it like protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and magnesium, just to name a few.

It is actually more probiotic rich then Greek yogurt. It can contain up to 61 strains of yeast and bacteria.

Then you have calcium, which we all know that calcium can help keep our bones strong.

So, think of it a super charged milk with probiotics and nutrients.

WHAT MILK SHOULD I USE?

Most commonly, cows milk is used as well as goats milk. Goats milk is actually similar to human milk and is easy to digest.

I use raw, grass-fed cows milk. I have also used raw goats milk.

If you can source raw milk, this will be best. You want all the healthy bacteria as possible. The grains will flourish on this type of milk the best.

You can use Pasteurized and Ultra-Pasteurized. Since the milk has been heated up and killed all the beneficial bacteria your kefir grains may not grow or multiply as fast and your milk may not ferment as fast.

WHAT IS A MILK KEFIR GRAIN?

Milk kefir grains are a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture made up of protiens, lipids and sugars. They are similar to how wheat and barley grains are for beer.

The grains look similar to little pieces of cauliflower though they have a soft jello consistency.

They originated from the Northern Caucasus Mountain region.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE MILK KEFIR GRAINS?

I got my grains from Amazon HERE. These are ready to go when you get them in the mail. Since they are live grains, they are shipped fast so you can get them in milk sooner to keep them from dying.

You can also get them from the brand, Cultures for Health, HERE. These are dehydrated, so when you get them you will need to place them in milk to activate them. With this route you will have to wait a while before you get good productive milk kefir. This is a great route if you are not in a hurry or like the experiment of re-hydrating the grains.

Another way is to get them from a friend that may also be making milk kefir in their home. If they are making milk kefir, I’m sure they have an abundance of grains that they would be willing to part with.

CAN I EAT KEFIR GRAINS?

Yes, you can. A lot of people will add the excess grains to the blender when they make a smoothie.

TIPS FOR MAKING MILK KEFIR

• Make sure to place your milk kefir about 5 feet away from other ferments on your counter to avoid cross contamination of different cultures.
• If you find that there is yellow liquid separating from your milk, that is fine. That is “whey” and this is perfectly normal. This will happen the longer your milk ferments.
• If your starting out with new milk kefir grains, the first couple ferments may not taste right. It will take a batch or two for the grains to get used to the new environment.
• Milk kefir grains will eventually start to multiply. The more you regularly add fresh milk to the grains, the faster they will grow.
• The grains will last years, they do not go bad unless left out for too long or in bad environmental conditions.
• The longer you let your milk ferment the more sour it will get. I wait until the whey has separated from the kefir for a little bit. I find that is the perfect level of sour for us.
• I recommend using fine weave cheese cloth or a coffee filter to the top of your ferments to keep out unwanted bugs like fruit flies. This just makes a tight seal but still allows air flow that is needed.
• When straining the grains I will place a stainless steel funnel over a wide mouth mason jar and put a plastic mesh strainer on top and strain out a little bit of the kefir at a time. I can then place the jar right in the fridge. This just reduces the amount of dishes to wash. Note: I don’t find an issue using metal for the short period of time the milk kefir is on the funnel.

EQUIPMENT YOU MAY NEED

Strainer – plastic is recommended, try not to use metal

Jars for storage – I use these Half Gallon Mason Jars

Plastic cover

HOW TO MAKE MILK KEFIR

1. To a clean jar add your grains. Add about 1/4 cup grains per 3 cups of milk.
2. Pour in the milk to the very bottom of the neck of the jar.
3. Place some fine weave cheese cloth or a coffee filter over the mouth of the jar and screw on your cover LOOSELY.
4. Place on your counter about 5 feet from any other ferments you have have going on at the same time.
5. Leave on the counter to ferment roughly 24-48 hours.
6. Once your kefir is ready, strain your kefir grains from your milk kefir. You can use a plastic mesh strainer or a plastic colander, either will work as long as they have small holes. Place it over a large bowl so you can easily catch the milk kefir.
7. Add the strained kefir to your glass storage jar and place in the fridge to stop the fermentation, for a couple hours.
8. You can add your grains to a new jar of milk and start the process over again.
9. Serve chilled and Enjoy!

