Kefir Grains and Kombucha SCOBYs Available

[IthacaNancy]

HI,

I have more milk kefir grains than I can use and I'd be happy to share them with anyone who needs some.  

Also I have lots of SCOBYs and would be happy to share them too.

I come into town on Wednesdays to pick up a milk share, and could bring them in then, or I only live about four miles east of downtown and I'd be happy to arrange a time for you to pick them up at my house.

[Norm Scott]

Hi Nancy,

I am hooked on kombucha and would love to start making my own if you have a "mother" to spare.

I work downtown so perhaps we could meet up at a central location.

thanks,

Norm

[IthacaNancy]

Hi Norm,

I can drop off a SCOBY on the porch at 105 Second Street tomorrow a bit after noon. It should be fine there for a few hours.

Let me know if it doesn't work out for you.

Best wishes,

Nancy

[Norm Scott]

Sounds great, this is exciting!  I can come by right around noon to grab it.

Can you recommend a good type of container to make kombucha in?

take care,

Norm

[IthacaNancy]

Hi Norm,

The recommendations I've read suggest the ideal container is made of glass or food-grade stoneware with the surface area of the liquid open to the air being equal to or larger than the depth of the container.  Everyone recommends protecting the kombucha from contact with metal.  I have concerns about the possibility of leaching of plastic in the acidic environment of the kombucha, so I try to minimize my use of plastic with kombucha.

I 'brew' kombucha for about a week in a two gallon jar which was sold for making sun tea.  I fill it about 6 inches deep and the surface area exposed to the air is also about 6 inches.  After a week or so, I draw the kombucha off (using the spout at the bottom of the jar) and bottle it in wire-bail / swing-top / Grolsch bottles.  After a week or so, it has developed a nice level of carbonation and it is usually the right blend of sweet and sour for my taste.  If you don't like carbonation, you don't need to store it under pressure.   I store the brewing jar and the individual bottles on the shelf in the pantry throughout the process, keeping a bottle or two to the refrigerator so it is cool when I want to drink some.  

It's important to cover the kombucha tightly with a tightly woven cloth or paper coffee filter to keep out fruit files when it is brewing.  If you don't, you'll end up with fruit fly larvae crawling all over the SCOBY.  I'll include a cloth cover and rubber band, which is what I use to protect the kombucha.

I brew one tablespoon of black tea and 1/4 cup of sugar in a liter or a quart of boiling water.  I remove the black tea after five minutes.  When the tea cools to lukewarm, I pour it into the large brewing container.  I always leave a cup or two of kombucha behind when I draw off the kombucha to act as a starter.  

I hope you'll like your own home-brewed kombucha.

[Norm Scott]

Hi Nancy,

Thanks so much for passing along your kombucha mother.  I am in the process of "brewing" and excited to see how it turns out.

I've been brewing beer for a while but am recently getting into other fermentation.  I just made my first batch of kimchi and was totally amazed how easy it was and how great it tastes!  I've gotten hooked on store-bought kombucha, which actually seemed odd to me at first because I had a somewhat love-hate relationship, insofar as it has such an unusual vinegary flavor, yet I love it!  I'm glad you mentioned the carbonation technique (which seems similar to priming bottled beer) because I LOVE carbonation.  I think that it was this very thing that initially drew me in to the kombucha I was loving.  I would drink just about anything that is carbonated.

I have been reading Sandor Katz's "Wild Fermentation", and the thing he mentioned specifically as being the "trickiest part" of making kombucha was acquiring the mother... so, again, thank you!

- norm

[Ruth Williams]

Hi Nancy, do you still have any scoby or know where I could find some? My nephew and I are interested in starting a batch of kombucha.

Thanks!
Ruth

[IthacaNancy]

Hi Ruth,

I am planning on bringing kombucha SCOBYs along with me to the IthaCan Multi-skill Food Preservation workshop at the Varna Community Center this Friday, April 12. Will you be attending that event? If not, or if you are eager to get started sooner, let me know. You can pick one up at my house in Ellis Hollow, or I can bring one downtown on Wednesday afternoon and leave it for you on the porch of 105 Second Street.

I really like kombucha. It's so easy to make, nice little bubbles, probiotics, a bit of caffeine, and tasty. ; )

[Ruth Williams]

Hi!

I am going to try to go to the event on Friday but if it doesn't work out I am more than happy to come to your house to pick up on Ellis Hollow.  My nephew and I are really interested in trying this! Is there something you would like to barter for? I don't even know what one is worth in trade but I may be able to come up with some bulk product as I run a Wholeshare food co-op too. Organic raisins perhaps?

Thanks a million Nancy. I'll let you know for sure and before Friday. 

Ruth