Kombucha - does it really help and how the heck do I make it?

I'd love to get some feed back from fellow members who have experience with Kombucha, either the health benefits you have ACTUALLY experienced or your expertise in making it.

There is so much conflicting information out there about Kombucha. I found this blog which sucked me in but left me just as confused. I guess what i need is "Kombucha for Dummies" LOL!

If I do try this, where in the world do I get the scoby? Are some sources better than others? Is store bought Kombucha any use whatsoever? Can I get sick if I don't make it properly at home?

Help?

Thanks ATS!

reply to post by kosmicjack


I have seen people selling their scoby's on craigslist...you may have some folks in your area willing to split it up...post something in the wanted section..or you can look up kombachu brewing kits...good luck...

I have tried it several times and like vitamins-whose to know if it's really working or not considering you are a healthy person..I'm starting to put turmeric in my tea now...Kombachu is pretty tasty almost apple like with a sugary tartness but the scoby looks like it comes out of a clogged drain..

reply to post by chrismarco


LOL! I don't think I'll be buying a zoogleal mat from a dude on craigslist. No telling what I might really wind up with.

chrismarco
but the scoby looks like it comes out of a clogged drain..

Exactly.

reply to post by chrismarco


I've been using an organic raw store bought. It tastes...okay..but I don't think it's doing anything for me.

reply to post by kosmicjack


I purchased my original scoby's on ebay from a very reputable seller. Reasonable price, and full instructions came with the *mother*.

That was about a year and a half ago. I've easily kept it going, and make new tea with no problems. There are a lot of sellers on ebay. Read the feedback on a seller for a good one. I always sterilize my jars before making a new batch.

Des

reply to post by Destinyone


But do you feel like it has helped you at all? What made you want to try it?

reply to post by kosmicjack


Hey Kosmic, I found this on Amazon. It has 4 out of 5 stars in the review section. Here is the link if you want to check it out.

Other than that, you brought up something I knew nothing about!

Scoby live culture

reply to post by kosmicjack

When I lived in a co-op filled with 'hippies' they all swore by it and made it regularly. Unfortunately I never got involved in the process, but I will shoot a message to them and get some info and personal experience to share with yah

reply to post by seeker1963


So you can see why I might be a bit apprehensive... what the heck is it!? The Blob? Thanks though.

reply to post by kosmicjack


I go through what I consider health fads quite often and to my wife's dismay...wheat grass, apple cider vinegar, colostrum, royal jelly etc...and I have yet to see any huge benefits...I wish I never heard of the placebo effect

I'm considering plunking down some big dough and purchasing a vitamix...I think the raw vegetable route is the way to go (I say this as I drink a Dr. Pepper)..

reply to post by kosmicjack


lol!!! It does look disgusting, but I am quite sure we all have eaten a lot worse without even knowing about it!

reply to post by chrismarco


Me to. I'm a health nut. But, I don't know if any of it works.

I do read everything I can about something before I try it...but this Kombucha thing has me totally confused. I'm just not sure...

reply to post by kosmicjack


Link to Andrew Zimmer trying it out...

Link

Sorry fast forward to about 3 min

reply to post by kosmicjack


Well I can tell you I drink their kombucha quite a bit. Just never made it myself. The flavor depended on what they flavored it with. Usually they added fruit juices. Wasn't bad. As for health. It didn't kill me

kosmicjack
reply to post by Destinyone

 

But do you feel like it has helped you at all? What made you want to try it?

I got into the Kombucha craze about 20 years ago when I lived in N. Ca. where it got a foothold in the subculture as the new treatment for some cancers. When I moved to where I am now, I stopped making it. Over a year ago, I decided to start making it again. It's not a mushroom, but a yeast bacteria.

From Cancer.org site...a lot more info there too.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sweetened black tea with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria called the "Kombucha mushroom". It is not actually a mushroom, but is called one because of the shape and color of the sac that forms on top of the tea after it ferments. The culture used in Kombucha tea varies, but consists of several species of yeast and bacteria. It may include Saccharomycodes ludwigii, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Bacterium xylinum, Bacterium gluconicum, Bacterium xylinoides, Bacterium katogenum, Pichia fermentans, Candida stellata, and Torula species, among others.

Because there are several types of yeast and bacteria that can grow under these conditions, different Kombucha brews may contain different types. Since cultures and preparation methods vary, Kombucha tea may contain contaminants such as molds and fungi, some of which can cause illness. After the tea is made, it is usually highly acidic and contains alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, and lactate.
Overview

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that Kombucha tea promotes good health, prevents any ailments, or is works to treat cancer or any other disease. Serious side effects and occasional deaths have been linked with drinking Kombucha tea.
www.cancer.org...

Though not approved by the Cancer society, the data is too scattered for true clinical research results. On my own, I decided that I did get a mild energy boost from it, and I like the flavor. Use a high quality tea when making it. Lipton tea bags are not suitable as far as I'm concerned.

Some people swear by it, and have made some pretty outrageous claims. You must decide for yourself.

Des

reply to post by chrismarco


I knew I thought I saw something about this somewhere!!!! Thanks for posting that link!

I am on the hunt!

I found this site with 50 recipes on how to make your own!

How To Make Soda Kombucha And A Collection Of 50 Kombucha Recipes

reply to post by Destinyone

I got into the Kombucha craze about 20 years ago when I lived in N. Ca.

Which is where I was when I had exposure to it! Davis, right outside Sacramento.

Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by Destinyone

 

I got into the Kombucha craze about 20 years ago when I lived in N. Ca.

Which is where I was when I had exposure to it!

Davis, right outside Sacramento.

Palo Alto...

Des

reply to post by chrismarco


Wow - that Kombucha maker is so full of woo! LOL! He plays music for his Kombucha as it ferments.

reply to post by Destinyone


Where do you store it while it's fermenting? Do you flavor yours with anything? What do you use to sweeten it?