WAYS TO USE MILK KEFIR

You can drink milk kefir as is.

You can add it to your smoothies.

Make popsicles with it.

Pour it over your cereal like you would with regular milk.

Make ice cream with it.

This would even make for a good salad dressing.

HOW LONG IS MILK KEFIR GOOD FOR?

In the fridge it will last about 3 weeks and a couple months in the freezer.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY EXCESS GRAINS?

Since kefir grains constantly grow and are making more, some people have an over abundance of the grains. If you don’t want to eat them you can give them to your pets if they’ll eat them. Chickens love them as well.

You can give them to friends or family who are natural minded as you.

If you still have an over abundance of them you can compost them.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED A BREAK FROM MILK KEFIR

If you find you need a break from making milk kefir, you can place the grains in a small jar of milk in your fridge. This slows down the fermentation process. I have done this for about 6 months before and I was able to restart my grains and get tasty kefir after a couple batches.

OTHER FERMENTED RECIPES TO TRY

• Homemade Sauerkraut
• Raw Milk Greek Yogurt
• Sourdough Banana Bread
• Homemade Kombucha
• Homemade Kombucha: Second Ferment

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What is Sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is a fermented food, chocked full of probiotics. It is finely cut raw cabbage that is mixed with salt and allowed to ferment for a period of time from a process called Lactic Acid Fermentation. From this process it creates acid from bacteria, eating the sugar in the cabbage. This process creates a very distinctive sour flavor and a long shelf life from the acid that is formed.

Sauerkraut is fermented for days or weeks, depending on your level of sour preference. Other similar fermented foods are things like Kimchi and Milk Kefir. Sauerkraut is a Chinese invention from about 2,000 years ago but was most commonly used in Central and Eastern Europe. They fermented food a lot back then as a way to preserve their food. The name was borrowed from the German language Sauer (sour), kraut (cabbage).

Health Benefits of Homemade Sauerkraut

Fermented Sauerkraut is very nutritious containing a large portion of essential vitamins and minerals.

Like other fermented foods, like yogurt, it has a lot of healthy bacteria. All of this bacteria will boost your good gut flora improving your digestion. So with regular consumption it can help regulate the good versus the bad bacteria in your digestive tract.

It boosts your immune system. Your gut health plays a big part in keeping a healthy immune system. The healthy bacteria present in sauerkraut helps keep the gut lining strong and healthy therefor helping to keep bad bacteria at bay, which would otherwise cause an immune response.

Sauerkraut has Vitamin K2, this may also help your heart health by reducing your cholesterol levels and it may even help keep your bones strong.

So instead of spending $30 or more a month on probiotics at your local health store, why not make your own. It is far less expensive, costing just a couple heads of cabbage and a few tablespoons of salt.

With making your own and having it with a meal, taking your probiotics is no longer a chore and you get to keep that extra money.

What goes good with Homemade Sauerkraut?

I personally tend to eat sauerkraut in the morning with my breakfast which usually consists of eggs. Be it a scrambled or an over-easy egg or even a crustless quiche. I even add it on my dinner plate with some chicken or steak with a side of mixed veggies and some acorn or butternut squash. Sometimes I eat it as is, by itself.

Another good meal it would taste good with is spaghetti squash “pasta” and hamburg with spaghetti sauce. You can put it as a side or mix it in. Honestly, it tastes good with just about anything. You could even put it as a topping on your pizza or wrap it in your burrito or calzone! The possibilities are endless.

Tips for Making Homemade Sauerkraut

• Shred your cabbage in your food processor with the shredder/food grater attachment. This makes smaller pieces which I feel allows it to ferment better and I prefer the texture of small pieces then larger chunks.
• If this is your first time making sauerkraut and don’t want to spend any extra money, find some small rocks and give them a really good cleaning. Then place them into a ziplock bag or two, seal them and use those as your weights.
• If your new to sauerkraut, try fermenting your cabbage for 3 days and give it a taste. 3-5 days is a pretty good range of keeping it from getting too sour. 5 days was perfect for the first time I made it.
• Place your fermentation jar in a shallow container while fermenting. The cabbage may continue to sweat, or create a brine and will leak out of the jar and make cleanup easier.
• If you are fermenting other things in your kitchen, try to keep your ferments about 4-5 feet away from each other. This is to prevent your different ferments from contaminating each other with their cultures. For example: your sourdough starter or your kombucha may pass on their cultures to your sauerkraut and vice versa, making it taste funny.

