Kombucha: Like wine for raw foodists

I first learned how to make Kombucha about 8 months ago.  I have been making it for myself, as well as buying it every now and then, ever since then.  Today, I wanted to talk a bit about what I learned in Napa Valley about how similar making Kombucha is to making wine.  I also wanted to share with you how to make it.  Here are the instructions I use: http://www.kombu.de/anleit-e.htm.   This webpage, by the way, has the best instructions I’ve found on the web and I highly recommend reading the whole page, although I’ve converted some of the metrics to easier ones for you and me in the U.S. to understand and use.

How to make Kombucha
Ingredients you’ll need
-The Kombucha culture (the mushroom).  Get it from a friend or you can also try buying one online.
-Heated water (just under boiling)
-Approximately 4 tablespoons organic cane sugar per quart (four cups) of water
-2 teaspoons (or tea bags) organic black or green tea per quart of water
-1 large glass jar (4 quart capacity ideally)

Instructions to make 4-5 bottles of kombucha (I use reuse the 16 oz glass bottles of G.T.’s Kombucha)
-Heat 6 cups of water to just under boiling) (we will add this to 6-7 more cups of colder water later)
-Turn heat off
-Add 6 teabags of organic black and/or green tea and let seep for 15 minutes.
-Stir in 12 tablespoons of organic cane sugar until completely dissolved.
-Transfer the tea to the glass container and add 6 cups of cold water to it.
-When cooled down to room temp or slightly warmer (this may be a few hours), add the mushroom to the jar as well as 6-8 oz of non-flavored kombucha
-Place a kitchen towel over the top of the pot or container and secure with a rubber band.
-Leave somewhere in your house for 12-14 days (mark the brewing date on the calendar or something so you remember).
-Bottle it when no longer sweet in glass bottles and store in the fridge for 5-7 days before drinking.

Now you ask: How is making kombucha similar to making wine?

Well the mushroom, or culture, is just like the yeast added into the grape juice (and skins of the grapes if making red wine).  The mushroom eats up the sugar and caffeine in the tea and creates probiotics, carbon dioxide (which creates the fizz), and a bit of alcohol.
The yeast added to the pre-wine mixtures in the wine making vats does almost the same thing.  It eats up the sugar and creates alcohol and carbon dioxide.

If you don’t let the kombucha mixture ferment long enough (2 weeks in my experience), there will be some sweetness left over and this is the problem with G.T.s kombucha, in David Wolfe’s opinion.  It has too much sugar and caffeine left in it.  The same happens with wine.  Some wines are pulled from the vats earlier than others for a dryer, sweeter, flavor.  These taste great, don’t get me wrong, but have higher sugar content and less alcohol content than the other wines that are fermented longer.

Another way the kombucha is like wine is that there is a period of time where the beverage needs to be “ripened” in the bottle.  It is recommended by the website I mentioned above to bottle the kombucha and keep it in the fridge for a few days to a week before drinking (this can be quite hard to do if you’re like me!)  Wine too, needs to be bottled and stored in cellars or caves at the wineries for a year or more before it is ready to be sold.  This makes a huge difference in the taste.

So there you have it.  If you’re looking for an alternative to wine, try making your own kombucha or try out G.T.s if you’ve never had some before.  Although I think it can be a lot more gratifying and healthier to make your own.   This beverage is probably healthiest when the flavor is more vinegary tasting than sweet tasting.  Just note: you may not want to drink and drive while drinking this.  Seriously!  There is some alcohol in it and create a small buzz if your a lightweight.

If you want, you can always juice some ginger and add it to the kombucha when you bottle it.  I prefer it plain, or “original” style now ☺

P.s.  Since the recipe and instructions I gave above only makes 4-5 bottles of kombucha, and I know this doesn’t last very long, I recommend getting an additional glass container or pot so you can get two batches going at the same time.  You can use the baby and the mother mushroom from your first batch.  I got my glass containers at The Container Store.  I got my organic cane sugar and organic black tea at Trader Joe’s.

Happy fermenting!

P.s.  If you like to make your own foods like Kombucha, rejuvelac, sprouts, and sauerkraut, you might want to check out my Raw Food D-I-Y page.

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3. Survey Time! Let’s get to know each other :)
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5. Breaking my juice fast tonight!