* Please Note: THE CONTEST HAS ENDED!! A winner has already been chosen.
Like pretty much any other healthy living blogger, I’m a big fan of kombucha. I first discovered the brew back in the fall of 2009- when a student of mine brought me some to try! Her mom had been brewing it at home for years, and she just thought that it “seemed like something I would like.” And she was right- it was love at first sip!
When I went to Rehoboth Beach a few weeks later for a weekend getaway, I noticed that a little health food store sold bottled kombucha, so I bought one. And I don’t really know why, but Greg took a photo of me posing with it. (Thanks to Facebook, I was easily able to dig this up!)
Ahh… my very first bottle.…
Kombucha is said to be a great detoxifier- especially for the liver. Regardless of it’s health benefits- I’ll be honest with you: I just really, really like the taste. Over the last three years, I have certainly spent a small fortune on this stuff. At $3-$4 per bottle, it can certainly add up! So, when I first learned that it was pretty easy to brew kombucha at home, I knew that I had to learn how to do it. And for the last year, I’ve been talking about it… but had yet to actually put any action to those words.
Last month, I was lucky enough to randomly meet the folks from Kombucha Brooklyn and expressed my interest in home brewing. They were generous enough to provide me with my own home brewing kit, so that I could finally take action. A few days later, a package arrived on my doorstep, and this was inside:
To say that I was excited is an understatement. It was pretty much like Christmas morning at my house that day!
The kit includes a large fermentation jar and cover, sugar, tea and a temperature strip.
Oh, and there was also this:
My Scoby!
Scoby stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, which is the “mother” and causes fermentation to occur. With all materials in hand, I read over the (very simple) instructions and got to work!
After thoroughly washing out the jar, I started by brewing up some tea.
After about 20 minutes, I removed the tea bag and stirred in the sugar and water. The mixture was then poured into the gigantic jar.
Then, the scoby was added!
The last step was to cover the top with a piece of cloth and a rubber band, and let it sit (and wait for the magic to happen!). After a couple of days, I noticed a new “baby” scoby growing near the top, and it got bigger each day! Here it is on the sixth day:
Greg thought it looked disgusting, but I just kept telling him that I thought it was cute!
Okay, I guess it is kind of gross…
I must say – even at this point (and Greg agrees), it was already starting to taste great.
How long you let your ‘buch sit and ferment is compeltely up to you and your taste preferences. The longer you let it sit, the more “sour” it will get. I like mine to be the perfect balance of sour and sweet (and maybe just a tad leaning more to the “sour” side). I kept tasting it daily, and on day 14- it was perfect!
Check out that HUGE baby scoby!
I pulled out the scobies and placed then in a bag (along with about a cup of the kombucha liquid) to be saved for the next brew. I poured most of the batch into a growler that we had, and the rest into a large mason jar. I placed a few frozen strawberries into the jar (thanks to a tip from Amanda!) so that it would take on that flavor.
I let everything sit overnight, and then tasted both the next day. The plain komucha is good… but the strawberry totally won me over! And check out the color!
It’s funny that a few frozen berries could cause so much flavor to occur! I can’t wait to experiment with other types of fruit in future batches… I think peach will be next.
The folks at Kombucha Brooklyn are really great- and their goal is to help you make your best ‘buch possible. There are video tutorials with step-by-step instructions and an entire forum to ask questions, or just post photos of your batch!
I was so pleased with my Kombucha home-brewing experience, and I want you to try it out too! Kombucha Brooklyn has offered to send one lucky reader their very own home-brew kit!
To enter, do any (or all!) of the following things:
1. “Tweet” about the giveaway, by cutting and pasting the following text: I just entered to win a @KombuchaBK home brew kit here: http://wp.me/p2oUXk-23y – and you should too!
2. “Like” Oatmeal after Spinning on Facebook AND follow @OatmealLauren on Twitter
3. Leave a comment below telling me what flavor of Kombucha you’d like to make
Please leave a comment for each entry, so that you have more chances to win!
I will be choosing a winner at 8:00 pm EST on Monday, October 22nd. Be sure to check back on Tuesday morning to see if you’re a winner!
This looks like so much fun to brew at home! I would love to try peach flavored
i need this. lol. i tweeted.
follow you on facebook and twitter (duh).
I’d like to make ginger flavored. my favorite.
thanks for hosting this giveaway!
and a fourth comment to tell you that you look so cute and happy with your first GTs.
I would like to make too many flavors, I don’t want to commit to just one!
I really like kombcuha but I have to admit that the scoby freaks me out!
OH I WANT TO WIN SO BADLY! I’d love me some raspberry flavor!
I’d like to try blueberry!
I followed you on twitter & already was following you on Facebook…I tweeted it too!! I would LOVE ginger……DELICIOUS
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/GoddessFoodie/status/258910075970789376
Tweeeeeeeted! http://twitter.com/backtoherroots/statuses/258910382326951938
I like you on Facebook and I follow you on Twitter, because we’re friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiends!
I like you on FB and follow you on Twitter.
I would love to make a blueberry strawberry or maybe even cherry apple.
I have been saying the same thing for the past couple years: that I want to try making my own kombucha at home, but I’ve never known where to get the scoby. I would love to win this and try it out! As far as a flavor I would try, I foresee a lot of fruit flavors being good–along with ginger or maybe even a pumpkin pie spice?? I’m sure the options are endless.