Tools you may need

Food processor

Half gallon mason jars

Measuring spoon

Fermentation weights or very clean rocks in ziplock bags

Fermentation lid or the lid that came with your jar

Ingredients

3 small heads of cabbage or 1 large and 1 small – green or purple

Sea salt – 1 tablespoon for every 1 3/4 pounds of cabbage

How to make Homemade Sauerkraut

Step 1: Shred the Cabbage

Remove the outer leaves of your cabbage that may not be very appealing, rinse them off and set aside for later use.

If your using a food processor, cut up your cabbage into chunks that can fit through the tube on the lid. If cutting the cabbage by hand, cut it as small as possible, about coleslaw consistency.

Note: Don’t forget to cut out the core – it is very tough and not that tasty.

Once you have cut all your cabbage into small chunks go ahead and run it though the processor with the shredder/grater attachment.

Step 2: Mix in the salt

Once all the cabbage is shredded, add it to a large bowl and sprinkle on the required amount of salt for how much cabbage you have (1 tbs sea salt per 1 3/4 pounds of cabbage).

Mix the salt into the cabbage very well. You will notice that a brine is starting to form as you mix it in. This is the liquid you want your cabbage to sit below of in your jar. This will keep the air from reaching the cabbage, preventing it from going bad and molding. You may need to mix it in for a few minutes until you have enough.

Step 3: Pack it away

Add the cabbage and brine to your jar and pack it down well. With the cabbage leaves you set aside earlier, place them on top of your cabbage, just below the neck of the jar. Try to keep all the shredded cabbage and the whole leaves below the brine.

Add the rocks in the sealed ziplock bag or your fermentation weights to the jar. If your able to, try to get them below the brine as well. If there isn’t quite enough brine to cover all of the cabbage leaves on top, add some filtered water to make up the difference.

LOOSELY place your jar lid on or use your fermentation lid. Place it on your counter and let it ferment for 3 -10 days.

Once your sauerkraut has reached your level of sourness, pop it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.

Now, just serve it up with your favorite meal.

Voila! You’ve made your own probiotics!

Variations of Homemade Sauerkraut

Make it with purple cabbage for added color and a bit of a peppery flavor. Purple cabbage is also known to have more beneficial properties then green cabbage.

You could try adding fruit, some people will shred apples and mix that in with the cabbage. You can also add things like carrots, radishes or beets.

If you are interested in other fermented food, Kombucha is a sweet and tasty fermented tea. Read about it and learn how to make it HERE

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

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Homemade Sauerkraut

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 7 days

Total Time: 7 days 20 minutes

Make a probiotic rich side dish thats salty and sour. Add it as a side or put it as a topping on your pizza. It's an easy way to take your probiotics every day.

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Ingredients

• 3 small heads of cabbage or 1 large and 1 small - green or purple
• Sea salt - 1 tablespoon for every 1 3/4 pounds of cabbage

Instructions

Step 1: Shred the Cabbage

Remove the outer leaves of your cabbage that may not be very appealing, rinse them off and set aside for later use.

If your using a food processor, cut up your cabbage into chunks that can fit through the tube on the lid. If cutting the cabbage by hand, cut it as small as possible, about coleslaw consistency.

Note: Don't forget to cut out the core - it is very tough and not that tasty.

Once you have cut all your cabbage into small chunks go ahead and run it though the processor with the shredder/grater attachment.

Step 2: Mix in the salt

Once all the cabbage is shredded, add it to a large bowl and sprinkle on the required amount of salt for how much cabbage you have (1 tbs sea salt per 1 3/4 pounds of cabbage).

