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I have been brewing my own kombucha for a few years, but it seemed that something was missing from mine that I tasted in other kombuchas. I recently bought a new batch of black tea imported from India and I immediately noticed a big improvement. I can't say what my old tea was, but it was a...

Some people have questioned the authenticity of my recipe, which is simple, quick and easy to do. But the resulting kombucha is absolutely the real thing. It has all the benefits and good taste of the finest kombucha. Once the first batch is created using a scoby, and letting the microbes...

What I could have said, more simply, is that he went away for a week, leaving the bottle unattended. The hospital visit is unrelated to the anecdote.

I'm using 2 liter plastic bottles which can swell up a bit when the cap is too tight, but they don't generally explode. The worst I've seen is a friend who started a batch, and went to the hospital for a week. The batch was ruined, but it didn't explode the bottle; it swelled up like a football...

I love the effervescence in my kombucha that comes from fermenting it in a bottle. With a bit of practice, the lid can work as a relief valve if you set it just right. At room temperature, it takes about 18 hours to ferment a 2 liter bottle of kombucha. I simply add a few ounces of my...

No doubt a sealed bottle would help to some extent. Colder temperatures would also help. I prefer to make my batches as I need them. The bottle swelling up is a good indication of the fermentation process. A bottle lasts about 10 days, and I make new batches accordingly.

I never gave much thought to gluten. I thought it only concerned a few people with certain sensitivities. I was disappointed to learn that it affects virtually everyone, including me. But when I eat bread or any of the cereal grains, it upsets my digestion. When I don't, i doesn't. Solid proof...

My kombucha goes flat in the fridge after about 2 weeks. It not only loses carbonation, but the sweetness is gone, as the sugar is apparently all digested. The color of the pomegranate juice also fades from a dark red to a pale pink at the same time. I'll experiment with lower temperatures. I...

No heat mat, just fermentation at room temperature. I'm waiting for someone else to try my recipe for confirmation. It really does work. The secret is simply to use part of the previous batch as culture for the new batch.

My kombucha keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator, but the plastic bottles swell up too much with gas, and eventually all the sugar is gone from the taste. Pasteurized kombucha will last many months, but killing the organisms defeats the purpose of kombucha. A pressurized vessel...

"More than one way to skin a cat" was a common expression many years ago, but what it means there's not always just "one proper way" to do most things. My streamlined method delivers excellent kombucha every time with minimal effort. I've made dozens of batches at this point, and the quality...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster I remember reading about this a few years ago. The test consisted of placing a piece of paper on your tongue with a bitter-tasting chemical on it, similar to that of hops. Only about 20% of the population could taste it.

I'm not claiming any authority, but honey has been used throughout history as an antibiotic. I'm not sure if the antibiotic properties of honey are well understood. I can't say what will happen in your batch, but I think all you can do is see what develops.

Mold is a sign that a batch has gone wrong. The dominant organism generally wipes out all the competition.

Hops aren't for me, because I can't stand the bitter taste. Apparently only 20% of the population can taste the bitterness, just like about 20% have some degree of color-blindness. It's just genetics.

I think fermenting kombucha produces most of the compounds that fruit flies find irresistible. I ferment mine in a closed plastic bottle. When the batch begins to effervesce rapidly, it's time to put it in the fridge. I solved my fruit fly problem with traps using cider vinegar, and a hand-vac.

Refrigeration is how I slow down fermentation. I don't think you can stop it without killing the organisms. The commercially bottled kombucha keeps for a few months in a sealed, refrigerated bottle, but it becomes a foaming nightmare if you let it rise to room temp for more than a few hours...

Adding chia seeds gives the drink a lot of fiber, which is exactly what you need to pass the kombucha through the stomach, into the intestines where it does the most good.

I brew black tea, very strong, any type. I let it cool down below 135F. I add 10% (of final batch size) chia seeds, shake them quickly so they don't go lumpy. Then I add POM juice in equal parts with the tea, shake again. Add a few ounces of your previous batch (or scoby) and 3-5 tablespoons of...

I started with a scoby, which took a long time to catch before it fermented the kombucha properly. Now I use a bit of the previous batch to inoculate each new batch, and it works great in less than 2 days every time. Nice effervescence and pleasant taste with just the right sweetness. Just as...