Recipe: Lightning Kombucha with Libertine Blends
Image by Max Griss
A fresh, fizzy, probiotic drink that is easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
2 Lightning green teabags or 2 Roxy black teabags
1L water
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 Scoby + previous liquid (large enough to cover at least 1/4 of the kombucha surface)
EQUIPMENT
One large fermentation jar. Anywhere between 1.5-3 litre capacity.
Fermentation bottles. These can be purchased from any brewing shop, don't use square bottles as they are more prone to some unwanted explosion! I used 500mL round glass bottles with a swing top lid and silicone seal.
A piece of sterile, breathable cloth. Big enough to wrap over the opening of your fermentation jar, and a large rubber band to use during the first fermentation. I used a Chux cloth.
METHOD
Infuse the teabags in 500ml of boiling water for 10 mins, until nice and strong.
Add sugar and stir to dissolve, then pour in the remaining 500mL of cold water.
Wait until the tea has cooled to below 30°C, or overnight, before adding pouring it into your sterile fermentation jar containing your scoby in its starter liquid.
Cover with a breathable cloth, such as a couple of chux cloths, and secure with a rubber band. Ensure air can still pass into the fermentation vessel, as this will keep your scoby alive!
Leave in an airy place for 7-14 days; this time very much depends on the temperature of the room, and how much of your scoby is covering the surface of the kombucha.
Taste the kombucha every couple of days - it should taste sweet at first, but you will notice it will become more acidic as time passes. You are ready to bottle your kombucha when it has reached the perfect sweet/sour spot for you!
I left my black tea kombucha for 14 days, while the green tea I only left for 7 days. During each batch of booch you make, your scoby will grow another layer. When it gets too big, separate a few layers and give it to a friend in some starter liquid to spread the kombucha love!