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The History of Kombucha

The first recorded use of the tea was during the Chinese empire of the Tsin Dynasty in 221 B.C. It was referred to as. ‘The remedy of immortality’” or the ‘Dynasty Tsche” Dr. Kombu from Korea brought the tea to Japan during the reign of Emperor Inkyo. Afterwards. this tea was used throughout China. Japan and Korea. and was later introduced in Russia and India.

It was called by several different names: Fungus Japonicas, Fungo-japon, Kombucha, Pichia fermentans, Cembuya Orientalis, Combucho, Tschambucco, Volga Spring, Mo-Gu, Champinon de longue vie, Teekwass, Kwassan, and Kargasok Tea.

Q&A

What is it?

Kombucha tea is a health promoting drink produced by the symbiosis of yeast cells and different bacteria. Some of these bacteria are: Bacterium xylinum, Bacterium gluconicum, Acetobacter ketogenum, and Pichia fermentans. The kombucha scoby (also known as mushroom or fungus) needs to live in a solution of natural tea and sugar. In the right temperature it multiplies (grows) constantly and forms a layer on top of the liquid. While it grows it produces glucuronic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid and several vitamins. The yeast culture changes the sugar and tea into enzymes useful for the body. The Kombucha tea later contains not only these products, but also 0.5-1% alcohol.

How do you grow it?

It is best to keep it covered with a kitchen towel (to keep out bugs but still allow it to get plenty of oxygen) in a glass jar and in a shaded place. Kombucha grows best at a temperature between 23°-30°C (or 70°-86°F). Below this temperature the process will slow down and above it you have a increased risk of mold. It is also important to put it in a place were you don’t have to move it since it grows better when it’s not disturbed.

I grow mine in a large glass bowl (see picture).

How long does it take?

It takes between 5-14 days depending on your personal taste and temperature. Mine is normally done after 7 days. The longer you let it stand, the sourer it will taste and eventually it will turn into pure vinegar. Even then you can still drink it but don’t take more than 2 tablespoons a day.

Dosage

You only need 8 ounces (a glass) a day (preferable before breakfast) to get the maximum benefits. It is best to start off with 1 ounce a day, and then slowly increase the dosage over a couple of weeks, because your body needs some time to get used to it.
It only took me 2 weeks to get used to it enough to drink all 8 ounces but it took my husband 1.5 months so this time can vary a lot.

How many calories is in it?

This depends on how long you let it grow but averagely it’s about 30 calories a glass.

Can children drink it?

Lots of Kombucha drinkers let their children drink it too since there isn’t any evidence that it’s harmful to children so that is something that the parent/guardian should decide for themselves.
It is not recommended for babies or toddlers though because the tea contains alcohol (0.5-1%) and caffeine.

Research, pros & cons.

Since there still hasn’t been done any real scientific research, all that we can go with are the results people are experiencing.

The following statistics are based on a online questionnaire done in 1996 by Ariana Estelle Ph.D. which is based on the answers of 650 people living worldwide.

Why do they drink Kombucha?

-27% “General Maintenance”. They are not ill and do not want to be.
-10% Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia
-15% M.S., Hepatitis C, HIV, Cancer
-13% Arthritis, and related conditions
-10% Digestive problems
-6% Asthma, Allergies
-8% Hypertension & High Cholesterol
-10% Skin problems, psoriasis, acne, weight loss, various non life-threatening conditions.

What benefits do they report?
I made the ones I notice bold.