I tweeted about the give away!
(I already like you on Facebook and follow you on Twitter)
I love ginger infused kombucha, and I also think pear might be delicious
Okay, so I clearly don’t need this kit, but I just wanted to say your kombucha looks great! Adding frozen berries is where it’s at! I find that strawberries make it the most fizzy, and bottling it in smaller containers does too. I really want to get some of those old-fashioned glass bottles with stoppers because I think those will probably have the best results. I’d be careful about using metal lids – I’ve read that it’s best to use plastic (BPA-free, of course) because the kombucha can eat away at the metal and get contaminated. I’m not sure how true that is, but I figure better to play it safe.
OOH how exciting! I love Kombucha! I always buy GTs but your right it can get expensive unless on sale. I’d like to try making it with frozen raspberries or even cherries. Idk that just sounds good to me
I have never had it before and would love to copy your strawberry recipe
I would like to brew a red raspberry flavor!
I like you on Facebook and follow on Twitter!
I would love to try raspberry!
I tweeted about the giveaway here! I love bottled Kombucha and would love this to try! https://twitter.com/cmc4388/status/258948378849845249
I already like you on FB and Follow on Twitter!
I’d love to make strawberry or apple!
Cool!
I tweeted about the giveaway!
I’d like to try some mango ‘bucha! I would really love to win this kit, I spend $3.99 on each bottle several times a week. This looks awesome!
I liked you on FB and already followed on twitter.
I’d love to try ginger red tea kombucha! I’ve been wanting to home brew for a long time now.
Already like you on Facebook and follow you on Twitter!
Ginger ginger ginger!
I think a blackberry/blueberry mixture would be awesome!
Don’t enter me to win (I have kombucha already brewing in my cabinet!) but I’m glad you posted about the strawberries, I’ll definitely give that a shot when mine’s ready! I haven’t been tasting mine as I go either, hmmm, I’m going to have to go do that.
I would love to try brewing my own. Looks so easy and just a little gross.
I tweeted.
I followed.
I liked.
I liked (ignore that other comment LOL)
I would like to make an orange or lemon ginger kombucha! I am relatively new to kombucha, but I love how it makes me feel!
A co-worker & I have been talking about brewing our own kombucha for months. Every time we say the word scoby, we break out into laughter and NOBODY has a clue what we’re talking about. Since Gingerade is my fave, I would most definitely brew up a batch of ginger ‘buch.
STILL haven’t tried Kombucha which has to be a sin in the blogging world… But I think I’d like a strawberry flavored one!
Tweeted!
Followed!
Liked and I love strawberries! Thanks for the giveaway!
I need to brew again and I have no kombucha stuff at all – so I really want to to win! I tweeted!
Already like you on FB & twitter.
And I want to recreate the Fire Bucha that I used to get in Atlanta – cranberry and ginger, I think.
I want to try alllllll flavors!
I liked you on facebook!
…and already follow you on twitter
……AND i tweeted!
Definitely ginger flavor!
Liked and followed!
That strawberry looks delicious!
The strawberry looks delicious. I had a ginger one once and it was to die for!! I would love to play around with all kinds of flavors!
I already like you and follow you!
I tweeted!
I would love to try my own home brew. I think a berry flavor is best.
I like you on FB already.
Watermelon or some exotic fruit.. ginger is my favorite
I think raspberry would delicious!
I would definitely make something fruity – maybe strawberry, blueberry or raspberry. ooo or maybe MIXED berry!
DYO kombucha is one of the funniest things to do. I love it!
I encountered several mistakes along the way, and had threw few batches because of mold contamination; but now that my brewery is up and running is one of my fav things to do: endless hours of fun!
[...] forget to enter the Kombucha Brooklyn home-brew giveaway if you haven’t [...]
I think I’d like the Strawberry, but Peach sounds good too.
I tweeted.
I would love to try a mixed berry flavor or Strawberry Apple!
I tweeted @geckogirl688
I already follow you on facebook
Super excited to make my on kombucha. I want to try an orange and maybe a cucumber melon. And of course berries.
Liked on FB, tweeted and followed
https://twitter.com/LainneBliss
I love grape kombucha – my favourite!
Ginger and peach both sound yummy – maybe a combo! Liked on fb, tweeted, and followed!
Red ginger sounds good.
I tweeted about your giveaway @emarion
I liked you on Facebook and follow you on twitter.
I would like to try making cherry kombucha!
I follow you on twitter!
How do I win?? I would love to try this!!\
I am inspired to try a mixed berry with my frozen berries in my freezer and the apple pie version after our recent cider making party. Thank for the chance to win a kit!
Would love to make some blueberry ginger.
I have ‘Liked’ you on FB and I am thinking I’d like to try a mixed berries with ginger root slices…yum.
I would love to try flavoring with herbs and savory tastes.
I would love to try to make a ginger batch! My favorite bottled flavor is gingerade but it’s sooo expensive.
My favorite to add fresh chammomile, lavender and a few raisins. Amazing.
I would love to try some apple kombucha! I hope I win! thanks for the chance
[...] first bottle of Kombucha this week. I wanted to try it after Lauren at Oatmeal After Spinning was hosting a giveaway. Reading about this stuff piqued my curiosity, so I headed to Wheatsfield and bought a bottle. [...]