Kombucha - I'm torn

[thatoneguy]

I'm interested in making my own kombucha, but it really bothers me that you have to boil the water to steep the tea. And it also bothers me that you have to use a cup of white sugar. I know the scoby eats the sugar, but I've read that it only eats most of the sugar (not all).

I keep debating with myself. Part of me doesn't want to get into it because it's not a raw food (boiling tea / using white sugar). The other part of me thinks it's okay since the end product is a living food.

Then I say things like, well if it's good enough for people like David Wolfe and Matt Monarch then it's good enough for me (since they are part of my inspiration).

I'm taking 09 to transition to raw. I'm going to go raw on 1-1-10. I'm thinking about experimenting with it during my transition and then deciding if I want to continue when I'm raw.

Is kombucha okay on a raw food diet???

Is there a way to make truly raw kombucha???

Do any of you 100%ers make kombucha? Are any of you opposed to it?

I truly am torn. It's not raw, but it is living.

[RawSar]

There's people on here that make it or buy it and drink it
I don't.
I've been curious to try it to see what its all about and why some people are all over it.

There are other living things like sprouts that you can eat, all you have to do is grow them. :)
As for the probiotic stuff, there are other ways besides eating/drinking something that is rotten. :p
I take a vegan supplement and I try to keep things like garlic and onion for special occasions only. But this is just me :cool:

[Springtime]

Is kombucha okay on a raw food diet???

Is there a way to make truly raw kombucha???

Do any of you 100%ers make kombucha? Are any of you opposed to it?


The question is not wheather it is right or wrong according to some kind of raw norm, but wheater you feel like drinking it or not. It's your kind of raw you wanna do, not anyone elses.

if you wanna try it just go ahead! don't waste precious loving energy on worrying what is right or wrong for you. once you get it into yuor system (the kombucha, i mean) your body will tell you wheather it is right or wrong for you.

peace

[RawSar]

Where and who is the raw police ?

[spicyfull]

Have you drank any before?

[klomasius]

Ok, having some brewing experience (though not with kombucha) and knowing a little about micro-organisms(my degree is in microbiology) I'm almost certain that kombucha can be made 100% raw.

I've been meaning to make kombucha for ages and had the mother in the fridge for a month or so and my housemate threw it out! :mad: he had no idea what it was.

All the culture needs is a source of energy, some kind of carbohydrate source to utilise in order to grow. I'm quite certain some kind of raw sweetener can be subbed for the white sugar.

The tea probably needs to be boiled because of contamination issues, but I do know that if you boil equipment only and keep a good level of hygiene surrounding the brew that most fermentation processes will remain contamination free (or only have non impacting contaminations that don't change the taste). You could make a sun tea and try this.

I have made lovely homemade wine using fresh grapes and the natural yeasts found on them. And if I had the time I'd experiment with kombucha to try and make it completely raw. It's just that time constraints right now mean I can't test my theory.

[walnutty]

I LOVE it! Drinking it has improved my digestion and eliminations immensely. My gut loves all that good bacteria!

[thatoneguy]

Thanks, guys! I guess I'll just have to start making it and decide for myself if I want to incorporate it in my diet.

Have you drank any before?
I drink GT's all the time! I was wanting to make it myself, though, since it would by much cheaper.

[Stina]

Just be honest with yourself with how it's affecting you. I used to drink it and feel unpleasantly wired. I worked at a health food store and saw many people seem addicted to it. A few kids informed me that their mom's would drink it and yell at them. The sugars of kombucha resemble an alcoholic impact on the brain. Some people are sensitive to that; others get health benefits. I no longer enjoy feeling stimulated. I'd probably drink it for special special occasions, maybe going out to see live music.

[thatoneguy]

Thanks, Stina!

All I gotta do now is buy or grow a scoby and then I'll get started.

- Matt

[Colorawdo girl]

Default
Where and who is the raw police ?
________ This is it!!! You got it!!!

I laughed my head off when I copied this and it copied "default" word with it. I said that is perfect. Life is so hilarious.It is not default if you look what is good for you, it is your default if you follow rules of others...hahahaha.

[RawSar]

hahaha. This is exactly what I think every time I see a post asking 'is this ok' 'is that ok' .. lol

There is no raw police you do whatever feels good to you :)

[raweater]

I tried making some once but failed (my starter was pasteurized and I only learnt this after starting). You also don't have to, and shouldn't, use white refined sugar. So called "raw" "whole" sugar (this so called "raw" sugar is still cooked at extremely high temperatures, it's not "our" meaning of raw at all, it's raw as in unrefined) will work too without the toxic chemicals used to bleach white sugar.

[dread head vegan]

i've heard of some people using agave in place of the sugar.

[ambiguous]

You don't have to boil the tea, and you can use unrefined sugar or agave.

[thatoneguy]

You don't have to boil the tea, and you can use unrefined sugar or agave.
You don't have to boil the tea? How do you steep it then? I thought the boiling water was how you get rid of the impurities.

I read that white sugar is the "best" thing to use, but I'll use a raw alternative (like agave) when I make it.

I'm really interested now, lol.

