This is a presentation I did for the ALEiens Homebrew Club on Kombucha.

1. ALEiens March 2013 Meeting
how to make
KOMBUCHA

2. Talking Kombucha
What Is Benefits of How to Make
Kombucha? Kombucha Kombucha

3. What is Kombucha?

4. Kombucha is an effervescent
fermentation of sweetened tea that
is used as a functional food.

5. What Makes Up Kombucha
Kombucha is brewed with 3
major ingredients.
• Tea
• Sugar
• Water
The sweet tea is then
fermented by a Symbiotic
Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast
Better known as a SCOBY

7. S.C.O.B.Y. – What’s In a SCOBY
Acetobacter (bacteria)
produces acetic acid &
gluconic acid & cellulose
Brettanomyces (yeast)
produces acetic acid and alcohol
Pediococcus (bacteria)
produces lactic acid
Saccharomyces (yeast)
produces alcohol Lactobacillus (bacteria)
Produces lactic acid
Plus dozens of other beneficial bacteria, enzymes, and
yeast.

8. A Sip of Kombucha Contains
Organic Compounds: Probiotic Live Cultures:
• Acetic acid • Acetobacter
• Butyric acid • Brettanomyces
• B-vitamins • Pediococcus
• Ethanol • Lactobacillus
• Gluconic acid • Saccharomyces
• Lactic acid • Candida
• Malic acid • Schizosaccharomyces
• Oxalic acid • Torulaspora
• Usnic acid • Zygosaccharomyces

9. What Does Kombucha Taste Like?
Depends a lot on time, ingredients, and
cultures
• Sweet to Sour
• Vinegary
• Fruity
• Herbal
• Funky
• Fizzy

10. History of Kombucha
• Originated in North East China in 221 B.C.
– Chinese called it “Remedy for Immortality”
• 414 A.D., Dr. Kombu from Korea brought
Kombucha to Japan to treat the Japanese
Emperor Inkyo.
• The spread through Russia, Europe, and India

11. Benefits of Kombucha

12. First, A Warning
The health benefits of Kombucha have not be
researched fully. Many people claim it is a wonder
drink, while others feel it may cause harm.
I fall in the middle. I don’t believe it is harmful
unless ingested in extreme amounts, but I also
don’t believe it is a drink that will cure all disease.

13. What Are Some
• Boosts Energy
Claimed Benefits
• Improves Digestion
Kombucha contains
beneficial bacteria in the • Strengthens at a Cellular level
form of Lactobacillus • Prevents Acid Reflux
Acidophilus, as well as dozens
of other probiotic strains. By • Assists With Weight Loss
ingesting Kombucha, we can
increase the amounts of good
• Improves Sleep
bacteria to maintain a • Relieves Constipation
healthy digestive tract.
Kombucha has been known to • Strengthens and restores hair
possess anti-viral, anti- • Beautifies the skin
bacterial, and anti-fungal
components which make it an • Improves Circulation
powerful addition to the
health conscious individual.
• Removes toxicity from the body
• Improves eyesight
• Eases the pain of arthritis

14. What Are Some
Claimed Negatives • Allergic and Toxic reactions
• Bacterial Illness
• Liver Damage
• Lead Poisoning
• Contains Alcohol (up to 2%)
• Stomach Ulcers

15. How to Make Kombucha

16. First You Need a SCOBY
• A SCOBY is easy to grow from a bottle of Raw
Kombucha
• Many internet sites sell Kombucha Kits with a
SCOBY. Even many on eBay.
• Find someone local with a SCOBY. (Craigslist)

17. How to Grow Your Own SCOBY
• Brew a gallon of tea
• Add a cup of sugar
• Let cool to room temperature
• Add 2 bottles of GT’s Original
Organic Raw Kombucha
• Cover container with tight
cloth
• Keep warm – 70F to 80F

18. How to Grow Your Own SCOBY
• In about a week or
two, a young
SCOBY will be
forming.
• Wait about a
month for it to get
about ¼ to ½ inch
thick.
• You now have a
SCOBY. Warning: don’t drink the SCOBY starter
tea. It will be very vinegary.

19. Making Kombucha – The Tea’s
Good for Kombucha Bad for Kombucha
• Black Tea • Tea’s with Oils –
• Oolong Tea Earl Grey, Chai Tea,
• Green Tea Flavored Ceylon
• Red Tea (when mixed) • Herbal Teas
• White Tea (when mixed)

20. Making Kombucha – The Sugar
Good for Kombucha Bad for Kombucha
• Plain Table Sugar • Sugars that contain
• Evaporated Cane Molasses
Crystals – Brown Sugar,
• Pasteurized Honey Rapadura, Sucanat,
Turbinado, Raw
Sugar, Molasses.
• Agave
• • Corn Syrup

21. Equipment for Kombucha
A Fermentation Vessel

22. Fermentation Process
Traditional Batch Continuous Brewing
• Every batch is drained • Only 25% of Kombucha
and sweet tea added. is removed and
• This is like most home replaced with sweet
brewers. tea.
• Can change tea/sugar • This is more like a
combo any time. Solara Method is home
brewing.
• More complex flavors
and nutritious.

23. Fermentation Tips
• Temperatures can range between 70F and 85F.
Different flavor profiles can be achieved with
temp.
• Use a clean towel on top of opening to allow
oxygen to help ferment, but leave dirt and dust
behind. Secure with rubber band.
• A new SCOBY will form with every brew. Store old
SCOBYs in a SCOBY Hotel. A separate vessel full of
just aging SCOBYs.
• Be clean and sanitary.

24. Adding Flavors and Bottling
• I add fruit juices and flavors at bottling, using the
sugars from the juice to help with bottle
conditioning and carbonating.
• Use fresh juice when possible.
• Avoid juice with preservatives.
• Can add different combos and amounts of juice
and herbs to individual bottles for easy
experiments and recipe creation
• Test bottles after 3-4 days for carbonation levels
until level is achieved. Then refrigerate to stop
the process.

25. Sample Plain Kombucha Recipe
- 3 Quarts of Water
- 1 Cup Organic White Sugar
- 5 Organic Black Tea Bags
- ½ Cup of Kombucha from a
previous batch
- 1 Kombucha SCOBY

26. Find Out More About Kombucha
• www.kombuchakamp.com
• www.culturesforhealth.com
• shop.kombuchabrooklyn.com