-81% Report a ‘feeling of well-being’.
-27% Better sleep patterns
-30% Weight loss
-81% Relief from constipation
-42% Relief from painful arthritis-type symptoms.
-21% Improvement in skin tone & condition
-9% Migraine relief
-17% Disappearance of ‘liver spots’
-12% Better concentration
-27% Relief of ulcer pain and digestive problems.
-5% Relief from nausea caused by chemotherapy
-8% Better condition of hair and nails
-4% Regrowth of hair
-7% Restoration of gray/white hair to original color
-12% Disappearance of pre-cancerous skin growths
-10% Removal of moles or skin tags
-6% Weight Loss of 20+ pounds
-24% Weight loss of 5-10 pounds
-13% Reduced caffeine cravings.
-17% Reduced sugar cravings
-2% People with cancer maintaining a ‘cancer free’ status for 5+ years
-6% People with cancer maintaining a ‘cancer free’ status for 1-4 years.
-3% People with cancer maintaining a ‘cancer free’ status for less than one year.
-44% Report experiencing increased energy
-8% Increased Libido
-13% Less cramping and discomfort during menstruation.
-19% Relief from symptoms of PMS
-7% Relief from symptoms of menopause.
-82% Report the resistance to colds & flu
-3% Increase in T-cells
-19% Allergy relief
-17% Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

So what has been scientifically proven?

Kombucha is basically a vinegar made with tea.

The proven pros of vinegar are :
-it lowers cholesterol and triacylglycerol,
-it reduces the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes (meaning that your blood glucoses level in your blood will spike less),
-it makes you feel fuller, so you will eat less,
-it can be effective in relieving heartburn.

The proven pros of tea are :
-it contains flavanoides, amino acids, vitamins (C, E and K), caffeine and polysaccharides,
-it’s improves the immune system,
-it’s contains anti-oxidants that protect cell membranes from oxidative damage,
-it prevents dental caries due to the presence of fluorine,
-it normalizes the blood pressure.

The cons

Make sure that you are healthy and if you are unsure, see your doctor before you start drinking it. Especially when you have a kidney or urinary tract disease.

In general :
-it can take a while to get used too,
-there is a chance that you’re allergic to it, as is with any food or drink,
-it can be dangerous when you have a kidney or a urinary tract disease because it’s a detoxer.

When you make it yourself :
- you have the risk of contaminating it, as with any food or drink, this can make you very sick and can even cause liver damage or death so make it at your own risk,
-it takes time to make.

Most people experience some side-effects when they first start drinking it due to the detox effect so it’s very important to start with a low dose of 1 ounce and built it up weekly to the dose of 8 ounce (a cup). When you experience any of the following side-effects then the best thing to do is to lower the daily intake until the side-effects disappear and only then start to slowly increase the daily intake again. If this doesn’t help then there is a big chance that you’re allergic to it and then it’s better to stop using it.

Common side-effects :
-upset stomach,
-being “gassy”,
-slight diarrhea,
-feeling sick.

How to make it.

Ingredients

* 1 Kombucha scoby
* 4 liters/1 gallon of water
* 6-8 tea bags or 6-8 teaspoons of tea (100% natural green, white, or black tea)
* 1.5 cups of white sugar
* 1 cup of Kombucha from a previous batch as a starter or 5 tablespoons of cider vinegar if you don’t have any Kombucha.

Equipment

* A 4 liter/1 gallon (food-grade) glass bowl
* A tea towel for covering the bowl
* A rubber band or piece of elastic to secure the tea towel
* A teapot or saucepan to make the tea in
* A measuring jug that can measure a liter
* A measuring cup to measure the sugar
* A strainer
* Some bottles or juice dispensers for storing the finished drink.

Important notes :

Make sure that everything is very clean when handling Kombucha. It’s a living culture, a complex system of bacteria and yeasts and you don’t want risk contaminating it. Use freshly cleaned hands, clean jars and clean non metallic implements.

Always use plastic or wooden utensils when handling the Kombucha since metal can kill it.

Making the tea

Make a pot of tea with the tea bags and leave it to brew for 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively add your tea to a saucepan and simmer it gently for 5 minutes.

Strain the tea into your measuring jug, add the sugar and stir it until it dissolves. Now let it cool down in the fridge for about 2 hours since hot tea can kill the culture. It should be no more than blood heat before you add it to your culture, so if it’s still too warm then let it cool down more before you add it to the bowl.
Making the brew

Add the starter.

