I rarely leave comments on videos, but I feel compelled to thank you for posting this. It was informative and short. You presented so much useful information without all the fluff that other videos force you to sit through. Subscribed! Thanks again!
Wow, your channel has EVERYTHING I wanted to know to start home brewing. And you nail it with the bullets, great style and delivery. Thanks for making all these awesome videos, it’s like an online course and killer references. You need to produce your own line of Booch!😉
Honestly it's amazing, I've watched all your videos within a day. I can't find anything else this comprehensive and information dense. Plus you can see that you are actually experienced so you are easy to trust THANK YOU for making it so easy.
It would be great if you had a video on taste-testing a variety of teas (in the 1st fermentation) with the same flavoring for each bottle (2nd fermentation), and describe the differences you taste!
I absolutely LOVE ❤️ your informative videos. I grew two SCOBYs from GTs (started Jan 31, 2018) and I have SOOO many now after several successful brews. I keep watching your videos even though my KOMBUCHA journey is going well. Do you have a video about Oolong Tea? I bought some organic oolong and want to start using it.
Tee Jenkins Thank you for watching! I don’t have a video specifically on oolong tea, but as long as it’s a pure oolong tea without any natural/unnatural flavorings, then it should work great for kombucha!
Hi just wanted to say your channel is the best kombucha channel there is. Everything is well explained in details and I've learned a lot from you, so thank you very much! One quick question, I'm sure you most have said already, I just dont remember. So I've been brewing my first batch as we speak, and is taking quite a few weeks, I guess because the weather is cold and also I moved the vessel, and the first baby scoby sank, than a second one started to form and then I tried to warm the vessel, I guess by moving it the second baby scoby sank as well. So now a 3rd baby scoby is forming on the top, I just dont dare to touch until I see grow a bit more. Is hard to say it will be ready in a week or so, because of the weather. I was just wondering is this normal? Also, I am brewing with green tea, but my next batch i am planning to brew with a black tea, is that ok to use the scoby brewd with green with black tea for the second batch. Much appreciated!
I just found your channel! Thank you!!! I believe you’re the most informative & trustworthy source I’ve seen. I’m finally finding answers to some basic Qs. I’m currently fermenting my 1st batch🤞🏻. Do you have a video that talks abt caffeine in kombucha. I’ve heard that the caffeine is mostly eaten away as it ferments; then I’ve heard that’s not true. I’m sensitive to caffeine - it affects my sleep, but I like to have kombucha in the evenings b/c my stomach gets upset after eating. I’m hoping kombucha will help reset my gut bacteria after a time of drinking it regularly… but need to know if I can drink it in the evenings or if it maintains all its caffeine. Thank you for your time.
your channel is the best channel out there relative to Kombucha business; your videos are very well made; i love the way you explaining things; thanks for making these videos.
Do you have a video where you talk about using decaf tea? I'm going on my 5th batch, but I like to drink kombucha after dinner and it's been keeping me up all night :) Thanks for the videos!
Hello! I’m from Korea and I love kombucha, so I started to make it myself watching your awesome channel 👍 I was wondering if I can use Pu-erh tea to make kombucha.
Yes! You can totally use puerh. I've found that in my experiments with puerh, it made my kombucha taste a bit musty. But there's such a wide range of puerhs out there that you should definitely experiment!
You Brew Kombucha Thank you! My kombucha came out so good! It was really fizzy and good! I followed your recipe and I have been brewing Kombucha everyweek. I mixed some green tea with Pu-erh because my Pu-era tea is really fermented and strong .The flavor is really good so I don’t add any fruit juice when I’m bottling my kombucha. Thank you again for your amazing channel and video👍💕
Loving your videos. Very informative... I was attempting to start the process for the first time with black tea and I used store bought kombucha for my starter tea and didn't realize it had flavors in it. I have not yet put my SCOBY in there. Should I start a new batch?
Ideally yes -- flavorings can really throw off the yeast-bacteria balance of a scoby and lead to mold problems (whether immediately or down the line). So unflavored is best. But if you already used the flavored kombucha/don't have access to unflavored, it's worth a shot to see if it'll be OK. As long as it acidifies and doesn't have any mold, then it's most likely fine. So as long as it tastes good to you, that's really all that matters.
Before watching this video I did make a small batch with Earl Grey. This was a waste of time, it tasted no different to a simple black tea brew. I agree with this video, keep the brew simple, flavour the bottle.
Just found you channel and am really glade I did. As for tea I like Gunpowder tea and like to know if I would use the same amount as loose leaf tea and if you have tried it. Agine great videos
Excellent channel, thank you! I just discovered you. We got home our first Scoby today (purchased) so I’m checking out info to do it right. For the second batch I want to try Yerba mate, since it has very little coffein and I like the flavor better (I’m not fond of the idea of adding fruits later). Thank you!!!
hi, I have a starter made of green tea but I wanted to try to make kombucha with black tea, is it possible to mix the green tea starter with the new black tea or is it a problem for the bacteria and yeasts? BTW I love your videos
Do you have various different black tea flavours brewing in separate kombucha vessels at any one time? Oh and do the used scoby's then all go into a generic scoby hotel or do they get tea flavour based hotels?
We started our first kombucha last week and used Earl Gray without giving it much thought. I hope it's okay! We did use a starter kit that had a scoby and some starter tea already in it.
Bt the way, the packet recommended checking the PH with litmus paper after adding the scoby and adjusting with vinegar if not acidic enough. Do you think that is a valid use case for vinegar?
I realize this is an old comment, but for anyone else with this question, I think she may have mentioned that you can use rooibos tea and a couple other types of tea at 3:50 in the video.