[raweater]

I'm quite sure tea leaves are already cooked, so you're probably not loosing anything by boiling it and in fact may be extracting more of the nutrients that survive the cooking than a cold extraction would do.

[thatoneguy]

I'm quite sure tea leaves are already cooked
Oh, really? I didn't know that.

There's a kombucha book at a used book store I go to. I'll probably buy it soon and start doing it.

I'm going to try to grow my own mother using a bottle of GT's.

[raweater]

I'm quite sure during processing that the tea leaves are somehow cooked, maybe not all types but I'm quite sure for black tea.

I just looked it up online. Black tea is dried with hot air and green tea is steamed to keep it green and then dried in ovens, so no tea leaves are likely to be raw.

[thatoneguy]

no tea leaves are likely to be raw.
Bummer!

I think I'm going to go with: If it's good enough for David Wolfe, it's good enough for me. :D

[rayofsunshine]

I used a a plain bottle of GT kombucha to start my first homemade tea. I just looked for one with the largest culture in it. If you google it on youtube, there are videos on how to make your own using gt's kombucha.

I love it! I have digestive issues and I can really tell a difference when using it. I don't take probiotic pearls anymore. I also drink rejuvelac.

[thatoneguy]

I’ve seen some of those videos.

What sugar did you use? I’m wondering if agave would work to get a mother going.

I’ve made rejuvelac. I was just questioning kombuchas rawness.

[Mary Kay]

I feel such a cmaraderie here!!! So many people are thinking just like me....LOL and are at the same stage of wanting to make kombucha, just not having the time.

My excuse for not making it myself - and trying it raw and with other sweeteners, is that I get it delivered to my house once weekly. It is not pasteurized but is homemade. I belong to a milk herdshare and it is a co-op of sorts, whereby we can get all sorts of things, coconut oil, grassfed beef, milk, raw cheeses etc.

And because we only drink it in moderation, I just haven't gotten around to making it. I do though believe in drinking it in moderation anyway and agree with the poster who says that for some the alcohol may affect them and you gotta do what's right for you. I even give it to my kids, mixed in with fresh apple juice etc...I tend to dilute it a sweet juce. . It's kind of like pop to them.

I want to get my probiotics from more natural things and rely less on supplements and also want to learn more about fermenting veggies etc.

We already make our own kefir and yogurt, and have various things soaking or sprouting on the counter, dehydrating here and there....LOL...it's hard to fit everything in!

New here, loving the camaraderie and chuckling arout the raw food police!

Mary Kay

[thatoneguy]

I guess my main concern is how to make a raw version of it???

I read on another thread here that Yogi tea is dried a low temps. Do they make black or green tea?

Someone on You Tube told me, "I suggest you keep it under 159F so it doesn't corrupt producing a leukocytotic reaction in the blood (as does cooked food)."

I'm wondering if this would work:

Instead of boiling tea (I don't want to use the stove when I go raw), maybe I could get a filter for my sink faucet. I could use warm water from the sink and get a thermometer to make sure it stays under 159F. Can tea steep at 159?

Then I could use raw sugar to feed the scoby.

Any ideas??? I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to do this when I go raw.

I keep wondering why it's so big with raw foodists when it's not raw.

Does anyone know how David Wolfe makes it?

[lucky lemons]

I guess my main concern is how to make a raw version of it???

I read on another thread here that Yogi tea is dried a low temps. Do they make black or green tea?

Someone on You Tube told me, "I suggest you keep it under 159F so it doesn't corrupt producing a leukocytotic reaction in the blood (as does cooked food)."

I'm wondering if this would work:

Instead of boiling tea (I don't want to use the stove when I go raw), maybe I could get a filter for my sink faucet. I could use warm water from the sink and get a thermometer to make sure it stays under 159F. Can tea steep at 159?

Then I could use raw sugar to feed the scoby.

Any ideas??? I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to do this when I go raw.

I keep wondering why it's so big with raw foodists when it's not raw.

Does anyone know how David Wolfe makes it?


Yogi tea makes green, black and herbal teas. Their teas are fabulous. I don't know what temp. the teas are dried at though, I'd be interested to know.

[thatoneguy]

Yogi tea makes green, black and herbal teas. Their teas are fabulous. I don't know what temp. the teas are dried at though, I'd be interested to know.
I'll have to look into it, I guess.

I'm sort of obsessive compulsive and if I'm going to go raw I don't really want to heat up water on the stove. I want to be raw, but I also want kombucha.

[DharmaGirl]

thatoneguy,

JUST DO IT!!! You're really putting lots of energy into analizing it way too much.... sounds like you wanna do it, so just go for it!

I actually have a question about making it, too :p

I have a gallon jug on my counter for 4 days now using a pretty decent size scoby a friend gave me.... I made 3 qts of yerba mate tea and put in one cup of raw org sugar. It's starting to fizz up a bit on the top.....HOW LONG does it need to ferment?????????????????????????????