Mix the salt into the cabbage very well. You will notice that a brine is starting to form as you mix it in. This is the liquid you want your cabbage to sit below of in your jar. This will keep the air from reaching the cabbage, preventing it from going bad and molding. You may need to mix it in for a few minutes until you have enough.

Step 3: Pack it away

Add the cabbage and brine to your jar and pack it down well. With the cabbage leaves you set aside earlier, place them on top of your cabbage, just below the neck of the jar. Try to keep all the shredded cabbage and the whole leaves below the brine.

Add the rocks in the sealed ziplock bag or your fermentation weights to the jar. If your able to, try to get them below the brine as well. If there isn't quite enough brine to cover all of the cabbage leaves on top, add some filtered water to make up the difference.

LOOSELY place your jar lid on or use your fermentation lid. Place it on your counter and let it ferment for 3 -10 days.

Once your sauerkraut has reached your level of sourness, pop it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.

Now, just serve it up with your favorite meal.

Voila! You've made your own probiotics!

Notes

• Shred your cabbage in your food processor with the shredder/food grater attachment. This makes smaller pieces which I feel allows it to ferment better and I prefer the texture of small pieces then larger chunks.
• If this is your first time making sauerkraut and don't want to spend any extra money, find some small rocks and give them a really good cleaning. Then place them into a ziplock bag or two, seal them and use those as your weights.
• If your new to sauerkraut, try fermenting your cabbage for 3 days and give it a taste. 3-5 days is a pretty good range of keeping it from getting too sour. 5 days was perfect for the first time I made it.
• Place your fermentation jar in a shallow container while fermenting. The cabbage may continue to sweat, or create a brine and will leak out of the jar and make cleanup easier.
• If you are fermenting other things in your kitchen, try to keep your ferments about 4-5 feet away from each other. This is to prevent your different ferments from contaminating each other with their cultures. For example: your sourdough starter or your kombucha may pass on their cultures to your sauerkraut and vice versa, making it taste funny.

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Homemade Kombucha: second ferment is sure to wake up your taste buds! Who doesn’t like a nice cold carbonated beverage that tastes like your favorite fruit? I want to follow up on my last post and show you how you can easily turn your freshly brewed kombucha tea into a tasty and tangy fermented drink.

In my last post I went into detail on how you can make your own Homemade Fizzy Kombucha Tea with just a few ingredients and the equipment that you will need. To learn more about homemade kombucha take a look HERE.

So you’ve already gone through the first step of making kombucha, it smells sweet and a bit tangy. It tastes good but your looking for that sweet fruity flavor as well as the carbonation. Sounds like your ready to bottle this tea and make your second ferment.

What is “Second Ferment”?

This is the process of decanting your freshly brewed kombucha, putting it into a bottle and adding some sort of “sugar”, capping it tightly and letting it sit until it has created carbonation. The yeast that is present in the kombucha will eat the sugar that is in the fruit or juice. Second fermentation can take 24 to 72 hours to carbonate. It could take longer depending on how much kombucha is in the bottle, how much fruit or juice was used or the temperature in the room.

Don’t like the Fizz (carbonation)?

Not everyone likes the carbonation and that’s fine. Once you finish brewing your first ferment you can bottle it and add your flavorings as usual but skip the step of letting it sit out tightly capped.

Like a lot of people do with water, they add the fruit and let it infuse the water to give it some flavor.

Another option is to set it up for the second ferment and leave it in a warm place but only let it sit out for about 12 hours give or take. This may create a very small amount of carbonation but it won’t be a “tickle you nose” type. It will give the kombucha some time to get the flavor of what you added to it making it a bit more sweet then the last option.

What type of container can be used?

• Flip top glass bottles, these are the most popular type because the lid is held on very lightly by the metal clasp.
• Reusing your previously purchased Kombucha bottles.
• Growler bottles ranging from a half gallon to 1 gallon jars
• Mason Jars! If your like me you have dozens of mason jars in your cupboard.
• New plastic bottles are an option but recommended only to be used for one Second Ferment then recycled.

Under Pressure!

