Today we are going to be making our very own SCOBY!
No not Scooby Dooby Doo, Scoby woo hoo!!!
What is a SCOBY?
You might be asking: What in the world is that?!
Just wait till you find out what it really is...
Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast (aka SCOBY)
Yummy!
Okay let's get down to business before you get grossed out.
Why you need a SCOBY!
There are plenty of reasons you need a SCOBY, here are a few:
- health benefits
- creative cooking
- crafting (leather)
- making friends (by sharing SCOBYs)
- candy
- compost
Are you convinced yet? No, still weirded out by what it stands for?
Okay well let me show you what else uses a SCOBY and maybe you will reconsider.
Products that use SCOBY's
- Ginger Beer
- Sourdough
- Vinegar
Have you done the whole apple cider vinegar thing yet?
If so the sacred "Mother" we all look for in our apple cider vinegar is a "SCOBY"
That's all were making folks, so don't fret!
How to Make a SCOBY
What you need:
- 1/2 Gallon Mason Jar (2 Quart)
- Large Sauce Pan or Pot
- Coffee Filters
- Rubber Band
- Measuring Cup
Ingredients:
- 8 Cups of Water
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 8 Black Tea Bags
- 2 Cups of Starter Tea (prepared Kombucha - not flavored just original)
Step 1:
Sterilize everything! I boiled a pot of water and poured the hot water over all of my utensils to ensure they were clean. Then poured them out and let them dry while I was making the tea.
Step 2:
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large sauce pan or pot.
Step 3:
Add sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Step 4:
Add tea bags and allow to steep until tea is room temperature.
*Please note it is important that other food particles don't make their way into the tea. Refrain from cooking around the tea. If you are cooking cover the tea and make sure to wait until it is cool before continuing*
Step 5:
Pour cooled tea into the large mason jar.
Step 6:
Pour 2 cups of kombucha into the tea. If your kombucha has a small scoby or a lot of mother (grainy silt at the bottom) try to get that into your tea.
*Make sure the tea is cooled or the heat will kill the good bacteria in the SCOBY!*
Step 7:
Cover the mason jar with coffee filters (I used 4 - 6 filters), then secure with a rubber band. Place jar out of direct sunlight and in a place that remains room temperature. I chose to put mine up in a cabinet out of the way.
Step 8:
Wait! I waited about 3 weeks for my SCOBY to form. It normally takes between 2 - 4 weeks.
Here is a progression of it growing:
You will have a fully formed SCOBY once it covers the top of the jar and almost acts like a lid to the tea. It will normally be about a 1/4" thick. Then you can start getting very creative with your SCOBY!
When my SCOBY was ready I was a little terrified because I had heard of SCOBY's being bad and having fungus growing on them... My SCOBY was fine but when you first see them they are weird little alien creatures so a healthy SCOBY can be confused for an unhealthy one if your not aware of what they look like.
Here is the reference I used to confirm the health of my SCOBY: Kombucha Kamp - Kombucha Mold
Once your SCOBY is ready you can start to brew your own flavored Kombucha! Please note you will not want to drink the first batch of Kombucha from your new SCOBY. It will be very strong and taste like vinegar. I tried mine and could only take a sip or two (I've been known to drink apple cider vinegar straight so that can give you a little context to how much vinegar taste it has). You don't have to waste the tea though! It makes a great cleaning agent! It even helped to remove some of the stains on my stove top!!
Stay tuned for future articles/videos about using your SCOBY to make your own flavored, carbonated Kombucha!
Gratitude
It has been awhile since I first made my SCOBY so I'm writing this many SCOBYs in! I'm so grateful for resources to help me do this! We have since made many fun batches of different flavors. I like our homemade kombucha much better than store-bought. It is so fun to see how the SCOBY's form and change. I'm extremely grateful for the health benefits as well. It helps with digestion and I like the taste of it so it's many benefits in one!
🍵Thank you for reading! Have you tried Kombucha? Would you make your own SCOBY? What are your favorite flavors of Kombucha?🥭