GNOWFGLINS™

As with any experiment I undergo, my first attempt begs for improvement!

The Kombucha (half honey-half molasses) was too tart by the time we started drinking it. Now this could be because there wasn’t enough sweetener at the beginning, or because I let it go too long. Jeff and I both wanted to see how tart we could get it with it still tasting good. We went too far. Also, it was flat. None of the effervescence that I saw in my friend’s Kombucha. So what I did was bottle it up in quart Mason jars with 2 tablespoons of agave added per quart. Now we are drinking it and it is pretty good. However, lesson learned. The molasses imparts a flavor that is not our favorite, although it is not bad, really. I wonder if using 25 or even 10 - 20 percent molasses would add benefits yet not be flavored too strongly? I will try it soon.

The other gallon of Kombucha (sweetened by honey only) turned out pretty tasty. But, it too was flat. I wonder if this is because 1/2 the amount of honey as sugar is just not enough sweetener to feed the scoby? Or, perhaps my scobies are just young and this is flatness is a symptom of the starts needing time to develop. I have been reading online but haven’t found an answer to these questions. Yet. I did bottle up this batch, too, and we are drinking it.

I have been reading more online about Kombucha. I have a few concerns. I gather that it controversial whether Kombucha is good for children or not. So for the time being, my children are not drinking it, until I figure out more. Right now, the kids are happy with that as their first taste was that very tart molasses batch! I also read that Kombucha will lower your blood pressure. Since I already have low blood pressure, perhaps this isn’t good to drop it more? It does explain the dizziness that I feel when drinking it. I seriously have to sit or lay down right afterward. Will this go away over time as I adjust? I feel that the health benefits are so great that I should continue drinking it. Right now, Jeff and I are drinking two glasses a day and trying to drink more water too, since the Kombucha really flushes out one’s body.

I am intrigued by the thought of continuous brewing Kombucha in a crock. I saw a crock online for 170-some dollars! Oh, my, that is expensive! The thing that bothers me about this method is that I wouldn’t be able to see inside to check on the scoby’s health. What if mold was growing? What if there were those vinegar bugs?

On the other hand, at Uline, one can buy glass gallon jars for a little over $4 each including shipping. That is based on purchasing 12 jars. We decided not to buy stainless steel water bottles at this time, to just make do with glass. So I could buy gallon jars for Kombucha instead. If we ever went to the continuous crock method, the gallon jars would be very useful in my pantry. I could finally get rid of the last remnants of plastic storage I have.

One thing on my list to get are pH testing strips. I would like to take readings of the Kombucha as it “cooks” to nail down how it tastes at its optimum pH (around 3.0). If I could know better what my aim is, I would feel less like I’m aiming in the dark.

I’m now “cooking” my next 3 gallons. They are all entirely sweetened with agave. I used the same amount agave as I would have white sugar.

If anyone has any tips for me, I’d love to hear your thoughts!