When my friend messaged me on Instagram and asked if I wanted to join a Learn to Make Kombucha workshop, I didn’t skip a beat before answering an enthusiastic yes! Considering I’m not a regular Kombucha drinker, this may have seemed like a strange decision. Why spend $60 and two hours of my Saturday brewing kombucha when I rarely drink it? Truthfully, I just really love Learn to Make “Insert Any Food Here” Classes. In the past I’ve canned pickles, brewed apple wine, fermented cheese and taught myself how to make jam. I simply love learning traditional food production skills. I love being able to have control over my food. I love that these workshops foster communal knowledge sharing. It only made sense that I wanted to learn the ancient technique of fermenting tea to make Kombucha.
The class took place in Kensington Market, Toronto, a hip neighbourhood home to everything from vegan restaurants, fresh juice bars and luxury cheese shops to military surplus stores, discount t-shirt shops and tattoo parlours. The workshop was held in partially retrofitted school and as I made my way up the dilapidated staircase with its missing drywall walls, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. But at the top of the stairs when I was greeted by a bubbly woman who directed me into a funky, open-concept office, my worries were replaced with excitement. The space was filled with a long wooden table surrounded by chairs for about 25 participants. I was excited to see that at each spot there was a grab bag of samples and all the fixings required to make Kombucha.
The class was lead by Katie Ronsenberg, the mastermind behind Healthy Hedonist, whose personality won me over immediately. I was psyched to learn about the health benefits of Kombucha and the relative ease of brewing it at home. According to this workshop, Kombucha can facilitate better digestion, produce glowing skin, balance blood sugar and and prevent toxic liver damage. For more information, the Paleo Mom, a blog I read regularly, expertly discusses the fascinating health benefits of fermented foods.
I was somewhat dismayed to learn that we wouldn’t actually be brewing Kombucha in class, just going over the steps on a powerpoint. The information was comprehensive but I felt that a Learn to Make class should have at minimum a demonstration, if not actual hands-on learning. After about an hour we had a general understand of how to make Kombucha, how to customize it to our own tastes and innovative ways of using it like the KomboozaTM cocktails (patent pending!). We were then provided with the SCOBY, aka Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, which would allow us to try brewing Kombucha at home. Since then, both myself and my friend have fermented our own Kombucha successfully. I can’t say that drinking it daily, but I’m happy that I’ve added the knowledge of brewing kombucha to my skill set.
Locavore’s How To: Brewing Kombucha
The How To of Brewing Kombucha is fairly straightforward once you procure a SCOBY. Since every batch of Kombucha produced a baby (a second SCOBY), any routine brewer will be begging you to take one off their hands. If you don’t know someone personally you can buy a full kit online, or simply ask around at local health food stores for known brewers. {Please note: I have not purchased a SCOBY or Kombucha kit online so I cannot vouch for the quality of this product.}
The SCOBY resides in a cup of liquid that serves as your starter and is best used within 10 days. If your SCOBY develops a smell or mold, you will need a new one. To prevent this, simply wash your hands and equipment carefully before beginning. As the most important aspect of brewing Kombucha is the health of your SCOBY, be sure to shop around for a reliable source.
Step 1: Boil the water, add the tea bags, dissolve the sugar. As with most traditional techniques, there is a lot of flexibility in these directions. I recommend experimenting until you find the ratios that suit your palate but a good starting point is 12 cups of water to 8 tea bags to 1 cup of sugar. As I was brewing for one, I made smaller batches and simply followed the same ratio. You can use black, green or oolong tea.
Step 2: Let the tea cool to room temperature, pour it into a large glass container, gently add the SCOBY and starter liquid, cover with cheesecloth and place in cool, dark area. It is vital that tea is cooled as the SCOBY will die in hot water. Kombucha needs to be stored in glass to prevent flavour contamination. The cheesecloth should be attached with an elastic to ensure nothing except oxygen can enter.
Step 3: Allow SCOBY to work it’s magical fermentation for 5 to 7 days. The exact time is dependent on the temperature of your storage area and your prefered level of sweetness. Simply pour out a little liquid each morning and once you like the taste, it is done the first fermentation. Place the SCOBY and a cup of the liquid starter in an airtight jar in the fridge to await your next batch. I used a typical mason jar but any well-sealed glass jar will do.
Step 4: To start the second fermentation, pour the tea into glass bottles that can be stoppered. Add flavourings, like fruit juice (no pulp, no citrus) or herbs to taste. Leave half an inch of space at the top. Allow to ferment at room temperature for another 1 to 5 days without releasing the seal. The duration depends on the level of carbonation you prefer and is a matter of experimentation. To prevent further fermentation, simply put the Kombucha in the fridge and enjoy within the next month.
Would you want to learn to make Kombucha yourself? How do you feel about the Kombucha trend – is it the next green smoothie?
Now It’s Your Turn: Making Kombucha at home is easier than you might think. The key factors are a healthy SCOBY, a clean workspace and a lot trail & error. Some batches will be more delicious than others but perfecting your own personal Kombucha recipe is half the fun! Subscribe here to follow along as I share more Locavore Skills!
AJ says
This would be a fun class. i brewed kombucha for about a year, and now water kefir. Both are worth the labor. Nice post!
globallocavore says
That is so cool that you make water kefir. It has been on my list of things to try but starting is always the hard part isn’t it? Maybe I should take another afternoon class!
Susanne says
That is very interesting! I love learning about new things!
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globallocavore says
Me too! That was a major reason I took the class in spite of not knowing too much about the benefits of Kombucha. It’s always nice to learn a new skill.
Melony says
This is crazy- I had no idea that you could ferment tea. I’m bummed that you didn’t get to actually make this in class, but good for you that you were able to create it at home.
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globallocavore says
I know right? I actually knew very little about Kombucha before taking the class, but since it is actually fairly straightforward I was able to quickly pick up the skills to make it at home. I love learning new things!
debbie says
Well I never! ( always wanted to say that…rare to find something to say it about!) Seriously, I have never heard of Kombucha before so it was completely interesting to read about. Still unsure about Scoby…kind of sounds like a little creature! But if someone had some to taste I would at least go that far. Hope to find some someday :0
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globallocavore says
Haha! Debbie, that is such a great comment. Kombucha is not a mainstream drink so I’m not surprised that it was new to you. But I would recommend giving it a go! It is delicious. It’s basically a healthier alternative to pop as it is carbonated but almost entirely sugar-free (as all the sugar is used up during fermentation). The SCOBY is pretty weird! What with the strange texture and the fact it is alive! If you buy Kombucha in the store it comes in a bottle just like a pop would and you will never have to see the SCOBY. 🙂 Thanks so much for your delightful comment.