Tea

All The Tea You Need

When brewing Kombucha you will need real tea also known as, Camellia Sinensis. All the nutrients and minerals that you need for brewing are contained in tea. The type of tea you use will determine the taste of your kombucha as well as the health of your SCOBY.

Black Tea

Black tea is an ideal choice for brewing kombucha.The unique amber colour comes from black tea. It is a fully oxidized and more flavorful tea than the other types used in brewing. Just be aware that there is more caffeine than the other types of tea. The ability to maintain the proper pH in the fermenting environment makes it an excellent brewing choice. Avoid using varieties with essential oils. The essential oils can damage the SCOBY and tends to produce a foul tasting kombucha.

Green Tea

Green tea has a softer flavour and colour than black tea. There is minimal oxidation in green tea resulting in a fizzier drink. The caffeine in green tea is much less in comparison to black tea. Jasmine is a popular choice for brewing kombucha.

Oolong Tea

This tea's oxidation process is more than green tea but less than black. This makes for a suitable tea to brew with as well. This tea tends to be sweeter than black tea.

White Tea

White tea is not usually used as a stand alone tea for brewing, due to the minimal amount of caffeine and the mild flavouring. It is better to mix with the other varieties of tea for the best results.

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea (tisane) does not contain the leaves of Camellia Sinensis and contains herbs and spices. Herbal teas do not have the same nutrient value that is important to the brewing process. Make sure to use a 3:1 ratio of black or green tea when brewing with herbal teas. Next we'll cover Sweeteners.

How To Get Flavours And Carbonation?
Once you've finished your fermentation process you can drink your kombucha just the way it is. Although, you may want one of the many flavour combinations that makes preparing your own kombucha unique. There are may flavours you can add to your brew, such as apple, orange, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, grape, mango, lemon, pinapple, blueberry, vanilla, ginger and wild saskatoons. You can try any combination of these plus any you may think of on your own. Happy mixing!

Flavouring Tips!

Here are some tips for flavouring your kombucha.

Fresh frozen or dried fruit should be a ratio of 3 parts kombucha to 1 part fruit.

Fruit juice has the same ratio of 3:1

When choosing flavour extracts follow the directions on the bottles and start with a 1/4 tsp. of extract for 1 cup of kombucha.

If you decide that herbs are something you'de like to try, do some web-surfing to find recipes that you can test to see what you like.

Remember there is no exact science for flavouring. A lot of it depends on your preferred taste.