When I started making kombucha, I worked up a scoby from the dregs at the bottom of a Remedy Kombucha bottle. Since then, my little scoby farm has grown SO BIG I've had to give away starters, sell them, divide into three huge separate brewing jars, and have even started thinking about what else a scoby could be turned into (the possibilities are endless!).

WHY KOMBUCHA?

Kombucha is chock-FULL of probiotics! I've already spoken on here about gut-health, and that supporting (sometimes rebuilding) thriving gut flora and your whole microbiome is SO vitally important for overall wellbeing. Probiotics are often taken as capsules (think "have you had your inner health plus today?"), but there are so many ways of packing your diet with gut-healing/supporting probiotics, particularly by eating (or in this case, drinking) fermented foods. You'll hear lots on this from me, and i'll keep giving you fun ferments to try as time goes on. Its important to note, usually I wouldn't promote using any kind of refined sugar (raw/organic or otherwise) in the way that I cook and in the way that I truly believe so many more of us should be eating. Refined sugar has been shown in studies over the last 10 years to be almost as addictive as some hard drugs (more on this later!), and contributes strongly to much of the chronic disease and chronic illness we see rising in society today --- fatty liver disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes... The thing about FERMENTATION is that the process undergone by the sugar in 'feeding' the good bacteria as it grows means that the sugar content is next to nothing (close to 1-2%) by the time the brewing and bubbling is complete.

When you start drinking kombucha, go easy! In fact, at any one time, you dont want to be drinking more than maybe 150ml of the stuff. Since there are so many GOOD living probiotic organisms in kombucha, some people will find that the first time they drink it they feel quite funny in the tummy, or end up not having a great time on the toilet. This is what's known as 'die-off', where the good bacteria is fighting off the bad in your gut and so you might have a bit of a detox reaction. DON'T FREAK OUT! DONT STOP ON THE 'BUCH! The same thing might also happen if you drink too much. So, be aware, and like any good thing --- enjoy responsibly!

BUT WAIT.... WHAT IS A SCOBY?

A scoby is the 'starter' or 'mother' you need to have to begin your kombucha process. I've often been told mine look like alien babies or creatures in jars sitting on my kitchen shelves. SCOBY literally stands for a 'symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast', which is the perfect way of understanding whats going on in a fermenting relationship where you 'feed' the scoby as a starter culture so that it will grow you good bacteria --- this is why kombucha becomes fizzy, and why it's important to use a cloth cover rather than a closed lid (BE WARNED, nobody likes an explosion!). You can get a scoby from anyone you know who already makes kombucha, or even buy or trade them online if you float around the right fermentation/health groups long enough.

Your scoby should always stay moist and in some kind of kombucha liquid (even the tiniest bit) to make sure it stays alive. Its the scoby that 'activates' and grows goodness in the drink, and it will grow with time!

THE PROCESS

Below are some instructions to get you started once you have a scoby starter kit in your hot little hands --- If you want to know more about these, shoot me a private message via my 'chronic co.' facebook page and I'll help you find someone close to you who can provide you with one, or will share some of mine!

Fill a large saucepan with 1L water (preferably filtered)
Throw in 3-4 teabags of organic black tea.
Add 1/3 cup organic raw sugar.
Bring to boil, then let simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring to make sure sugar dissolves.
Lift saucepan off heat and allow to cool. This may take 1hour or more, and is important to make sure you don't killl any of the good bacteria in your existing scoby/starter. You can add 200-350ml cold water to dilute the mixture and speed the cooling process).
Remove teabags and pour tea mixture into a large jar with your scoby and starter liquid.
Cover with cheesecloth/breathable cloth and elastic and leave out of direct
Leave for 7-12 days until slightly fizzy. Strain liquid into bottles to drink and repeat brewing process for a new batch!

(Recipe can be doubled/tripled once the Scoby grows larger for a larger batch)

FLAVOURING (Second Ferment)

A second ferment can be done to spice up your flavour, and this is where it gets really fun!

Remove your scoby and some liquid for a new batch, and leave fruit of choice in fermented kombucha mixture for 3-5 days.

Here's a few ideas and combinations I love to start you off:

Lemon and ginger
Orange and rosemary
Blueberry and lime
Apple and mint
Passionfruit
Cinnamon and ginger (using doterra essential oils)

HAPPY FERMENTING!

Be sure to tag @thechroniccollective as you share your brews!