This is a brand new adventure we are taking up.. the wonderful world of blogging!! We think this is the best way to build a kombucha community here at http://www.getkombucha.com – the hopes is that this site grows as big as GetKombucha.com but that will only happen with your help. So post comments, questions, testimonies, advice, recipes, stories, and anything else that comes to mind.
Best,
Dave
Organic Kombucha 
hello
I was wondering if anyone knows if too much Kombucha can cause stomach cramping. I have been having gripping intestinal cramping and wonder if it is the kombucha?
Can it cause candida overgrowth or add to the problem if this is a yeast we are drinking. Seems to have kicked my candida into overgrowth.
I had the same trouble with my home brew kombucha. I believe I may have been letting it brew too long till it became pure vinegar. My stomach got very cramped each time I consumed it. I’ve stopped for several months now and my stomach is still cramping. I believe I may have damaged my stomach and don’t know when it’s going to heal. This never happened to me with the store bought Kombucha.
None of the kombucha advocates talk about this, but it must be a problem for some people.
Any body out there have and answer??
Chas
Hi- I have started drinking the tea and am wondering if it contains any caffine or amount of alcohol. Thanks
Hi Ron,
Kombucha contains as much caffeine as about a 1/4 to 3/4 of a cup of coffee, depending on how much tea you initially used to brew, and the type of tea used (black having more caffeine than green). It contains trace amounts of alcohol (about. .03 to 1%), about as much as a glass of orange juice that has been sitting out over night.
These questions are discussed more thoroughly in our free 7 Day Mini Course.
click here to sign up http://www.getkombucha.com
Is it normal to see some scoby growth,(slime) after firltering , and refrigerating? If so, how can I avoid it. If not, can you please tell me what I am doing wrong?
I just wanted Dave to know that I love the 7 course Kombucha email series! In the 3rd day course, you answered my burning question about the acidity of the Kombucha. My concern was alieviated when you said that it becomes alkaline upon ingesting it! Yea!
CURED FROM DIET PEPSI ADDICTION! ! !
Just wanted you to know that since brewing and drinking kombucha, I no longer crave or am addicted to the evil Diet Pepsi. Hurray!!!!
Hi Dave,
I just received my Deluxe brewing system. The stage that I am at at this very moment is as follows:
I am in the process of filtering water to test if my container has any leaks in it. Meanwhile, I have my SCOBY breathing in a glass bowl that I thoroughly cleaned out. (QUESTION: while I am waiting for my leak test to complete (six hrs. according to your prep instructions) how am I to store the SCOBY? I currently have the SCOBY breathing in a bowl with the cloth and band provided by you. Can I simply let it set out on a counter for the six hours, or do I need to refrigerate it? Thanks.
THe kombucha needs to be in a warm dark place for 7 to 10 days You can just make it in a gallon clear glass cookie jar from walmart/$7.00/ Then store in the frig….Refer to the natural traditions cookbook.
Is it o.k. to drink tea that has been sitting brewing for 6 weeks? It doesn’t have any mold growing on it.
I filtered it and put it in the frig, and used the mushroom to make another batch-is it o.k. to drink the next batch?
I am new to this! Thanks ,
wendy
Hi team!
We are featuring Kombucha in our upcoming Spring issue of Healing Lifestyles & Spas magazine and I’d like to talk with someone in Marketing at the company. Can you please help me with this?
202-441-9558
this tea really works. I generally only sleep an hour here and there but the kombucha has allowed me to get up to three hours at a time. this is a first since i left viet Nam in 1968.
it’s been nearly 2 years since your post about kombucha and your sleep since ’68. i hope this response finds you well.
there’s a web site, http://www.emofree.com which offers energy healing as a method of freeing ourselves from emotional
trauma which affects most, if not all, of our health issues.
it’s worth the visit to the site. my wife and i have been doing
EFT (emotional freedom technique) for a couple of years now and are SOOOOO much better off thanks to Gary Craig.
I wish you the best.
Thank you for your service.
Jim
I am wondering if the scoby becomes compromised {contaminated} is there a change in it’s appearance? I am wondering if my scoby is healthy. How do I distinguish between scoby do, and scoby don’t?