I've been loving your videos! About to start this journey of brewing and I am collecting all the supplies. Wondering what your favorite brand of tea is? Doing my own research, but also trying to collect information from experienced brewers. TIA!
I love using Stash loose-leaf tea (I buy in bulk from Amazon) -- I've also been playing around with Positively Tea organic loose-leaf teas and those are amazing as well :)
Hi, I’m loving all of your kombucha videos! Thank you, although I am afraid i found them too late... I’m a week into my first fermentation and bought Earl Grey loose leaf tea by mistake as well as using raw brown sugar! 2 of your no no’s. Will my scoby still be ok? How will I know?
Thank you so much for your video! I have a quick question: I'm a big fan of Reishi tea and have gone to their trainings. Normal black tea steeping time is about 3-5 minutes. I've read some studies showing that tannin levels are at their peak around 5 minutes and they don't get much better from there. What's the point in steeping for 15 minutes if it's going to create a tea that is less desirable than normal steeping time?
Thank you for this awesome info! I was curious though if it’s possible to do kombucha with decaf tea? Caffeine is a no-go for my mom and she didn’t know kombucha was made out of black tea!
Interesting you suggest black tea. I was using black tea for months and the kombucha had a very unpleasant flavour, and the SCOBY was an unsettling orange colour. But then I switched to 100% green tea and the brew became this light, refreshing drink that was infinitely more enjoyable
There are so many types of black and green teas that it really just depends on the tea producer and processing method. Whatever you use is perfect as long as you like the way it tastes. :)
You Brew Kombucha thanks for replying :) I came across a great Chinese Oolong Tea recently. Might be a great middle-ground that adds the flavour the green tea-only brew is missing, without the unsettling bitterness from the tannins in black tea
I've never tried it so I can't speak to it, but in general, I don't recommend flavorings/flavored tea in first fermentation. Flavorings (even natural ones) can degrade and weaken the scoby over time. You can read more details here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/scoby-care-hotel -- under the "How flavorings can harm your scoby" section. :)
love your videos. have watched almost all of them now. I havnt heard you explain why you use 2/3 breakfast and 1/3 assam. Why do you prefer the breakfast tea over the assam? Thanks
junquedujour I get them from Amazon. You can find a link to my fave tea at youbrewkombucha.com/tea and links to my fave brewing products at youbrewkombucha.com/byo-starter-kit
Would it be over the top to use premium imported teas or should one stick to a decent everyday tea, still loose leaf? Tea can definitely get more complex and pricey depending on what one is looking for, but would the fancy stuff be a waste for a first fermentation?
I'd stick to the basic stuff for brewing kombucha. I'm a really big fan of high quality loose-leaf teas in general, but some really high-quality teas can go for upwards of hundreds of dollars a pound. So I prefer to experience the flavor of those teas "pure" on their own. But if you've got the budget for it or the curiosity to give it a go for a batch, I'd love to hear about your experience -- if it makes a big difference in the taste of the final fermented brew. One of these days, I think I'll try one of my pricier teas and compare it against the more affordable (but still good quality) loose-leaf tea I currently use. But I just haven't gotten a chance to yet!
Hi! I’m just making my first brew and I used green tea with natural grapefruit aroma. Should I take out the scoby and make a new brew with 100% black/ green tea or is it fine if I use an aroma Tea once ? Will the scoby be okay? I only have one
Doesn't the SCOBY need caffeine? You didn't touch on decaffeinated vs normal. In my brews, I've been using tea bags (half decaffeinated and half normal) and steeping then for 10 minutes. I like it that way. I might try steeping longer. I don't have a source for quality loose-leaf nearby.
You can give it a try. There are mixed studies on whether or not the scoby feeds on caffeine or whether it feeds on polyphenolic compounds naturally present in the tea leaves, so you may as well give it a shot to see if it works out. :)
Schan122 Just based on the name, it seems like it is an herbal infusion. Does it contain actual rose petals or smell/taste like roses? It may still work for kombucha - but I’ve never experimented with it myself. :)
Schan122 Still worth trying it out esp. if that’s all you have. Lots of brewers experiment with different flavored teas and are fine. Just depends on your cultures and taste preferences. If you run into problems though, it may be because the rose adversely affects the scoby’s health in the long-term. But it’s still worth a shot! Good luck!
I haven't, and I'm not sure if/how well the scoby can digest the popped rice contained in genmaicha. It'd technically be a "flavored" tea since it has non-tea ingredients added to it (rice). But I'm all for experimentation -- if you try it out, let me know how it works!
I'm personally not a fan of the taste, but I do know some commercial kombucha brewers who use it in their kombucha with lots of success! You may want to start off with a blend of yerba mate + black tea (in equal ratios), then gradually increase the mate/decrease the black tea with each batch as your scoby gets acclimated to the new food source. Let me know how it goes if you try it. :)
Is it possible to make/convert a scoby that lives off herbal tea and is stored in “herbucha” pored off from F1’s using herbal tea? Like convert to herbal avoid all “real teas”? Have you heard of this? I want to avoid caffeine and some of the tannins.
Totally depends on your personal preference -- and it can vary so much across brands and sources of tea that it's just best to experiment and try things out. If you're just starting out, I recommend using a blend with at least half black tea, then gradually decrease the amount of black tea you're using if you want to phase it out. Sometimes scobys can react negatively if you make a big change and they have to adjust rapidly, so I recommend making it easy on them to avoid mold problems down the line. :)
If i am making a batch of tea for the first ferment, can i use the same tea bags or loose tea from the batch i just made to make the second batch of tea? Or should i just make one or two big batches with new tea bags every time?
