Introducing KB Kombucha...

The fact that I'm now brewing my own Kombucha might mean that I've started the icky descent into hippydom.  In fact, it is basically proof of that.  Call it a late-20s-about-to-turn 30 crisis of identity, or evidence that I've been spending too much time in Portland, OR.  Either way, I blame Sharon Shattuck, mostly because she gave me the scoby that started my great experiment. 

"What is a scoby?", you might be asking yourself.  Well, it is a yeasty culture that turns sugary tea into sparkling kombucha by eating the sugar and giving off CO2 as a byproduct.  Also, it looks like a giant, flexible piece of mold, and feels like you're petting a dolphin (see above).  It is one of those things that made me wonder about who would look at a scoby and think "Man, I want to drink the water that that has been sitting in!"  The answer is clear.  Only a hippy. 

It is incredibly simple to make kombucha.  First, you boil about a gallon of water, and add 5-7 tea bags (I chose jasmine green tea).  Let the tea steep  for about 15 minutes.  During this time, add about 1.5 cups of sugar (this is a rough approximation).  Make sure the sugar dissolves completely.  Now, let your tea cool to room temperature,  put it in a glass jar, and add the scoby with a bit of the "starter tea" that came with the scoby. 

 Cover the jar with a piece of cloth and put a rubber band around the top to keep unwanted contaminants from entering your kombucha.  

Wow, it's already looking so delicious!  But unfortunately you'll have to wait awhile before you can enjoy your sparkling mold water.  How will you manage? 

Once the kombucha culture is added to the tea, it should not be moved or disturbed for about 10 days.  I opted to put mine in the corner and cover it with a dish towel so it doesn't look like there is a moldy jar of pee sitting in my kitchen.  Dregs that look like mold tentacles will start to appear, and a new scoby may begin to grow.  This is normal, and many websites insist that the mold tentacles are the most healthy part of the kombucha (blechhhh!)

Your kombucha is almost done!  Now you must put it in a bottle with a tight cap to allow it to carbonate, and wait another 5 days for it to be ready!  I strained mine as I bottled it to remove the healthy mold tentacles that I prefer not to consume no matter how beneficial they might be.   I also added raspberries to mine at this stage.  What an adventure!

Flying Trapeze- Straddle Flip

Check out my latest trick at TSNY's Governor's Island rig on opening weekend!  Laura on board, Dave on lines, Jason catching.