I’ve never made the tea, but like it lots. Don’t like $4.00 a bottle. But, before investing in this deal, please answer my question. If you buy the continuous brewing system, how long can the scoby/scobies keep ‘growin’ in the system? Indefinately? Won’t they eventually go ‘bad’? What if you have a period where you are gone for awhile or can’t stay caught up on drinking what you have, do you just let it sit for awhile and when you start back everything is just fine?
I’d like some specific answers if possible. I’m hanging on the breeze of never becomming a Kombucha making lady if I don’t fully understand what I’m getting into first. So, please help me, thank you.
I just brewed and bottled my first batch in the 5 gal. container. I am down to a very small amount in the container and not sure of the next step. It appears there’s maybe a half-gallon of brew left in the container.
To continue brewing another batch, do I leave the culture in the container (no touching so it stays clean) and pour all the ingredients over the culture? Or…do I remove and separate the culture from any remaining liquid and start over. I know it’s a continuous brewing system, but I am very new at this and a little unsure.
Thanks for any help on how to keep brewing.
Hi Ya,
Well, my tea has been brewing exactly 6 days now.
The mommy is still on the bottom of the jar (1 gallon glass).
I’m in north Texas, she’s in the top of my hall closet, and is covered with
a paper towel/rubber band.
I brewed in the same spot in 2000 and it was fine.
Should I add a heating element?
or
scrap this batch and start again.
Wait, let me get my ladder and go smell it……
MAYBE a little of that wonderful smell going on, but not much….
What do you think?more heat or start new..
Thanks, Laura
I understand that starter tea is brewed K-tea. So, what is concentrated K-tea? How do I make concentrated K-tea?
And, when I want K-tea for non-drink purposes ( like in a bath), do I use plain brewed tea or concentrate?
Thanks, Carroll
After some of my scobies get too big and I remove them from the brewer, I am wanting to save some of them for use on cuts or in hair tonic. What is the best way to preserve them over weeks or months? How long could I preserve them for?
Re: bottling of K-tea
I read in one of the recipes that I should not touch the bottles during the second fermentation process. But, in another place, I read to turn the bottles upside down and then immediately right side up, every other day, to prevent growth of a scoby on top.
Please clear up this confusion.
Thanks, Carroll
Hi,
I just got a little package in the mailbox today. Unfortunately, it sat in the cold (10 – 25 F) for a day b/c I was out of town and just got the mail now. Will it be OK?
Jen
Hello,
Since you do not ship to Canada, is it possible to pick up a set from your premises in California, when we are there next week on holidays?
Jack.
Thank you Dave for the 7 day course. Very helpful.
Help! Can you tell me how to avoid the big snot that grows in the bottle? I have just bottled by second batch of tea. I figured if I strain it twice it would prevent the snot. It did not. Can you tell me how to avoid this matter from appearing in my drink after it has been bottled? I would like to drink my tea rght from the bottle. Possible? I already know to remove the scoby with a tooth pick when poured into a glass. Any information on this? Please, please!
Thanks, Rosalie
If its on top, I pick it out with my finger. If its not, I try not to look and drink it. When I was buying bottled tea, I just strained the bottles before I drank them. The stuff is good for you so dont worry…I know though…its just the thought. lol
Sharon
I am using the Porcelain continuous brewing system for the first time and am about to test the mixture (today or tomorrow). Once the brewing is done and I bottle the Kombucha using the six bottles, how much sweet tea should I add to replenish the SCOBY?
Thank you,
Jonathan
Dear Dave.
I read in one of your emails that 1 part kombucha tea to 1 part baking soda mixed could be sprinkled occasionally on top of the scoby in brew tank to prevent mold grow? Is this true? I have been brewing successfully for about 2 months now. I have given one of my mothers away already. I don’t clean my tank just draw tea of the bottom and add more sweet tea on top. But when I look at the scoby it looks so gross. We live in Hawaii and I only have to brew for 4 days to get the right taste, not to vinegary. What would mold look like? and How would I khow I had it?