Ione Sally I don’t recommend re-using tea leaves for a second batch since they get much weaker after the first steep. So you don’t want to skimp out on nutrients for your second batch. I definitely relate with not wanting to waste the “used” tea leaves/bags though. If you like, after the first steep, you can re-steep the leaves again, add some sugar and use the liquid (weaker sweet tea) as “food” to feed your scoby hotels. That’s how I cut down on waste too! 😊
You Brew Kombucha Thanks! I have another question. So when I first started Brewing kombucha I made my own scoby. I still have that scoby now and I'm brewing pretty healthy batches. But early on I noticed that my brew would tend to have alot of yeast in it and I was able to taste the yeast which wasnt something I like. So i learned that if I over fed the yeast they would basically go into a food coma. For a while this was good for me. But then I noticed that i didnt have enough yeast to actually have good carbonation so it would take me longer to finish the first and second fermentation. Do you have any tips on increasing the 1st ferment speed, producing more carbonation in the first ferment and how to get a deep tea flavor? Sorry theres alot of questions. I read that by using more tea and more heat that i can increase the yeast production. Thanks!
Hi there! So yes, if you'd like a more pronounced tea flavor, I recommend increasing the amount of tea you use. That'll give the yeast more food to eat and leave enough for you to still taste that tea in the final outcome -- you can play around with the amounts until it tastes right to you. To speed up the fermentation time, I recommend adding more starter tea from previous batches -- or maintaining a scoby hotel that you stock up with sweet tea + scobys and basically use as a "factory" for super strong starter tea. (Check out my video on scoby hotels for a breakdown of that!). The more starter tea you add, the faster it'll acidify and the faster you can get the fermentation going. Lastly, yes, warm temps do increase fermentation, so that could speed up your fermentation time and increase yeast production as well. But just be careful not to make it too warm (keep it under 85 degrees), or else your scoby could die or you could swing the pendulum in the other direction and have a yeast overgrowth. Hope that helps! :)
Michael Nguyen-Ibanez Typically 2-3 tbsp. but it depends on the tea itself. You can check out my full recipe in my first fermentation video or here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-first-fermentation 😊
For the type of teas I use, I steep for around 15 minutes. But I basically make a tea concentrate that I water down with cool/room temp water -- that way, I'm not sitting/waiting around for the tea to cool down to a safe enough temp for the scoby + starter. If you check out the link above and my write-up on tea here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/tea , that'll give you a lot more details about my process too. Hope that helps!
Yes, I heard of a brewer using yerba mate, which lacks caffeine doesn't it?.. And another put his tea in room temperature water overnight. I think he said you don't get the caffeine or tanins that way.. So the talk about tanins confuses me.. I have spawned a new scoby out of various concoctions in jasmin tea and honey, and i only ever bought one can of a Captain Kombucha (green tea and honey).. It took months to create a strong combination of strains, so i agree that black tea is easier.. But i think it's because maybe green tea is more antibacterial.
Hi there -- most yerba mate does have caffeine -- in fact, most people drink it because it supposedly has as much caffeine as coffee. And caffeine does not evaporate or go away over time by sitting in room temp water. So I'm not sure if that person got their info right. In any case, kombucha cultures don't really feed on caffeine, to my understanding. People often refer to it as "caffeine" or "tannins" but in reality, kombucha feeds on the polyphenolic compounds present in certain plants -- pure tea being the best example. But like you mentioned, yerba mate works too. Depending on your culture and your taste preferences (and of course depending on the brand and quality of the tea you're using), that really determines how strong/resilient your kombucha will be. Green tea isn't really "antibacterial" but it can have a cleaner more astringent taste. :)
You Brew Kombucha Ah ok, thanks for the info.. And i typed wrong, the Captain Kombucha was green tea and sugar.. my strongest scobys are from an experiment i did creating a ginger bug.. i now consistently feed it ginger, honey, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon juice.
Andy Johnson Most Thai teas I’ve come across already come with spices (like cardamom, etc.) and food coloring (to make it orange), so I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you want to experiment with it, you certainly can! Just be on the extra lookout for mold or other issues that may crop up as a result of the additives.
Have you ever read kombucha book tell found nitrogen if your kombucha with yerba tea?! Please you explaning me about got nitrogen in yerba kombucha if you know it! Maybe I must add too my sweet yerba tea with green tea(it mean my yerba tea + green tea/black tea)!Should I do that?! Making my yerba kombucha not got Nitrogen(maybe gases)?!Please tell me is that true?!(I waiting your answer!)
So you claim that Black tea is healthiest due to the Tanins in the leaves, Could green tea also include something equally as beneficial for the Scoby(that isn't found in black tea)? The reason I ask is because I have seen tea in bulk online (Including amazon) where company's sell tea especially for Kombucha and they are 50-50 blends( black and green), i also saw a couple youtubers use 50-50 mixtures.
Artilect v.01 Green tea is great for kombucha as well! Black tea just happens to have the most tannins (polyphenolic compounds) and I’ve personally found that it results in the tastiest tea + most healthy, consistent scobys. But that doesn’t mean that green or other types of tea are unhealthy. They also contain a lot of nutrients that’s great for kombucha! And of course, so many variables like processing and other factors that vary from brand to brand can also affect the quality and health benefits of any particular tea. So I just recommend trying different teas and tea blends, and seeing what works best for you. Many different types of tea work well for kombucha so you got lots of options there! Occasionally, I’ll throw in some gunpowder green tea with my black tea and it works great. Hope that helps!