I should warn you, because we are creating carbonation in our second ferment bottles, it is creating a lot of pressure against the bottle and lid. Be sure not to leave your bottles out too long during their second ferment because it could result in some bottles exploding.

How to make the Homemade Kombucha: Second Ferment

What you need:

• 6 or 7 bottles (16 ounce)
• Filtered kombucha from your finished first ferment.
• Juice, fruit puree or whole fruit of choice (1/4 cup per bottle)
• A funnel is helpful but not necessary

Bottling the Kombucha:

1. Prepare your bottles: wash and/or sterilize and set aside to dry.
2. Remove the SCOBY from your first ferment kombucha.
3. Stir your kombucha well, this will distribute any yeast and bacteria that may have settled down at the bottom on your container. In turn will make carbonation better for all your bottles.
4. Pour your kombucha through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Note: Be sure to set aside at least one cup of your first ferment kombucha to use for your next batch.
5. Add about 1/4 cup of your choice of fruit ingredient to each bottle.
6. Fill completely with the kombucha leaving 1/2 to 1 inch space at the top.
7. Cap tightly so it can build up carbonation.
8. Place on a tray and store in a warm location for 25-72 hours. Note: I use the tray to catch any liquid that may leak out of the bottles during this process.
9. Once they have carbonated place the bottles in the fridge to stop the fermentation process.
10. Open your bottle slowly to release excess carbonation and Enjoy!

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How to know when your second ferment is ready

A couple ways that I can tell when my ferments are ready is there will be a lot of large bubbles at the top of the bottle. You may also see tiny bubbles floating up from the bottom of the bottle. There also may be some leaking from under the cover down the sides of the bottles.

Tasty Flavor Add-ins:

• Fresh Blueberries or Raspberries
• Frozen mixed fruit
• Elderberry Syrup (1/4 cup per 16 ounces)
• Mango’s
• Bananas

Have you ever made your own Homemade Kombucha?

Let me know in the comments what flavors you have tried. We’re always into trying out different flavors and I’d love to hear your ideas.

Continuous Brews…

Do you absolutely LOVE kombucha and want to always have some on tap? Continuous brews are great for that! I have yet to migrate into that method yet. The current method is working for us at the moment. Though as we continue to enjoy our homemade kombucha and start to drink more with the warmer months I can definitely see us making a continuous brew. I’m sure once I get to that point I’ll update you all with a post about it.

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I love kombucha and so does my husband. For years we would buy a bottle here and there when we went to the store. Let me tell you, it’s not cheap. So we’d stop buying it for a while but we always went back to buying some. The taste is great, it’s healthy for the gut and it’s a great replacement for soda.

There is a bit of a learning curve making it at first but once you get the idea it’s pretty simple. You’ll eventually be able to get into a routine and it’ll be like making dinner but takes a fraction of the time.

MY FIRST TIME MAKING HOMEMADE FIZZY KOMBUCHA TEA

I first tried making kombucha a few years ago. I got a SCOBY (more on that later) from a friend and started a batch but I just couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t turning out right. At the time I was working over 40 hours a week and with the other things I was doing in my free time and I just didn’t get around to figuring it out. I eventually had to toss the SCOBY to my chickens (they loved it).

Fast forward a couple years and I’m now a stay at home mom and I really want to get my family and I on a healthier diet. I decided to give homemade kombucha a try again. So I found someone at my local food co-op who had a SCOBY that I could have. I was so excited to get started on my first batch of homemade fizzy kombucha tea.

REASONS TO MAKE HOMEMADE FIZZY KOMBUCHA TEA

A Great Soda Alternative

It has B Vitamins, Antioxidants and Probiotics. It also has a considerably less amount of sugar. Sugar is added to the first firmentation process but during the fermentation the sugar is eaten by the bacteria and yeast causing there to be a very small amount left over. Another great thing is that during the second fermentation process you can create the carbonation typically found in soda.

Customizable

One thing I love when you make your own kombucha is that you can make it what ever flavor you want. You can leave it plain or add fresh or frozen fruit. You can also add your favorite juice if there’s one you really love.