Kathie
Do you ever have to throw out the scoby and get a new one when using the continuous brewing system? If you go out of town and then get very busy and it sits for two months does all that have to be thrown away and a new culture purchased?
————–GETKOMBUCHA RESPONSE—————————————————–
Depending on conditions one of them being how long you ferment for, an additional SCOBY will produce on top of the existing one. If left unattended, the tea will become extremely stong, like kombucha vinegar, you can use it for house hold cleaning or shampoo astringent, etc. The SCOBY should be fine if it was submerged in the liquide, inspect it carefully for fuzz mold and if you see any discard.
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Hi,
My tea is very acidic after brewing for only three days. Any suggestions on what may be the problem and the cure please.
Don’t like the tea quite this acidic but want to make sure the sugar has been converted.
Thanks
Hello. Is it safe to use a ceramic crock? Will the acid in the kombucha leach out any lead into the liquid? According to the Mayo Clinic, this is so. But they basically warned people away from drinking kombucha over a few reported containination problems. They are sissies.
Thank you for making the Kombucha Mini Course available. Although my wife and I have been drinking Kombucha Tea for nearly a year, we found the course to be very interesting and informative. We reinforced the knowledge we already have and expanded on that knowledge by studying your material. You put together a very excellent study course that is easy to read and study.
The “coolest” thing we learned is that one can boil only a liter of distilled water instead of the entire gallon to prepare the brew. This will make the process more efficient and save some electricity in boiling only one liter.
We were a little disappointed in that there is no mention about the optimum amount of the brew that should be consumed on a daily basis.
We are considering the purchase of your Continuous Brewing System.
I have sent your home page website to a group of 27 eMail addresses that I send daily jokes and interesting websites. I hope some of them will be interested enough to learn how they can better the quality of their life. It could very possibly lengthen their life span.
Dave,
Can you tell me if the SCOBYS I received from you are the result of a latic-acid based or an acetic acid based brewing system. I am fighting OA and FMS and seeing some improvement. My health care professional is asking and I don’t know the answer. Thanks.
Pam in ID
Hey! I have a question for Dave or anybody else. I just finished letting my bottled Kombucha sit for about four days before placing in my refridgerator. I mixed a couple of my Kombucha bottles with a bit of juice for flavor. I swear to goodness there is a SCOBY floating on the top, at least that is what it looked like. I removed the SCOBY looking thing and tasted a small sip. It was very, very good and effervescent. Is this normal? I understand you can get strand like things in your Kombucha tea, but I didn’t know that you could grow a SCOBY after bottling your tea. Please advise. For now, I won’t drink it until after I hear from someone.
Hi, all! I just got my porcelain continuous brewer and I can’t wait to get started!
My question is this: Do I need to put the brewer in a dark place(like bottling)?
I know it needs air, so a closed cupboard/closet is not good, but I want to make sure it is sufficiently protected from damage while brewing. I also need to put it out of my cat’s reach, but I’m less worried about that. I’m thinking he’ll leave it alone due to the vinegar smell.
Thanks!!!
Question RE: Bottling
Aloha Dave! I have your 2.5 gal porcelain continuous brewing system- I love it, but am still learning here. On the 7th day of fermentation, I bottled my first batch when it was just starting to taste tangy. Then I put my bottles (glass “Grolsch” beer bottles with the awesome cap, very airtight) into a dark cupboard. I opened the first one after 4 days, expecting it to be nice and fizzley and it was flat! So waited a few more days before testing the next bottle, thinking it just wasn’t ready, and still FLAT! What have I done wrong? Did I bottle the K-tea too soon, and the little yeasties weren’t on a big enough roll to keep going to make it fizz? Or, did I wait to long, and there were no sugars left for them to feed on to make it fizz? Though, it wasn’t vinegary and was still sweet tasting, so I’m thinking it was too early. Please let me know, so I can bottle it correctly next batch and get my FIZZ ON! Otherwise, I can experiment by trial & error. Thanks Dave!
I am about to by the porcelain Kombucha brewer. I was wondering how often I will need to change the SCOBY? Do I keep using the same one over and over, or do I need to change to the new SCOBY after each use?