Thanks for the feeback!!
Raw Blessings to All :D

[GingerGrant]

Who cares how David wolf makes it:p Bleached white sugar is filtered with charred animal bones if you care to know that.:eek:

[rayofsunshine]

I use turbinando raw cane sugar. Since I add the sugar after the water has boiled, I think using a raw sweetener wouldn't matter because all the enzymes in the sweetener would be killed. The culture is suppose to eat the sugar. Mine is not sweet at all when I drink it.

Good luck with your decision.

[Mary Kay]

I don't think you should ever use hot water from the faucet - filtered or not - because of lead leaching probs in your older copper pipes or hot water hitting and leaching stuff out of the newer PVC pipes. Also, some bacteria from your hot water tank etc....

If you want to keep it 159, heat it and use a thermometer, would be my thought. .

Pls let us know your results.

Mary Kay

[Stina]

I just read on giveittomeraw.com about someone doing a kombucha rentention enema and then doing a handstand. Good times!

[thatoneguy]

I decided to go ahead and make some kombucha.

I'm growing a SCOBY from scratch.

I posted a YouTube video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG6m8vLYXKo)

I'll update the video after the SCOBY has formed.

- Matt

[Mary Kay]

Matt,

Thanks! I posted a comment on YouTube. You go guy!

Mary Kay

[thatoneguy]

Thanks! I saw that!

I used Earl Gray black tea, I found out that you're NOT supposed to use that kind. Hopefully it still works!

I found some regular black tea at an international store. If this batch works I'll use the mother to make another batch and grow some babies.

[raweater]

I always found Earl Grey tea tastes like dishwashing soap lol, I've never been able to drink a whole cup of it. BTW is there any reason you used white sugar (did you have some left from SAD days)? The rare times I use cooked sugar I get the less refined yellowish/brown organic one that's so called "raw" (but is cooked at high temperatures, I think by raw they mean unrefined). The white one is processed/filtered with animal parts to get it white.

[thatoneguy]

It bothered me that I used the wrong kind of tea so I threw that batch out.

I started a new batch with the right kind of tea last night. I'll post the video once I get it edited / uploaded.

- Matt

[thatoneguy]

Here's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qed7VkEqMg) the latest video.

I bought a stainless steel pot. I let the tea cool this time.

I'll update the video after the scoby has formed.

- Matt

[jane b]

I also have a mother sitting in my fridge waiting for me to get one of those Round Tuit things....

Don't know if this will help, but this is how you make authentic Southern Sweet Tea, aka the House Wine of the South:

Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan with a lid. Take the pot off the stove and place 3-4 regular Lipton (Tetley is good, too) tea bags inside and keep the lid on. Allow to steep for exactly 16 minutes. Take out the tea bags and stir in 1 cup of sugar until completely melted. Immediately pour over ice to stop the cooking process. Depending on how strong you like your tea, it will make anywhere from 1/2 to a full gallon of tea.

(jane takes a brief pause to savor the memory....)

As for cold brewing, there are teas made for that purpose, but I've found just leaving new bags in cold water for a few hours does the trick anyway.

jane b

[raweater]

If the sugar serves no fermenting purpose in the Southern Sweet Tea you can use stevia, honey or agave. Cooked cane sugar is proven to be more dangerous than smoking so when healthy alternatives can be used it makes sense to avoid it. In the Kombucha I undertand it needs real sugar but it's still best to get the unrefined sugar, the white sugar is filtered/processed in animal organs to get it white.

[thatoneguy]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/MyFirstScoby_July4th09.png?t=1246728913

It worked! All I did was put half a bottle of GT's orginal kombucha in a glass, cover it and put it in a cabinet for 2 weeks.

I'm going to use this SCOBY to make my first batch of kumbucha!

EDIT - I just updated the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jON7hla1glY).

[thatoneguy]

My friend gave me a mother a baby scoby that was grown in green tea. Can I make a batch of kombucha using black tea with that scoby?

[Tishi]

I love Kombucha so much that I buy it by the case at my local health food store. It would be too much of an inconvenience to make it from scratch. GT's Multi-Green is the best it has spirulina, blue-green algae, and chollera in it, plus all the enzymes and probiots one needs....

[thatoneguy]

A friend, from the raw food support group I go to, gave me a mother a baby SCOBY. I used those to make a batch of kombucha and a new baby SCOBY. I let it ferment for 2 weeks and it turned out great!

Here's some pics:

Pic of my first batch of kombucha. (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/Kombucha_MyFirstBatch_Sept9th09.png?t=1252850925)

Pic of the SCOBYs my friend gave me and the new one I grew. (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/Kombucha_MyFirstSCOBYS_Sept9th09.png?t=1252850974)

Pic of me holding the SCOBY I grew. (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/Kombucha_MeWithMyFirstSCOBYS_Sept9t.png?t=12528510 23)

I started a couple more batches. (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/Kombucha_MyFirstBottlingand2ndBatch.png?t=12528510 67)

Holding a bottle of kombucha I made. (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b390/thatoneguyonline/Raw%20Food/Kombucha_HoldingaBottleofHomeMadeKo.png?t=12528511 12)

I'm still not sure if I'm going to drink it when I go raw, but I'll drink it during my transitional phase. If I can't handle "all raw" then I probably will drink it next year, too.