How can I make my own Kombucha scoby?

[mykdsmomy]

I'm starting a new chapter in our house We're going GF/CF and I want to use Kombucha instead of yogurt (since yogurt is dairy). Is there a way to make it from scratch? Can I use any of the Kombucha from the health food store as a starter? thanks

[stilllearning85]

As far as I know you have to get the SCOBY from someone who already has one.

[WildIris]

Yes, you can definitely make one using Kombucha from the HFS as a starter. Before I started posting here, I lurked and read through many of the old posts looking for info on specific topics...one of those being Kombucha. Somewhere (sorry, can't tell you where) there were posts telling exactly how to do this. I think the person used GT's Raw Kombucha as their starter. Unfortunately I can't tell you in detail how they did it. But maybe you could do a search of the forum and find it.

Iris

[lotus.blossom]

I used the GT Daves to make my own scoby. I even used the green one with spirulina. I left about 2 inches in the bottom of the bottle and just put a paper towel on top secured with a rubber band to keep the fruit flies out. Left it alone for about 10 days and I had a scoby. Simple as that!

[WildIris]

April, and then what did you do with it after that? (I want to learn how to make Kombucha and need someone to hold my hand through it.)

Iris

[mykdsmomy]

I asked at the HFS tonight and the owner was skeptical of me doing it myself. She said it was kind of risky and while I could end up with good stuff, I could also have bacteria or what not that could make us sick (that didnt help my puking phobia...lol). I'm scared to try it now.....

[SageR]

I've done it - I used the NT recipe for kombucha - boil 3 quarts of water, dissolve one cup of sugar in that, pour over 4 teabags. Let that steep until cool and then pour in the bottle of kombucha. Cover the top of your container with a cloth secured with a rubberband. Let it sit in a cool out of the way place for 7 to 10 days (probably more now that the weather is cooler, which is ok as ime a longer, cooler brew time makes for a more mellow brew).

The resulting scoby was kind of thin, but it did work. When I amde the next batch instead of just adding 1/2 a cup of the kombucha plus the scoby to the new batch I added a full cup. GT Dave's kombucha is much stronger than homebrewed stuff so I think it must have more than enough culture to get things going.

I'm not *strictly* recommending this of course, just providing anecdotal success!

[lotus.blossom]

mykdsmomy- I think that your HFS owner would probably rather you pay $3.99per bottle than make your own for pennies! (thats how much ours is here) Since Kombucha isn't pasteurised I imagine your own kombucha would be just as safe as some that is brewed and bottled and shipped. Plus if you do enough reading online you can see pictures of a normal scoby versus a contaminated one. Its always a small risk when you brew the stuf at home but its worth it IMO.

and Sage listed the method that I used as well. It was a lot weaker than the GT Daves and I gave mine away so I haven't been able to try it again....but I hope to in the future when I am not nursing so much.

[Taedareth]

Originally Posted by mykdsmomy

We're going GF/CF and I want to use Kombucha instead of yogurt (since yogurt is dairy).

I wouldn't recommend substituting kombucha for yogurt in any recipes. I assume you mean you want to drink kombucha instead of eating yogurt, for the probiotic benefits?

[WildIris]

This is a bit disgusting, but I must share. Don't worry, it's on topic. Honest.

Over a month ago I made a fruit fly trap for my kitchen. I poured some apple cider vinegar in a glass jelly jar, along with a piece of rotting fruit, then covered the jar with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band...poked holes in the plastic, so the fruit flies can get in but can't get out. (The kids call it the Fruit Fly Hotel California and talk about how the fruit flies like the pool so much, they dive in and never leave. But I digress...sorry.)

Well, along with the ACV and piece of rotting fruit, I had also dumped the remnants of a store-bought bottle of GT Synergy Kombucha in there. Not much kombucha at all, maybe just the bottom inch or so left in the bottle.

The Fruit Fly Hotel California got pushed to a back corner of the kitchen counter and I hadn't looked at it for awhile. Today, I happened to look. Guess what else is floating in there, along with ACV and the now-really-rotten piece of fruit and the hordes of dead fruit flies? A SCOBY! I couldn't believe it. A double-layered scoby grew in there and is floating right across the top of the, um, pool.

Of course I will not use it to make Kombucha, since everything else in there looks absolutely disgusting...

...but I share this just to confirm that, yes, apparently you really can grow a scoby from a bottle of store-bought Kombucha! Even in less than stellar conditions.

Sorry for the grossness...

Iris

[MamaTessa]

Originally Posted by mykdsmomy

I asked at the HFS tonight and the owner was skeptical of me doing it myself. She said it was kind of risky and while I could end up with good stuff, I could also have bacteria or what not that could make us sick (that didnt help my puking phobia...lol). I'm scared to try it now.....

You wouldn't get a different bacteria than you would get with brewing your own at home from a scoby you get from someone. I say go ahead and make one, like PP said, I am sure the HFS owner just wants you to keep buying it.

If you just can't get yourself to make a scoby, I have 8 jars of kombucha going on my counter right now, so I throw away a TON of scoby's. If you want one I can send you one.

I just need some advice from other people that have shipped them on the best way to do so, as I haven't shipped them before.

[tanyalynn]

...but I share this just to confirm that, yes, apparently you really can grow a scoby from a bottle of store-bought Kombucha! Even in less than stellar conditions.

Thank you for sharing!! I have a bottle of kombucha from the HFS right now waiting in my frig for me to read the exact directions and make an attempt at growing my own scoby. And it was good to hear that it's not as hard to do this as I think. Yeah!

[WildIris]

I decided to try this, too, "for real" this time. Anyone else going to start one this week? We could have a Grow Your Own Scoby From Commercial Kombacha Club and compare notes throughout the process. :-)

I started mine yesterday. DH came home with two bottles of my favorite Kombucha (GT Dave's "Synergy" brand, raspberry flavor). I poured half of one bottle into a very clean (sterilized with boiling water) large glass measuring cup...covered it with a thin towel (secured with rubber band)...and found a quiet kitchen cupboard to set it in. It already had a big chunk of stuff floating in it, so hopefully that's the right stuff to form a nice, happy, healthy Scoby.

No idea how long it might take...

Iris

[stilllearning85]

WOW!! I never knew any of this!!! VERY COOL!

[gavinj77]

How did they turn out? I'm getting ready to try mine out and I was hoping someone had more insight. Maybe some recommendations. Thank you!

[WildIris]

Originally Posted by gavinj77

How did they turn out? I'm getting ready to try mine out and I was hoping someone had more insight. Maybe some recommendations. Thank you!

Gavinj77, there's a thread called Growing My Own Kombucha Scoby. It details my experiment and many other people's experiences as well. I've been successfully making kombucha for many months now from that one original scoby I grew from some store-bought kombucha.

Here's link to the thread: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=789879
I will bump it up as well.

[gavinj77]

Thank you!

Thanks for the information...you all are so helpful! I appreciate it!

Julie

[CrunchyFarmGirl]

I started my scoby from a GT's also. I have been brewing it with organic black tea at home and a few tries with white tea that have all worked great. However, based solely on my detox symptoms afterward my black tea kombucha is by far the strongest and then GT's and then my white kombucha (which tastes AMAZING, I used Rishi Organic White Peach tea). I'm curious if the probiotic content is different or if it's just the detox properties. Once I'm detoxed I'd love to just enjoy the white kombucha if it has just as many probiotics. Anyone know?