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Curt,
Glad you’ve decided to begin brewin in style with our Porcelain Continuos Brewer… detailed instructions are included with your kit, but to answer quickly you culture will def. thrive in our brewers.
when it gets to big for his bridges (like a 14 year old getting grounded for sneaking into the folks liquor cabinet).. you simply cut down or “peel” of the scoby. This happens about 2 to 4 times a year, that’s it!
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Nicole: It is a little bit of trial and error when first brewing but you will def get that fizzy goodness soon enough! I would suggest waiting a few days longer. Also if you bottle a bunch at a time, then simply open one a day to test the perfect waiting period… also try adding a raisin or two into the bottles.. this will cause a second fermentation when bottling which will cause more fizz.. just don’t over do it or you’ll have exploding kombucha everywhere 🙂
Deborah: As explained in the 7 Day course you want the SCOBY in a dark place.
Alaska: VERY NORMAL.. that actually means that your tea is packed with beneficial living yeasts and bacteria… uh, that’s a good thing 🙂
Curt: You would change only about 2 to 3 times a year! More detail is included with your kit.
To Everyone who has been sending us kudos for the course.. thank you thank you thank you!! can’t tell you how much me and the gang appreciate it!
Happy Brewin’
Dave
We LOVE kombucha, but in our quest to become “locavore’s” (eating local food as much as possible) it occurs to us that black tea and white sugar don’t fall into that category…… so, my question is: before the invention of white sugar, how was kombucha made?
thanks for any comments you might have…. you can respond directly to my email: landra@eoni.com
Dave, forgive me! When i was done with the mini-course, i sent you the feedback you requested, but i just read theblog, and i forgot to post my comments on there! my bad.
i cannot remember them in full, but I just want to say that i would encourage ANYONE to check out this 7-day mini-course! i have highly recommended it to several peeps. You can find things out here, there, & everywhere on the internet about Kombucha (!) but this is the place to be for consistency and answers. I learned so much, & it made me not afraid to try making it myself!
Was concerned cuz:
#1 the Mom I was given was so ugly. (now I see she is beautiful)
#2 afraid I would do it “wrong” and poison myself! Learning the detaiIs in this format made me feel ok about trying it. I ordered some great tea from you, and off I went! Happy ever since. (got a book from the library, and bought another book, about brewin’ your own, but this course was the best.) I am looking forward to the advanced course!
How to improve the course?? Some peeps already have a Mother when they take the course, but you could offer a Scoby at a big discount, for 1st-timers.
Also, go more in to what to do if you are gone and forgot about your little Scoby brewin’ for an extended time, say a couple of months, like I have heard of people doing
The thing I enjoyed the most was: ALL the information in one concise spot. The format and language made it more friendly and not so dry, as some info can be. I liked the link to the 30 Day Challenge, and the link to the Master Cleanse.
Kudos!
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Thanks for the comments, actually we request that you send them to feedback@getkombucha.com but here works great too.
Hi There!
I’m wondering whether or not to refrigerate my tea after filtering it. Does it matter?
I was wondering if there is any research on drinking K-tea while pregnant?
i am really happy that i stumbled on to this course on the internet i had just started brewing and i found out i was not doing all things the right way i would recomend that any one that likes the tea shoul take the course they will be glad they did
If my kombucha tastes vinigary after 7 days fermenting, what can I do to avoid the viniger flavor and acquire the sweet taste?
