Tea Obsession & Making Kombucha

Its True, I’m addicted to tea. After nearly two months in Austin, I have given up coffee, only succumbing to the temptation of only 2 cups in the past month.

My former daily ritual of drinking 2-4 cups of coffee daily “to be productive” has been replaced by drinking Herbal Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, Yerba Maté, and Kombucha.

Personal Productivity & Tea

I find my most productive times are when I drink Yerba Maté or Maté Latte (a Yerba Maté Blend that tastes like coffee). Not only do I churn out more work, when drinking Yerba Maté, but for some reason I feel a lot more creative and “alive,” it just doesn’t make me crash the same way as coffee does.

This new tea addiction is definitely a result of living near Whole Foods Market whose selection of loose leaf teas is only rivaled by even more pre-bagged teas. If you ever get a chance to stop by Mecca Whole Foods Austin, definitely stop by the tea bar, where you can smell and “sample” any of the teas before you buy them. If you aren’t currently a tea addict, Whole Foods will convert you in a flash… Make sure to ask for a “Matcha Shot” it blows away an expresso shot.

Kombucha

Now if Yerba Maté wasn’t enough, my good friend Chris Pearson exposed me to Kombucha, which is a Probiotic infused tea. While this stuff will run you nearly $4 a bottle it helps replenish your “Gut Flora” which have a huge impact on your immune system. Little did I know before my introduction to it, but Whole Foods has a pretty hefty selection of Kombucha.

Kombucha Hype?

My first exposure to Kombucha was… well, interesting. It involved cranberry kombucha and the statement: “it tastes like the devil in my mouth.” With a first exposure like that I was quickly Googling away, trying to figure out what this “Kombucha” stuff was all about. After about 2 more weeks of drinking the “good stuff,” which is essentially anything but cranberry and ginger. I was hooked.

Home Brewed Kombucha

During my kombucha research I learned that I could “brew” my own Kombucha at home for the fraction of the price. Shortly after this epiphany I was on a quest to learn how. All I had to do was find someone who could get me started.

Luckily one day while talking while with Angelica the “Tea Girl” at Whole Foods we came across the topic of Kombucha. I told her of my dream to brew kombucha at home, and it was a match made in heaven. Angelica mentioned that if I gathered everything needed to make it at home, she would save her next “Baby S.C.O.B.Y” (”Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast”) so that I could brew some of my own.

I was sold. With some basic instructions and a list of what to get, I was eager to get started. First I needed to find a 1 Gallon Glass Jar which Amazon promptly supplied and a other few ingredients from Whole Foods while I eagerly awaited the “Baby” from Angelica.

Making Kombucha

Yesterday I picked up “Baby” SCOBY and starter juice. Today I started my first batch of Kombucha thanks to the guidance of Angelica.

Kombucha Ingredients

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1 Cup Unbleached Sugar
• 1oz Blueberry Black Tea
• Water
• SCOBY
• Starter Juice

Kombucha Directions

Here is a quick rundown of the directions:

1. Boil 4 Cups of Water and Add 1oz Tea
2. Let Tea Cool to room temperature
3. Add Sugar and Stir with Wooden Spoon
4. Pour into Gallon Container
5. Pour SCOBY and Starter Juice into the mixture
6. Cover with Paper towel and rubber-band
7. Let sit for 5-7 days.

Definitely make sure that everything is sterile. Use bleach if you need to… The last thing you want it to be drinking some nasty bacteria which could make you really sick.

Waiting Game

Now its just a waiting game. I need to check this stuff in about 5 days and see how its doing. My “Baby” should have grown into a mother and my tea should have turned into Kombucha. I just ordered a funnel and some mason jars off Amazon to start bottling the stuff when its ready. I’ll keep ya’ll updated. Until then stop by your local health food store and grab yourself some Kombucha.

UPDATE: The Kombucha is ready! Here are the Pics!