Materials and Research

I want to learn to home-brew my own kombucha because it has always been important to me to learn to make things from scratch. One reason being it can save a lot of money compared to processed foods and drinks. Another reason I find even more important is knowing what the foods and drinks are comprised of and being able to control what ingredients I am consuming. I would say on the continuum of the influence of self vs. society for me, striving to be healthy falls more towards individuality but is also influenced by the community I surround myself with. Most people I spend a lot of time with place an importance on health and what foods and drinks they consume. This shows the importance of both individuality and conformity in creating meaning in making kombucha from scratch.

To begin my journey making home-brewed kombucha, I have started out by collecting all the materials I will need and doing a lot of research on how to start kombucha at home from scratch (not using a SCOBY from someone else). Before I dive into the research I have done, I will talk a little about Kombucha for those who aren’t familiar. Kombucha is a fizzy fermented drink made from tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast (yay probiotics). The culture of bacteria and yeast creates a SCOBY which stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast, it is also often referred to as a “mother”. Next week I will be starting the process of making a SCOBY. In my time researching, the following are the materials I found I will need to make a SCOBY and brew kombucha:

• Water

• Sugar (don’t use honey when making a SCOBY, it can contain botulism bacteria)

• Black Tea

• Raw kombucha and more for the first fermentation (I am using GT’s brand, it is supposed to be an unflavored kombucha, but they do not sell unflavored kombucha in the local stores so I will be trying the ginger flavor.)

• 1 gallon glass jar (no metal or plastic)

• Thin cloth (tightly woven but needs to let air in)

• 1 large Rubberband 

• Flip-top bottles for the 2nd fermentation

A few important tips I learned in my research that will come in handy when brewing kombucha is to watch for mold on the SCOBY, this might happen if the acidity is not high enough- if it is moldy start over. I also learned it is important to only use black tea and do not use honey until the SCOBY is established and the good bacteria are prominent. I am excited to learn to make a SCOBY next week!

In beginning to learn a new occupation, brewing kombucha, the starting process has been largely calculative thinking because I have been doing a lot of research and coming up with a calculated way to make kombucha most successfully. Research and planning are important to starting something new, and in the case of kombucha, researching has taught me how to keep the SCOBY healthy and prevent growth of harmful mold or bad bacteria. I think as I gain experience with making kombucha my thinking will be split evenly between calculative and meditative thinking. I will be able to create my own varieties of kombucha and be more creative, but it will still be helpful to research and learn from others’ experiences.