Put the starter liquid from the previous batch of Kombucha into the bowl . If this is your first batch then use 5 tablespoons of cider vinegar as your starter, (It adds the acid environment the culture likes) or some commercial Kombucha if you have some. Once you’ve made your first batch you’ll have your own Kombucha to use as a starter on the next batch.

Pour the cool tea into the bowl.

Make sure your tea is cool before you add it to the Kombucha culture! Hot tea can kill the culture. It should be no more than blood heat before you add it to your starter.

Add the Kombucha scoby.

Pick up your scoby and slide it into the bowl. It will probably float but sometimes they sink. It will make no difference if it floats or sinks so don’t worry about it. If the scoby has a ‘dirty’ side where it’s darker in color and has beard like brown bits sticking to it then put that side facing down into the tea. The brown bits are yeasts.
Cover it and leave it to ferment

Put your tea towel over the bowl and secure it with a rubber band or a piece of elastic. This keeps contamination out of your culture. Fruit flies especially like the smell of Kombucha and can appear like magic out of thin air to lay their eggs in the scoby. So it’s important to cover it properly.

Put the bowl in a warm, well ventilated, shaded place (23°-30°C or 70°-86°F) like an open cupboard, on a shelf or near a radiator where it’s not in the way so you don’t have to move it.
And that’s it!

Checking The Brew.

The fermentation will take 5-14 days depending on the temperature. If you check your brew after 2 or 3 days you’ll notice a scum forming on the surface. It’s not scum at all; it’s the first thin membrane of your new Kombucha scoby.

Start tasting the brew after 4 or 5 days. Gently move the scoby aside and dip a spoon in to the liquid. When the Kombucha is ready it should be neither too sweet nor too sour. This is rather a personal taste and will depend on how much sugar you want left in the brew. Some like it sweet but others prefer it sour. It’s up to you, so test it every day until its the way you like it.

Storing the Kombucha tea

When the Kombucha is ready, with clean hands gently lift the mother culture and it’s offspring out onto a clean plate.

Strain the Kombucha into your measuring jug leaving behind about a cup in the bowl as a starter for the next batch.

Now fill your clean bottles with the Kombucha, label them and store them in a cupboard or the fridge. You can use any kinds of bottles or even a juice dispenser but some batches will be a lot fizzier than others and it’s a good idea to use pop bottles, like the Grolsh bottles, that have rubber gaskets on them. This kind of bottle will let out any excess pressure and prevent explosions!

After storing your Kombucha, make a second batch of tea for the culture and set your second brew to ferment.

Kombucha is ready to drink immediately, but storing the bottled Kombucha for a month or two will give you will give you an even better drink. This kind of bottle conditioning can improve the flavor as any home wine brewer will know. The sugar continues to ferment a little, giving you lighter, drier taste and producing more fizz.

The Kombucha will often grow little scobys on the top of the liquid in the bottles. This is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about but look out for them when you take your first mouthful!

You are now ready to drink your first home made Kombucha!

The Next Batch

Now you can make a second batch of sweet tea and when it’s cool add it to the bowl and the waiting starter. Then add your scoby and put the tea towel back over the bowl and put the bowl away to ferment.

For your first 2 or 3 batches it’s a good idea to use both the mother and the baby together until the new scoby thickens up. When they are new they can be paper thin. With each brewing a new layer will form on top and your scoby will get thicker. Then, when it’s somewhere between a quarter and a half an inch thick, you can gently separate the mother and baby and use the mother to start off a second brew.

Each scoby will grow with each brew, gradually getting thicker. You can leave them like this and occasionally peel of a layer from the bottom and discard it. Or you can separate them and either pass new scobys on to friends or store them as spares in another jar of sweet tea which you can keep in the fridge to slow down fermentation. It’s useful to have spares in case your active culture becomes contaminated and you need to discard the Kombucha and the scoby and start again.

Click here to buy a Kombucha Scoby on eBay.

My recipe is based on the one found here.

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