Do I need to add more sugar? I add one cup of sugar to 7/24oz spring water bottles and 12 bags of tea…….(4 green tea, 8 lipton)
I just started brewing after taking your coarse. This stuff is goooooddd. I brewed my first batch and wanted to bottle before it turned to vinegar. I had a few mason jars with caps and thought i would use them. My gal jugs have a spigot on them so i drained it off the bottom. I filled it to the ring on the jar and screwed the lid on. I then set them aside and brewed a new batch. About 3 days later i decided to tap the first jar. As i began to pour it out i had a clear slimy chunk of something flop into my glass. I dumped it into the sink and saw what looked like the begining of a scoby. Or is this something else. How do i prevent these from forming in the bottles. So far every bottle i open has one of these in it. I pour half of the mason jar into a glass and cap the rest for tomorrow. When i pour the remaining contents of the mason jar the next day it has another one of these in it. It seams to form over night. What is happening here. Should i be drinking out of these bottles or should i stop. I just reciently purchased some 12 oz. screw cap bottles i’d like to use but would like to open one without having this slimy glob fall into my friends mout unsuspectingly. Thanks Bob Mac
Bob I get a babie in all my 16oz jars also. I read somewhere if you move the bottles alitle daily a babie wont form. I was just drinking mine : ~ @ hope that is/was okay. I asked about it also on here.
Still not quite clear on whether I just add new brew to a small ammount of tea left in the brewer? I just bottled most of my first batch. Love it!
How can I keep my tea warm enough? I read that you can’t use a heating pad or put it where it vibrates. I live in Colorado and turn my heat down at night to about 64. Can it sit by a little radiator in a closet, or a heating lamp?
==========================GET KOMBUCHA RESPSONSE =================
WE SUGGEST YOU PICK UP A HEAT MAT
http://www.getkombucha.com/heatmat.html
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O.K. so I figured it out myself, I think! I just added… But, I also got the Yerba Matte and brewed 1/2 & 1/2. Seems to be working fine and much quicker than the original batch. I tasted today(mmmm…) and bottled a few to sit.
I heard about the many great benefits of kombucha for years and thanks to Dave, I have now been given an oppurtunity to learn how to brew it myself. The course is excellent and easy to follow. I can’t wait to try it out and reap the rewards of the Kombucha!
I was wondering if herb teas can be used with the same results? Sasafrass too maybe?
I see people using plastic and glass to bottle after brewing. Is one more beneficial? Could plastic leach after the brewing process is complete? Thanks
I am VERY excited, my brewing system will be here tomorrow! yippie! however, I keep reading the instructions on getting started and I am still a bit confused.
I get the sweet tea thing, but what is “starter tea”? Do I buy the K-tea at the store and use that? please help…
marla
Hi.. this is Marla. I guess I was a bit impatient. I got the whole package and figured it out.
My first batch is not very good, I must say. I know that my house is cold so I put it inside my oven, which is gas and stays relatively warm when I am not using it. That seems to be working. Since I only brewed 1 gallon to start, I am brewing another because the level is down to the spiket already… I didn’t get any bottles out of it. Maybe I tasted it too much? I don’t think so… anyway… I going to keep trying.
Marla
Hello there, Happy Fool’s Day!!
The saleswoman watched as a teen-ager twirled in front of the mirror.
“I adore this dress!” bubbled the girl. “It’s absolutely perfect! I’ll take it!”
Then the young shopper paused thoughtfully, “But in case my mother likes it, can I bring it back?”
Happy April Fool’s Day!
How to navigate this website? Is there a central hub thaT POINTS TO ALL THE, OOPS CAP LOCK IS ON, there that is better, as I was saying is there a central location to find all the comments etc.?
Merritt
Trying to find out if 90 to 100 deg. is going to kill my scoby?
On very hot days it can become that hot in my house.
No air conditioning unfortunately.
Thanks anyone
I bought the deluxe kit, and I bottled my first tea (4 bottles) as the video told me to do. Then I waited 2.5 days to fix my next tea. I made the 1.5 gal as in 1st batch. When my husband was pouring in I did not stop him fast enough so my brewer is now too full. It would only hold about half of my tea. Now what should I do? Was I not supposed to make this much sweet tea? I do not want this to happen again. I am afraid my scoby will die due to no oxygen. Help!
yes.. simply cut the recipe to suite your needs,,, if you filled to high, simply drain some out and discard. next time feel free to bottle all the way to the spigot line. 🙂
I have started drinking kombucha already bottled. I have noticed an improvment in the way I feel. I have been reading your lessons and think your lessons very informative. I have learned alot. when I get a culture I will brew my own. It seems to me that making kombucha is like the process of brewing beer