Saves Money

Considering you just need a few tea bags, less then a cup of sugar, water and a SCOBY and throw it all in a jar, it should not be expensive to make your own. Typically a bottle of kombucha at the store can cost around $4 – $5 and some times more with fancier brands due to the fancy bottles and labels used.

WHAT IS A SCOBY?

Let me explain what a SCOBY is. It stands for Symbiotic Cultures Of Bacteria and Yeast. It might sound gross but this is the healthy bacteria that to you want to have in your gut to help keep a healthy immune system. This SCOBY is the home of the bacteria and yeast that work to make tea into a tangy and fizzy drink that everyone loves.

IS THERE ALCOHOL OR CAFFEINE?

Now because we are letting this sugar infused tea with the SCOBY sit out at room temperature or warmer, it does create an extremely small amount of alcohol. Typically there is about 0.5% in an 8 ounce bottle that you’d buy at the store, this is similar to an over-ripe banana.

When it comes to caffeine, typically there is about 1/3 the amount then the tea it is made with. My recipe calls for black tea which has about 30 – 80 mg of caffeine per cup. In which case there may be about 10 – 25 mg in one cup of kombucha.

WHAT TYPE OF CONTAINER CAN I USE?

If you google “kombucha containers” you will find a vast variety. Glass and ceramic are the most commonly used but there are wooden vessels that can be used as well. They all come in a variety of sizes, some for single brews and continuous brews.

If you do end up using a ceramic vessel you’ll want to be sure that it is lead free. You may also find food-grade plastic and metal vessels but it is typically recommended not to use those because the plastic can easily get scratched and then can harbor unwanted bacteria. Due to the acidity of kombucha and the long fermentation, plastic and metal both will leach toxins into the kombucha brew.

CAN I USE TAP WATER TO MAKE KOMBUCHA?

Unfortunately no, you should not use tap water for making kombucha. There are too many chemicals, chlorine and other deposits that it can ruin your SCOBY.

Even distilled water should not be used. Distilled water does not contain any minerals which this process does need.

Mineral water and spring water is best when making kombucha. I use a Berkey filter to filter out the chlorine and fluoride from my town water. I made the switch over to this a couple years ago and I am so glad I did. It removes all the unwanted items from my tap water but leaves the good stuff. If you’ve ever had fresh well water, most would say it tastes just about as good.

Read more about the Berkey filter here.

DOES IT MATTER WHAT TEMPERATURE MY HOUSE IS?

The best temperature for brewing kombucha is 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Though 80 degrees is the perfect temperature if you’re able to keep it there. This may be a hard temperature to keep them at especially if like most people you keep your house around 68 degrees during the winter. I have added a sticker brewing thermometer to my jars that I purchased online. That gives me a wide range of it’s temperature and a more accurate reading.

The reason for keeping the kombucha brew at a certain temperature is when it is cooler it takes longer to ferment (like winter, it slows down how fast things grow). Then if it’s warm it speeds up the process. Though too warm it could ruin your SCOBY. Temperatures in the 90’s if left long enough will eventually kill the SCOBY.

During the winter I keep my kombucha brew jars on the back half of my pellet stove or on the coffee table in the same room near the pellet stove. Depending on the temperature in the house I have found the sweet spot to keep it hovering right around the 75-85 degree range. During the summer, putting it in a dark corner of your kitchen or pantry may be an ideal spot to prevent it from getting too warm.

WHERE CAN I FIND A SCOBY?

• If you know someone that makes kombucha, odds are they may have an extra SBOBY you can have. Since a SCOBY keeps growing, you will find it has many layers and eventually those layers separate from each other.
• Another option is to grow your own. You may or may not succeed on your first try. Once I had successfully made a few batches of kombucha with my new SCOBY I was able to use some liquid from my first ferment and grow a second SCOBY. You can also use a bottle of unflavored kombucha from a health food store or even a cup of liquid from a finished first ferment batch. It does take a couple weeks but with a little patience and the right environment you can grow one.
• You can order a SCOBY online, I would just make sure it’s a trusted source. Though I would try to avoid dehydrated SCOBY’s that need a long rehydration period and they can make weaker brews.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FIZZY KOMBUCHA TEA RECIPE

In my house we go through a good amount of kombucha in a week so I make just under 2 gallons of Kombucha per week. If your new to making this you may not want to make this much your first time but you most certainly can just by doubling this recipe if you have a large enough container or multiple containers. If you want less, like a half gallon, then cut the recipe in half (just don’t cut the SCOBY). I will explain how you can make this in a 1 gallon batch. This recipe typically gives just about 6, 16 ounce bottles after the whole process is done.