I was wondering if you knew anything about the dangers of Kombucha? I'm not taking about mould; I've read articles and watched videos that state kombucha isn't good for us. Some say it actually causes liver problems, stomach acid issues etc. I hate asking this question because I love making kombucha, but I freaked out after finding this out and I'm afraid to continue making it. 😳
I went to the organic store today and found a variety of black tea choices like darjeeling . Nirgili blue . Malty assam . English breakfast and so many other wierd names i just dont know which is the right one . Sad :(
There are lots of varieties of black tea and other types of tea. Assam is a variety -- so is English Breakfast -- it's a blend of black teas including Assam and a few others. You just have to make sure that whatever type or blend you use contains only pure tea leaves and isn't flavored with anything.
your theory on tea is not all factual...If the tea is processed correctly they all have different health benefits that their counterparts dont have...green tea specifically and ooolong tea has more polyphenols
Bull thanks for your comment! Do you have a science-based source you can share that says green/oolong teas have more polyphenols? Like I said in the video, different types of tea (as long as they’re true camellia sinensis) do have varying levels of polyphenols based on how much they’re oxidized. Black tea is generally the most oxidized tea, therefore it’s generally safe to assume that there’s a good amount of polyphenols in black tea (obviously this’ll vary depending on tea growers, producers and brands). Honestly, the polyphenolic levels across teas don’t vary that much and like I said in the video, all true teas are more than appropriate for brewing kombucha so you can determine what works best for you. But my personal favorite (based on my taste preferences and trial and error with white, green, oolong, black and puer teas) is black tea. So I’m curious which part of that isn’t factual?
@1:14 you stated that black tea provides the most nutrients..like i said different teas provide different nutrients even though they come from the same leaf....I have learned and taken a lot from your videos by the way..heres one of many scientific test on teas:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453015000555
Bull Gotcha! So, to clarify, when I said black tea provides the most nutrients, I was specifically talking about providing nutrients to kombucha scobys since that’s what my channel is about. The kombucha culture of bacteria and yeast feeds on polyphenolic compounds. so the more polyphenols, the healthier your scoby will be. This is really an argument against using herbal tisanes (non-camellia sinensis plants) that don’t contain as much polyphenols as tea. I do acknowledge that teas provide different nutrients to people based on how they’re processed. But that’s an entirely different argument. The intention of this video was to give a summary of how tea affects kombucha production, not necessarily how tea affects people. Hope that makes sense.
I rarely leave comments on videos, but I feel compelled to thank you for posting this. It was informative and short. You presented so much useful information without all the fluff that other videos force you to sit through.
Subscribed! Thanks again!
Kyle Camargo Thanks so so much Kyle! That was the goal, so I’m glad you found it useful. 😊
I love people who thoroughly know what they are talking about: and hearing you talking about tea, makes me think you're one of them.
Wow, your channel has EVERYTHING I wanted to know to start home brewing. And you nail it with the bullets, great style and delivery. Thanks for making all these awesome videos, it’s like an online course and killer references.
You need to produce your own line of Booch!😉
Deano Thank you so much! I’m glad you find it helpful!!
Honestly it's amazing, I've watched all your videos within a day. I can't find anything else this comprehensive and information dense. Plus you can see that you are actually experienced so you are easy to trust THANK YOU for making it so easy.
I just fermented my first batch with earl gray tea because that was the closest to black tea which I had and the final product is delicious!!
It would be great if you had a video on taste-testing a variety of teas (in the 1st fermentation) with the same flavoring for each bottle (2nd fermentation), and describe the differences you taste!
I absolutely LOVE ❤️ your informative videos. I grew two SCOBYs from GTs (started Jan 31, 2018) and I have SOOO many now after several successful brews. I keep watching your videos even though my KOMBUCHA journey is going well. Do you have a video about Oolong Tea? I bought some organic oolong and want to start using it.
Tee Jenkins Thank you for watching! I don’t have a video specifically on oolong tea, but as long as it’s a pure oolong tea without any natural/unnatural flavorings, then it should work great for kombucha!
I think its incredibly hard not to understand these videos. Great job👍
Great information, will definitely buy your book.🙏🏾
Would it be possible to prep the first brew with matcha powder?
What about Decaffeinated tea?
Hi just wanted to say your channel is the best kombucha channel there is. Everything is well explained in details and I've learned a lot from you, so thank you very much! One quick question, I'm sure you most have said already, I just dont remember. So I've been brewing my first batch as we speak, and is taking quite a few weeks, I guess because the weather is cold and also I moved the vessel, and the first baby scoby sank, than a second one started to form and then I tried to warm the vessel, I guess by moving it the second baby scoby sank as well. So now a 3rd baby scoby is forming on the top, I just dont dare to touch until I see grow a bit more. Is hard to say it will be ready in a week or so, because of the weather. I was just wondering is this normal? Also, I am brewing with green tea, but my next batch i am planning to brew with a black tea, is that ok to use the scoby brewd with green with black tea for the second batch. Much appreciated!
wow thank you for this, very informative and straight to the point. as a beer home brewer this is what i was looking for, thank you
Ive been experimenting with a combination of chaga and black tea and I must say its very tasty!
Awesome!!!
That is brilliant :D
I just found your channel! Thank you!!! I believe you’re the most informative & trustworthy source I’ve seen. I’m finally finding answers to some basic Qs. I’m currently fermenting my 1st batch🤞🏻.
Do you have a video that talks abt caffeine in kombucha. I’ve heard that the caffeine is mostly eaten away as it ferments; then I’ve heard that’s not true. I’m sensitive to caffeine - it affects my sleep, but I like to have kombucha in the evenings b/c my stomach gets upset after eating. I’m hoping kombucha will help reset my gut bacteria after a time of drinking it regularly… but need to know if I can drink it in the evenings or if it maintains all its caffeine.
