New Thing- Brew Kombucha Tea
Inspiration: Ellyn
Time: About half an hour
Bottom Line: Primal Brewing
Reflection: Yesterday, we got to visit our favorite family Ellyn, Andrew, Phil, Margaret, Anna and Katheryn! On top of that, Kim and Andy came over! Yeah! While we were there, Ellyn shared with me a part of her kombucha culture (a "baby" off of her "mother" as the terms go). Here is a little bit about kombucha:
The kombucha culture is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, comprising Acetobacter (a genus of acetic acid bacteria) and one or more yeasts. These form a zoogleal mat.The container is often covered with a closed-weave cloth to prevent contamination by dust, mold, and other bacteria, while allowing gas transfer ("breathing"). A "baby" SCOBY is produced on the liquid/gas interface during each fermentation. The surface area is the most favorable location for both aerobic bacteria on the top of the new "pancake" and anaerobic bacteria on the bottom. The surface area also has ideal concentration of oxygen for the yeast in the matrix to propagate readily. After a week or two of fermentation, the liquid is tapped. Some liquid is retained for the subsequent batch to keep the pH low to prevent contamination. This process can be repeated indefinitely. In each batch, the "mother" culture will produce a "baby", which can be directly handled, separated like two pancakes, and moved to another container. The yeast in the tapped liquid will continue to survive.
With Ellyn's baby, I started my own brew today and I am looking forward to starting to drink a glass a day for the health benefits. Andrew said, "there is something weirdly primal about that thing" and I have to agree, but I still love this stuff. Thanks, Ellyn!!
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