First Ferment

You will need:

• 1 gallon jar
• 1 medium – large SCOBY (about 6 inches in diameter)
• 5 pouches of Black Tea
• 1 cup of unflavored kombucha
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 cups hot water
• 10 cups cold filtered water
• 1 small clean tea towel with rubber band

Directions:

1. Boil 4 cups water
2. Remove tea bags from their paper pouches and tie the strings together. (If there are paper tags on the end remove those to keep any die out).
3. Add the 4 cups of boiled water to your jar and toss in the tea bags.
4. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove tea bags and discard.
6. Add 3/4 cup white sugar to the jar of tea and stir to dissolve completely.
7. Add the 10 cups of cold filtered water to your jar of tea. Note: Do not add water past the bottom of the neck of the jar. This is to allow space for your SCOBY and the 1 cup of kombucha
8. If the water is COOL and NOT WARM, add the SCOBY and 1 cup of unflavored kombucha to the jar. Note: Be sure to wash your hands well with soap prior to handling the SCOBY so you don’t add any unwanted bacteria.
9. Cover with the tea towel, secure in place with the rubber band and place in a warm location. Tip: Add a small piece of paper secured under the rubber band that has the date of when you started each batch.
10. Taste test your kombucha on days 4-7 to see if its ready.

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Homemade Fizzy Kombucha Tea Recipe

First Ferment

Course Drinks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 gallon jar
• 1 medium – large SCOBY about 6 inches in diameter
• 5 pouches of Black Tea
• 1 cup of unflavored kombucha
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 cups hot water
• 10 cups cold filtered water
• 1 small clean tea towel with rubber band

Instructions

• Boil 4 cups water
• Remove tea bags from their paper pouches and tie the strings together. (If there are paper tags on the end remove those to keep any die out).
• Add the 4 cups of boiled water to your jar and toss in the tea bags.
• Allow to steep for about 10 minutes.
• Remove tea bags and discard.
• Add 3/4 cup white sugar to the jar of tea and stir to dissolve completely.
• Add the 10 cups of cold filtered water to your jar of tea. Note: Do not add water past the bottom of the neck of the jar. This is to allow space for your SCOBY and the 1 cup of kombucha.
• If the water is COOL and NOT WARM, add the SCOBY and 1 cup of unflavored kombucha to the jar. Note: Be sure to wash your hands well with soap prior to handling the SCOBY so you don't add any unwanted bacteria.
• Cover with the tea towel, secure in place with the rubber band and place in a warm location. Tip: Add a small piece of paper secured under the rubber band that has the date of when you started each batch.
• Taste test your kombucha on days 4-7 to see if its ready.

WHAT UNFLAVORED KOMBUCHA TASTES LIKE

As you continue to make kombucha you’ll eventually learn the taste of your brew at the different stages. When your kombucha hasn’t finished it’s ferment it will still be quite sweet from the sugar that you added. If it has brewed for too long it will taste a bit like vinegar. So your looking for the happy-medium.

If you’ve ever tried unflavored kombucha you may have a better idea at identifying that taste. It should have a faint hint of sweetness and a bit tart with a slight sour taste.

Once the taste has been achieved you most certainly can drink the kombucha as is once you remove the SCOBY. It tends to be more popular to do a second ferment which creates the carbonation most people like when it comes to soda.

Second Ferment

Stay tuned for the process of the second ferment of my homemade fizzy kombucha tea recipe. I will follow up with this post to go into detail on the process of decanting the first ferment and how to infuse it for a tasty flavor.

Here’s the link to my Homemade Kombucha: Second Ferment recipe.

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