Thank you for your time.
your channel is the best channel out there relative to Kombucha business; your videos are very well made; i love the way you explaining things; thanks for making these videos.
You have a great channel.green tea for jun . I use Irish breakfast,most caffeine for regular kombucha
Do you have a video where you talk about using decaf tea? I'm going on my 5th batch, but I like to drink kombucha after dinner and it's been keeping me up all night :) Thanks for the videos!
I just watched this video to find out about decaf, I actually can't drink caffeine often and I love kombucha :(
So Darjeeling Black Tea would work out fine? At the moment i use Green Tea bags. How can i safely switch to Black Tea? Love your video's, thank you! 😘
Is it possible to use Matcha green tea powder in the Scoby brew?
Please could you tell me if I can put green tea and black tea mixed in the first fermentation?
Hi grate video, can you tell me much sugar per gallon please and how much te per the same amount of water Thank you
check out my first fermentation video for the recipe: www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-first-fermentation
This was very informative, thanks 😎👍!
Hello! I’m from Korea and I love kombucha, so I started to make it myself watching your awesome channel 👍 I was wondering if I can use Pu-erh tea to make kombucha.
Yes! You can totally use puerh. I've found that in my experiments with puerh, it made my kombucha taste a bit musty. But there's such a wide range of puerhs out there that you should definitely experiment!
You Brew Kombucha Thank you! My kombucha came out so good! It was really fizzy and good! I followed your recipe and I have been brewing Kombucha everyweek. I mixed some green tea with Pu-erh because my Pu-era tea is really fermented and strong .The flavor is really good so I don’t add any fruit juice when I’m bottling my kombucha. Thank you again for your amazing channel and video👍💕
I’m really enjoying your videos. Can’t wait to start my own home brewing.
Loving your videos. Very informative... I was attempting to start the process for the first time with black tea and I used store bought kombucha for my starter tea and didn't realize it had flavors in it. I have not yet put my SCOBY in there. Should I start a new batch?
Ideally yes -- flavorings can really throw off the yeast-bacteria balance of a scoby and lead to mold problems (whether immediately or down the line). So unflavored is best. But if you already used the flavored kombucha/don't have access to unflavored, it's worth a shot to see if it'll be OK. As long as it acidifies and doesn't have any mold, then it's most likely fine. So as long as it tastes good to you, that's really all that matters.
I love organic green tea for my kombucha
Before watching this video I did make a small batch with Earl Grey. This was a waste of time, it tasted no different to a simple black tea brew. I agree with this video, keep the brew simple, flavour the bottle.
Would lapsang souchong work for a first fermentation?
hmmmm... I wouldn't do it if I don't have a scoby hotel: lapsang souchong is a smoked tea, and smoking is normally done to kill bacteria
Just found you channel and am really glade I did. As for tea I like Gunpowder tea and like to know if I would use the same amount as loose leaf tea and if you have tried it. Agine great videos
Excellent channel, thank you! I just discovered you. We got home our first Scoby today (purchased) so I’m checking out info to do it right. For the second batch I want to try Yerba mate, since it has very little coffein and I like the flavor better (I’m not fond of the idea of adding fruits later). Thank you!!!
If there is no starter tea what is the alternative? Is it safe to use vinegar as a substitute for starter tea to the first fermentation process?
ua-cam.com/video/Z4Ris7i2zaM/v-deo.html
It's mistake n.1
hi, I have a starter made of green tea but I wanted to try to make kombucha with black tea, is it possible to mix the green tea starter with the new black tea or is it a problem for the bacteria and yeasts? BTW I love your videos
Do you have various different black tea flavours brewing in separate kombucha vessels at any one time? Oh and do the used scoby's then all go into a generic scoby hotel or do they get tea flavour based hotels?
We started our first kombucha last week and used Earl Gray without giving it much thought. I hope it's okay! We did use a starter kit that had a scoby and some starter tea already in it.
Bt the way, the packet recommended checking the PH with litmus paper after adding the scoby and adjusting with vinegar if not acidic enough. Do you think that is a valid use case for vinegar?
What happened to the Lipton loose leaf tea? Can't find it in stores anymore.
So happy I found you and your great videos!!! I’m new at this and starting my 2nd batch. Where do you buy your Tea?
Shelly Vasquea Hey there! You can find that info here :) www.youbrewkombucha.com/byo-starter-kit
Hi love your channel . Would it be possible to use ROOIBOS Tea ?
I realize this is an old comment, but for anyone else with this question, I think she may have mentioned that you can use rooibos tea and a couple other types of tea at 3:50 in the video.
I've been loving your videos! About to start this journey of brewing and I am collecting all the supplies. Wondering what your favorite brand of tea is? Doing my own research, but also trying to collect information from experienced brewers. TIA!
I love using Stash loose-leaf tea (I buy in bulk from Amazon) -- I've also been playing around with Positively Tea organic loose-leaf teas and those are amazing as well :)
Hi, I’m loving all of your kombucha videos! Thank you, although I am afraid i found them too late... I’m a week into my first fermentation and bought Earl Grey loose leaf tea by mistake as well as using raw brown sugar! 2 of your no no’s. Will my scoby still be ok? How will I know?
ua-cam.com/video/pQYfq2Gyo2c/v-deo.html :)
Thank you so much for your video! I have a quick question: I'm a big fan of Reishi tea and have gone to their trainings. Normal black tea steeping time is about 3-5 minutes. I've read some studies showing that tannin levels are at their peak around 5 minutes and they don't get much better from there. What's the point in steeping for 15 minutes if it's going to create a tea that is less desirable than normal steeping time?
hey, just found out about you channel. thanks for greaat info, one question. Can i use oolong peach black tea????
