What have you found that improves your health

[baymule]

I am going to watch this thread. Might have to try it myself.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

^^ me too

 

[so lucky]

I only brought the water to a boil before adding the tea. We have chlorine in our water, probably fluoride too. But those things didn't prohibit the scoby growth. Maybe if you have problems with your water it might be a good idea to get spring water, but I think some of these instructions you get are trying to account for every extreme circumstance, so you just have to use your best judgement and experiment a little. I promise you, the first time you see the scoby develop, you will want to throw it in the trash. It's that strange looking. Similar to those things you forget about in the back of the fridge. But not bright pink or green. Just tan of some hue, depending on how strong the tea is, I suppose.
I guess I ought to start one again, but it seems like there are so many things around here that need my attention, adding one more living thing that wants feeding and care, well, it wouldn't be the last straw, but close.

 

[so lucky]

How I grew my scoby was, after drinking about 2/3 of the bottle of Synergy, I poured the rest into a gallon jug, and put about a quart of room temperature sweet tea in with it. (Make sure you get all the brown goo in the bottom of the bottle) Covered the jar with a coffee filter and rubberband, so fruit flies couldn't get in. In a few days, you will see a film start to grow on the surface. It will get thicker and more substantial. There will be a smell, not like tea, not like vinegar, but something a little different. When the scoby is about 1/4" thick, and before the stuff starts smelling real vinegary, pour out most of the old tea, replacing with fresh sweet tea, room temp. You can use more tea this time, up to maybe within an inch of the top of the container. Leave the scoby in the jar. It doesn't matter if the scoby gets turned upside down or sideways. It will right itself or just start growing additional layers where it is. In about a week, the kombucha should have a pleasant, kind of winey smell. You can sample it at any time, and catch it when you like the taste. You can use a drinking straw to draw a bit of the liquid up, without bothering the scoby. When it's just right, pour it almost all off, refrigerate, and use the scoby and a little of the dregs and start the next batch with fresh sweet tea. After a few weeks, the scoby will be about an inch thick. You can pull off the oldest part, and just keep the newest part. Some people say they feed the old scoby to their chickens, but my chickens don't eat it.
Once it is fermented, you can bottle up the batch of kombucha in jars, add fruit juice, ginger, what ever you like. You can continue to ferment in sealed jars on the counter for about 3-6 days. It feeds off the sugar in the fruit during this time. Then refrigerate. Be careful, as it will be fizzy enough to blow the lid off a container that is not sealed sufficiently.
I have been told it is best to not use metal utensils or containers.

 

[Kassaundra]

I did stop by wally world and got two bottles (two diff flavors) to see how it tastes and start a batch. If it helps my stomach it wouldn't matter to me how it tastes I'd drink it

 

[Kassaundra]

I have now tried both flavors, the ginger and the green tea. The ginger was great a lot like ginger ale, the green tea tastes like hay. I think I will start my batch to make the mother tonight.

 

[so lucky]

I like the ginger flavored, but there is one called Trilogy that is good, too.

 

[Kassaundra]

Well I may be a convert. I am just in the scoby making process now, but have been buying the kombucha from the store, first to see if I like it and get a starter for the scoby. (now to get good glass bottles w/ lids for mine when I get that far) I got a couple of bottles and was drinking about 6 ozs a day (b/c of the gastro - intestinal warning about drinking to much at first). Anyway noticed a difference in my stomach pain (a constant thing for me since birth) I was going all day w/ just 1 or 2 rolaids (I eat my weight in them every year) I also have gout issues it comes and goes, right now I'm having a flare in my lt ankle, not bad just annoying. Anyway I notice after several days the pain in my ankle was ignorable. Then I ran out so on purpose gave it a couple of days w/o drinking any to see what would happen, and sure enough eating rolaids like they are candy, and the pain and swelling returned in my ankle. I honestly don't think it is psychosomatic b/c I really didn't think it would work. I got some last night on my way home and after just one "dose" last night before bed today my stomach feels better and my ankle is less sore then last night. Guess I'm now officially a converted skeptic!
I have tried the gingerade flavor very good, the gingerberry is very good, the green tea not so good tastes like hay but drinkable just less pleasant, still have the trilogy flavor to try.