Our Backstory:
It wasn’t love at first site. In fact, upon our first encounter I was a bit skeeved out. I know it’s superficial… but it looks weird. The top of the bottle looks fine… inviting even. But then you notice it. That unsightly thing hanging out at the bottom of the bottle. You know what I’m talkin’ about… that loogey ooey, gooey, creepy thing.
The name is strange, too. Kombucha. Kom-bu-cha. Doesn’t sound like any word that I know. And it doesn’t even sound like an exotic foreign word. Just sounds strange… like someone trying to scare you and a sneeze all rolled up into one. Who came up with that?
And then there’s the price. I mean, seriously? You want me to pay $4 for a beverage that I can only drink half of because I’m afraid of the thing at the bottom making it’s way to the top and sliding down my throat? How ’bout I give you an even $5 and someone takes that thing out? Clearly this is a joke.
But I gave kombucha a chance… because I’m like that… open and accepting (bahaaahaaaaaaaaaaaa– I’m totally not). I don’t know why I tried it. I really don’t. It seemed to have everything working against it: creepy, floaty thing; weird name; and ridiculous price. But I did. And there was no turning back. What was done could never be undone. I swear I heard Etta James singing “At laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast my love has come along.” Pinky swear.
At $4 a bottle, though, our relationship began slowly. We’d see each other once a week or so. And then, we started to get more serious. I started making more frequent trips to the store… making up reasons to go to the store (like, “oh… I only have 3 blocks of Kerrygold in the fridge… better run to the store!”) and each time I’d return with kombucha. I was hooked. I couldn’t live without it…
What’s a girl to do? I was faced with a tough decision: take out a second mortgage on my house to finance my kombucha habit or make it myself.
So I began to research how kombucha and I could live happily ever after without incurring financial ruin. Basically, there are two methods for brewing kombucha: batch brewing and continuous brewing. Batch brewing sounded like it was going to require more maintenance than I wanted to take on. The continuous brewing system sounded like the best match for a low maintenance girl like myself. The price of the continuous brewing system made me hesitate. But, in the end, I knew there could be no other way… kombucha and I had to be together…
When the package arrived I was beyond giddy. I was. But then I panicked. I thought, it can’t possibly be this easy. It can’t be. I’m going to mess it up. I crossed my fingers and held my breath throughout the initial 10 day brewing cycle. I was certain that I was going to meet with failure and that my dreams of a lifetime with kombucha were going to crash and burn. And then I tasted it. And it tasted like… kombucha! It was warm… and not quite as fizzy as the GT’s Kombucha I’d been purchasing… but it was kombucha! And it was good! Success!
The Present:
Kombucha and I are tight. I can have my daily fix without tapping into my kids’ college funds or my 401K. I have a constant supply and life is good. We will live happily ever after… I just know it. We are our own fairytale… possibly the inspiration for the next great Disney movie. Hey, ya never know.
True Love
Random Details:
1. The brewing system was unbelievably easy to set up. The only maintenance required is to refill the brewer with a tea/sugar solution each time you bottle a batch. The solution requires you to boil water, steep tea, and dissolve sugar (the SCOBY eats the sugar). No big deal.
The CB System. I had to MacGuyver a way to attach a heat strip– cuz it’s cold & SCOBYs prefer to be warm. I’ll tell you what a SCOBY is later.
2. Since each successive brewing cycle (after the initial) only takes about 2 days, I have a constant supply of kombucha. And it is awesome. Think improved quality of life…. this will bump you up a couple of notches. You can fill a glass right from the spigot on the brewer, or you can bottle it up. We do both.
3. When you bottle it up, you can flavor it however you prefer (we use ginger, goji berry, hibiscus, and ginger/goji berry if we feel especially wild). If you let the bottles sit for a couple more days they go through a second fermentation and develop a bit more fizz.
4. It’s not just the taste. Kombucha has lots of health benefits. For those of you that are into that kinda thing.
The Conclusion:
If you are considering purchasing a continuous brewing system… DO IT! It couldn’t be easier. And for super minimal effort… you reap a super huge reward.
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Disclaimer: Because I love this Kombucha so much, Real Food Freaks has become an affiliate of Kombucha Kamp. If you click the link and make a purchase your price is not affected, but we do receive a small referral fee from the company. We use these referral fees to pay for hosting and site maintenance. Clicking on the link is a good way to support Real Food Freaks through products you may purchase anyway. This will help to keep us writing for you for another year. My review and opinions are not altered by our affiliation with Kombucha Kamp. I would drink and use it regardless of our affiliation.
Shared at: Sunday School, Seasonal Celebration, Homestead Barnhop, Real Food 101, Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday, Kombucha Challenge
Ha! Leslie, you’re an ‘eye open’ kisser.
Actually… I took one with my eyes closed and it looked really creepy… this one was a re-do!
You totally had me at “and then you notice….” You do have to kinda get past that part!
I only take Kombucha out once in a blue moon. Too afraid to brew at home. I’ve heard of it blowing up. I’m a big baby about stuff that might blow up.
Andrea, I was super freaked out at the thought of explosions… but, in the end, it was a risk I had to take!
I would LOVEEEEE one of these but I can’t afford it right now! Maybe if I save up over the year. I LOVEEEE Kombucha!!
Keep saving Allison… I bet you’d love it!
The timing of this post is too funny! I discovered the awesomeness that is Kombucha about a month ago and was so instantly hooked that I ordered a starter kit, (thanks Kombucha Kamp!!), got it three days later (yesterday), and immediately put my first attempt at a homemade batch away to do its fermentation thing!! Seven days is going to go by so sloooooow!!! Hmm, lots of exclamation points in there. Yea, I’m excited.