I don’t like the taste of tea bags. What do you think about Irish breakfast
do you think using dried burdock root would make a successful kombucha
Can we use other kind of tea? Like rose petal tea or chrysanthemum or hibiscus rosselle tea?
Thank you for this awesome info! I was curious though if it’s possible to do kombucha with decaf tea? Caffeine is a no-go for my mom and she didn’t know kombucha was made out of black tea!
Nani Woolsey you do need to use at least some caffeinated tea, but in the fermenting process the caffeine is mostly eaten.
Interesting you suggest black tea. I was using black tea for months and the kombucha had a very unpleasant flavour, and the SCOBY was an unsettling orange colour. But then I switched to 100% green tea and the brew became this light, refreshing drink that was infinitely more enjoyable
There are so many types of black and green teas that it really just depends on the tea producer and processing method. Whatever you use is perfect as long as you like the way it tastes. :)
You Brew Kombucha thanks for replying :) I came across a great Chinese Oolong Tea recently. Might be a great middle-ground that adds the flavour the green tea-only brew is missing, without the unsettling bitterness from the tannins in black tea
Will organic chai tea work for this?
can i use concentrated sassafras tea in first formation brewing
I've never tried it so I can't speak to it, but in general, I don't recommend flavorings/flavored tea in first fermentation. Flavorings (even natural ones) can degrade and weaken the scoby over time. You can read more details here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/scoby-care-hotel -- under the "How flavorings can harm your scoby" section. :)
love your videos. have watched almost all of them now. I havnt heard you explain why you use 2/3 breakfast and 1/3 assam. Why do you prefer the breakfast tea over the assam? Thanks
where do you get your teas?
junquedujour I get them from Amazon. You can find a link to my fave tea at youbrewkombucha.com/tea and links to my fave brewing products at youbrewkombucha.com/byo-starter-kit
What black tea do you reccomend? All I can find is earl
Lacey Mccormick check out the link in the description box of this video - I have all my recommendations there! 😊
Super well done. Thanks
Can you put bubble tea pearls in during the second fermintation?
Would it be over the top to use premium imported teas or should one stick to a decent everyday tea, still loose leaf? Tea can definitely get more complex and pricey depending on what one is looking for, but would the fancy stuff be a waste for a first fermentation?
I'd stick to the basic stuff for brewing kombucha. I'm a really big fan of high quality loose-leaf teas in general, but some really high-quality teas can go for upwards of hundreds of dollars a pound. So I prefer to experience the flavor of those teas "pure" on their own. But if you've got the budget for it or the curiosity to give it a go for a batch, I'd love to hear about your experience -- if it makes a big difference in the taste of the final fermented brew.
One of these days, I think I'll try one of my pricier teas and compare it against the more affordable (but still good quality) loose-leaf tea I currently use. But I just haven't gotten a chance to yet!
You Brew Kombucha If you do, definitely post it up. Thanks 😊
It's not feasible for me to do it now, but someone could brew a small amount kombucha using high-end tea as a test, just a pint or so.
Hi! I’m just making my first brew and I used green tea with natural grapefruit aroma. Should I take out the scoby and make a new brew with 100% black/ green tea or is it fine if I use an aroma Tea once ? Will the scoby be okay? I only have one
It'll probably be fine if you did it once or twice as long as you aren't consistently using those aromatic tea in your F1.
@@azerosblank5036 thank you it turned out well
Is decaf black tea acceptable?
Sure!
Can I use decaf black tea?
Doesn't the SCOBY need caffeine? You didn't touch on decaffeinated vs normal.
In my brews, I've been using tea bags (half decaffeinated and half normal) and steeping then for 10 minutes.
I like it that way. I might try steeping longer. I don't have a source for quality loose-leaf nearby.
I’ve made the mistake of using earl grey and fruit tea since those were the tea bags I had on hand 🙈 can I still save my scoby?
What about decaf black tea. Will that make a difference??
yes. the scabby feeds off of caffeine and sugar. do not use decaf.
You can give it a try. There are mixed studies on whether or not the scoby feeds on caffeine or whether it feeds on polyphenolic compounds naturally present in the tea leaves, so you may as well give it a shot to see if it works out. :)
May I know if it’s okay to use Jasmine tea for 1st fermentation?
I have and it's beautiful
Can you use dragon Pearl's (yes I know it's loose leaf) but it's a rolled up 1 that expands when wet
is english rose black tea considered a herbal infusion? This was my only loose leaf black tea
Schan122 Just based on the name, it seems like it is an herbal infusion. Does it contain actual rose petals or smell/taste like roses? It may still work for kombucha - but I’ve never experimented with it myself. :)
You Brew Kombucha yeah, there are dried rose buds. Doesnt seem to sweeten the tea, but not sure how the scoby will do
Schan122 Still worth trying it out esp. if that’s all you have. Lots of brewers experiment with different flavored teas and are fine. Just depends on your cultures and taste preferences. If you run into problems though, it may be because the rose adversely affects the scoby’s health in the long-term. But it’s still worth a shot! Good luck!
Thanks for making this channel and posting the videos!
Hi!! Did you ever try with genmaicha??
I haven't, and I'm not sure if/how well the scoby can digest the popped rice contained in genmaicha. It'd technically be a "flavored" tea since it has non-tea ingredients added to it (rice). But I'm all for experimentation -- if you try it out, let me know how it works!
Hi!! I did :) yesterday!! And will let you know how it goes!!! Thanks for your help!!
@@marinaguarnero How did it go?
@@happydayz89 ... maybe not so well: no answers after one year
Actually the newer studies show us that green tea provide the most nutrients and benefits. black tea is second for kombucha
Your toughts about yerba mate?
I'm personally not a fan of the taste, but I do know some commercial kombucha brewers who use it in their kombucha with lots of success! You may want to start off with a blend of yerba mate + black tea (in equal ratios), then gradually increase the mate/decrease the black tea with each batch as your scoby gets acclimated to the new food source. Let me know how it goes if you try it. :)
Ty for the answer! I've used yerba mate because is easy to find here in Brazil and is more cheap, but i'll try that out!
Is it possible to make/convert a scoby that lives off herbal tea and is stored in “herbucha” pored off from F1’s using herbal tea? Like convert to herbal avoid all “real teas”? Have you heard of this?
I want to avoid caffeine and some of the tannins.
Is it possible to use ceylon tea ?
Yes! as long as it's pure, unflavored tea, go ahead.
Thanks!
Where do I buy ur leafs
I list my leaf sources here www.youbrewkombucha.com/tea
I LOVE this channel
Totally depends on your personal preference -- and it can vary so much across brands and sources of tea that it's just best to experiment and try things out. If you're just starting out, I recommend using a blend with at least half black tea, then gradually decrease the amount of black tea you're using if you want to phase it out.
Sometimes scobys can react negatively if you make a big change and they have to adjust rapidly, so I recommend making it easy on them to avoid mold problems down the line. :)
If i am making a batch of tea for the first ferment, can i use the same tea bags or loose tea from the batch i just made to make the second batch of tea? Or should i just make one or two big batches with new tea bags every time?
Ione Sally I don’t recommend re-using tea leaves for a second batch since they get much weaker after the first steep. So you don’t want to skimp out on nutrients for your second batch. I definitely relate with not wanting to waste the “used” tea leaves/bags though. If you like, after the first steep, you can re-steep the leaves again, add some sugar and use the liquid (weaker sweet tea) as “food” to feed your scoby hotels. That’s how I cut down on waste too! 😊
You Brew Kombucha Thanks! I have another question. So when I first started Brewing kombucha I made my own scoby. I still have that scoby now and I'm brewing pretty healthy batches. But early on I noticed that my brew would tend to have alot of yeast in it and I was able to taste the yeast which wasnt something I like. So i learned that if I over fed the yeast they would basically go into a food coma. For a while this was good for me. But then I noticed that i didnt have enough yeast to actually have good carbonation so it would take me longer to finish the first and second fermentation. Do you have any tips on increasing the 1st ferment speed, producing more carbonation in the first ferment and how to get a deep tea flavor? Sorry theres alot of questions. I read that by using more tea and more heat that i can increase the yeast production. Thanks!
Hi there! So yes, if you'd like a more pronounced tea flavor, I recommend increasing the amount of tea you use. That'll give the yeast more food to eat and leave enough for you to still taste that tea in the final outcome -- you can play around with the amounts until it tastes right to you. To speed up the fermentation time, I recommend adding more starter tea from previous batches -- or maintaining a scoby hotel that you stock up with sweet tea + scobys and basically use as a "factory" for super strong starter tea. (Check out my video on scoby hotels for a breakdown of that!). The more starter tea you add, the faster it'll acidify and the faster you can get the fermentation going. Lastly, yes, warm temps do increase fermentation, so that could speed up your fermentation time and increase yeast production as well. But just be careful not to make it too warm (keep it under 85 degrees), or else your scoby could die or you could swing the pendulum in the other direction and have a yeast overgrowth.
Hope that helps! :)
You Brew Kombucha thanks! Very helpful
my room temp is normally cold, does this need to be kept warm?
Check out my video on temperature :) www.youbrewkombucha.com/temperature
How much loose leaf tea do you add to a 1 gallon batch?
Michael Nguyen-Ibanez Typically 2-3 tbsp. but it depends on the tea itself. You can check out my full recipe in my first fermentation video or here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-first-fermentation 😊
Thank you so much! How long do you leave the tea in to brew? I’m guessing it depends on the type of tea too
For the type of teas I use, I steep for around 15 minutes. But I basically make a tea concentrate that I water down with cool/room temp water -- that way, I'm not sitting/waiting around for the tea to cool down to a safe enough temp for the scoby + starter.
If you check out the link above and my write-up on tea here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/tea , that'll give you a lot more details about my process too. Hope that helps!
What is your experience with using room temperature ground tea leaves with room temperature water? How does the kombucha form?
Where do you buy your tea?
I list all my recommended products/ingredients and where to buy them here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/byo-starter-kit
What about chaga
I've never tried it, but chaga isn't true "tea" -- since it's a mushroom/fungus. You could experiment and see if it works out for you though!
The only kind of tea that is fermented in the drying process is pu-erh. I think you might mean to say that other teas are oxidized different amounts.
True! Lots of books use the term oxidize/ferment interchangeably but you're right that it's inaccurate.
Yes, I heard of a brewer using yerba mate, which lacks caffeine doesn't it?.. And another put his tea in room temperature water overnight. I think he said you don't get the caffeine or tanins that way.. So the talk about tanins confuses me..
I have spawned a new scoby out of various concoctions in jasmin tea and honey, and i only ever bought one can of a Captain Kombucha (green tea and honey).. It took months to create a strong combination of strains, so i agree that black tea is easier.. But i think it's because maybe green tea is more antibacterial.