I know your pain Carol… enjoy the booch!
This was totally hilarious! Yeah, I can see the closed eye pix looking creepy.
But while Allison waits to buy the continuous brewing system, she *could* try batch brewing. It’s cheap, all you need is a jar or a bowl and a scoby. You can even grow your own! Not trying to poach girls, but I have a tutorial on my blog for batch brewing enough for a bottle a day. Then, Allison, if you put aside $4 every time you drink a homemade bottle, you’ll have enough for a continuous brewing station in no time flat!
Good idea Melissa!
I’ve had a continuous brew system next to my kitchen sink for about a year now, but I’ve found that I have to clean it out and rebatch it every 6 weeks or 2 months in order to get the best carbonation (well, yeastification). Dead yeast seems to trap a the bottom where my tap is and it kills the bubbles. Any thoughts?
Really? I don’t know… you have more CB experience than I do. I’ve only had my system going for about a month or so. Hannah (@ Kombucha Kamp) says I should only have to clean it twice per year. What type of CB system do you have?
Always been put off by the look of it, but now you’ve convinced me to give it a try!
Rebecca, I bet you’ll be hooked in no time!
[...] Me & Kombucha… A Love Story by Real Food Freaks. Oh it’s true love, alright. Leslie’s continuous brewing system is everything she ever wanted, and more. And she won’t drive herself into financial ruin from buying the stuff at $4 a bottle anymore! [...]
I’m so glad I found this. I’m also at the one bottle a week stage, and looking at purchasing a scoby and have been just short of pressing the “buy” button. I’m busy and forgetful and don’t want to complicate life even more, but your post saved me.
Gett’n my scoby on.
Woo Hoo!
Did I totally miss your explanation of what “SCOBY” means?
Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (beneficial kinds).
Just found your site yesterday and I’m hooked. LOVE your posts! We’re so eye-to-eye on real food/nutrition it feels we must be sisters separated at birth. And I can’t watch Dr. Oz without yelling at the TV. Ugghh, that guy. Aren’t doctors supposed to “never do harm”?!? But I’m having a hard time reconciling this post with all the others. I gave up all refined sugar two years ago and haven’t looked back. So, although everything I’ve read about Kombucha says it’s great for you a zillion different ways, I can’t get past the fact that it’s sweetened with white sugar. Yeah, I know – it’s “consumed” by the fermentation process, but that just means it creates a sugar alcohol like Zylitol or Erythritol. Neither of which are that bad (unless the Xylitol comes from corn vs. birch or other hardwood) but I still wouldn’t want to consume it daily or even weekly. Can’t I get all the probiotic properties from plain yogurt or kefir without the concern of sugar alcohol? Am I wrong or missing something? Hope this reads as a sincere question – I’m not being critical, just curious.
Hey Trish- Valid question, for sure. The sugar (I use organic evaporated cane juice… still refined, I know, but I can’t even bring myself to use white sugar in kombucha) provides the energy for the fermentation. The fermentation knocks out the sugar as well as most of the caffeine. I don’t think this is the same thing as creating sugar alcohols. So I don’t sweat the trace amounts that may remain in the end product as I firmly believe the benefits far outweigh the negligible amount of sugar.
I do not think that you need to drink kombucha in order to be healthy, but you do need to drink it in order to be truly happy. Totally kidding… maybe?
Kefir is fantastic… and I highly recommend that, too– lots of beneficial strains of bacteria and yeast. Yogurt doesn’t have nearly as many.
I don’t know if this helps… I’m learning more every day, but I am far from being an expert on kombucha (or anything, for that matter)!
Oh, and when can we get together to make fun of Dr. Oz? That’d be a good time!
Yup, did more research and you’re right, sugar alcohol is different. Still don’t completely understand the fermentation process in relation to sugar and caffeine but I’m intrigued by the idea and looking forward to learning more. Thanks – you guys are awesome!
I am in LOVE with Kombucha too and was right where you were at – going bankrupt! LOL! Because GT Synergy Kombucha is SO GOOD, but SO EXPENSIVE!!
So I started brewing it myself thanks to an awesome friend who had an extra scoby and the patience to show me exactly how to do it – my biggest fear is failure, second only to brewing something that might cause an ER visit. LOL!
Well … my first batch turned out great, that was until I decided to try to recreate my favorite GT flavor and pureed some fresh berries and added them to a grolsch bottle for a second ferment. When I went to open the bottle 2 days later, I exaggerate not, that a volcano of epic proportions erupted and shot straight up to my ceiling and all over me and my white cabinets. Eek! LOL!
That was quite an experience … but I’m happy to say it didn’t stop me and I am now enjoying completely AWESOME homemade Kombucha that revivals GTs without the explosions.
Blessings,
Kelly
Whoa Kelly– that’s a nightmare! I will continue to keep my berries whole– I am petrified of a potential explosion!
Interesting post (I hopped over from Pennywise Platter). Our CSA farm sells kombucha made by someone local and I’ve been wondering just what the heck it is.
Guess I’ll pick up a bottle next week and give it a try. My hubby brews beer, and this certainly sounds easier than beer making!
I bet you’ll love it!
I have had a longer affair with kombucha but the way it happened is fairly identical to yours: tried it, was a little weirded out by the stringy jellyfish stuff, developed a fondness in spite of the weirdness factor, bought Gt’s by the case to save a little on the cost, saved four cases of bottles to use when I started making my own, started brewing my own by one gallon batch, bought a CB system from Hannah at Kombucha Kamp and started playing with flavorings and second brew times… completely in love with kombucha. Sold out and a bit of a nut.