Hi there -- most yerba mate does have caffeine -- in fact, most people drink it because it supposedly has as much caffeine as coffee. And caffeine does not evaporate or go away over time by sitting in room temp water. So I'm not sure if that person got their info right. In any case, kombucha cultures don't really feed on caffeine, to my understanding. People often refer to it as "caffeine" or "tannins" but in reality, kombucha feeds on the polyphenolic compounds present in certain plants -- pure tea being the best example. But like you mentioned, yerba mate works too. Depending on your culture and your taste preferences (and of course depending on the brand and quality of the tea you're using), that really determines how strong/resilient your kombucha will be. Green tea isn't really "antibacterial" but it can have a cleaner more astringent taste. :)
You Brew Kombucha Ah ok, thanks for the info.. And i typed wrong, the Captain Kombucha was green tea and sugar.. my strongest scobys are from an experiment i did creating a ginger bug.. i now consistently feed it ginger, honey, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon juice.
Could you use Thai Tea?
Andy Johnson Most Thai teas I’ve come across already come with spices (like cardamom, etc.) and food coloring (to make it orange), so I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you want to experiment with it, you certainly can! Just be on the extra lookout for mold or other issues that may crop up as a result of the additives.
What should I do if I have used a flavoured tea in my kombucha and mixed the tea and scoby together in a kombucha hotel? Can someone please help?
ua-cam.com/video/pQYfq2Gyo2c/v-deo.html
You Brew Kombucha thank you so much!
How would Darjeeling teas do ?
Is someone have brewed 1st f with Labrador Tea?
Have you ever read kombucha book tell found nitrogen if your kombucha with yerba tea?!
Please you explaning me about got nitrogen in yerba kombucha if you know it!
Maybe I must add too my sweet yerba tea with green tea(it mean my yerba tea + green tea/black tea)!Should I do that?!
Making my yerba kombucha not got Nitrogen(maybe gases)?!Please tell me is that true?!(I waiting your answer!)
Organic English Breakfast Tea it is :))
Decaf tea?
So you claim that Black tea is healthiest due to the Tanins in the leaves, Could green tea also include something equally as beneficial for the Scoby(that isn't found in black tea)? The reason I ask is because I have seen tea in bulk online (Including amazon) where company's sell tea especially for Kombucha and they are 50-50 blends( black and green), i also saw a couple youtubers use 50-50 mixtures.
Artilect v.01 Green tea is great for kombucha as well! Black tea just happens to have the most tannins (polyphenolic compounds) and I’ve personally found that it results in the tastiest tea + most healthy, consistent scobys. But that doesn’t mean that green or other types of tea are unhealthy. They also contain a lot of nutrients that’s great for kombucha! And of course, so many variables like processing and other factors that vary from brand to brand can also affect the quality and health benefits of any particular tea. So I just recommend trying different teas and tea blends, and seeing what works best for you. Many different types of tea work well for kombucha so you got lots of options there! Occasionally, I’ll throw in some gunpowder green tea with my black tea and it works great. Hope that helps!
I was wondering if you knew anything about the dangers of Kombucha? I'm not taking about mould; I've read articles and watched videos that state kombucha isn't good for us. Some say it actually causes liver problems, stomach acid issues etc.
I hate asking this question because I love making kombucha, but I freaked out after finding this out and I'm afraid to continue making it. 😳
Stormyweld05 www.youbrewkombucha.com/is-kombucha-good-for-you
Hi, do you have any experienses with brewing on Rooibush tea?
I went to the organic store today and found a variety of black tea choices like darjeeling . Nirgili blue . Malty assam . English breakfast and so many other wierd names i just dont know which is the right one . Sad :(
There are lots of varieties of black tea and other types of tea. Assam is a variety -- so is English Breakfast -- it's a blend of black teas including Assam and a few others. You just have to make sure that whatever type or blend you use contains only pure tea leaves and isn't flavored with anything.
Another great video. I totally agree with your experience adding green tea... I stick to all black. anamaria in ca
You never meationex how much?
I just got my first scoby a couple days ago and made my first batch with…. Earl grey… I hope I didn’t kill my cultures this way 😭
You forgot Pu Erh and Yellow Tea.
Can I
your theory on tea is not all factual...If the tea is processed correctly they all have different health benefits that their counterparts dont have...green tea specifically and ooolong tea has more polyphenols
Bull thanks for your comment! Do you have a science-based source you can share that says green/oolong teas have more polyphenols?
Like I said in the video, different types of tea (as long as they’re true camellia sinensis) do have varying levels of polyphenols based on how much they’re oxidized. Black tea is generally the most oxidized tea, therefore it’s generally safe to assume that there’s a good amount of polyphenols in black tea (obviously this’ll vary depending on tea growers, producers and brands).
Honestly, the polyphenolic levels across teas don’t vary that much and like I said in the video, all true teas are more than appropriate for brewing kombucha so you can determine what works best for you.
But my personal favorite (based on my taste preferences and trial and error with white, green, oolong, black and puer teas) is black tea.
So I’m curious which part of that isn’t factual?
@1:14 you stated that black tea provides the most nutrients..like i said different teas provide different nutrients even though they come from the same leaf....I have learned and taken a lot from your videos by the way..heres one of many scientific test on teas:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453015000555
Bull Gotcha! So, to clarify, when I said black tea provides the most nutrients, I was specifically talking about providing nutrients to kombucha scobys since that’s what my channel is about.
The kombucha culture of bacteria and yeast feeds on polyphenolic compounds. so the more polyphenols, the healthier your scoby will be. This is really an argument against using herbal tisanes (non-camellia sinensis plants) that don’t contain as much polyphenols as tea.
I do acknowledge that teas provide different nutrients to people based on how they’re processed. But that’s an entirely different argument. The intention of this video was to give a summary of how tea affects kombucha production, not necessarily how tea affects people. Hope that makes sense.
@@YouBrewKombucha Wow: so deep inside tea knowledge!
Lose the music.
No thanks. No one's making you watch this video though if you find it insufferable. Hugs! Bye!