'booch

So here it is folks, my recent "spare" time has been gobbled up in kombucha making.  Yes, the oober hip kombucha (or fermented tea).  I am hooked...quite possibly addicted to fermented bubbly.  And, while the drink may have some controversy...i will spare no time talking about that.  What ever you decide to put in your body is your business...but right now my body is loving its daily dose of homemade kombucha and it is delicious!  Health benefits aside, this drink is a perfect companion on a hot day and it is darn-tootin' easy to make.  And while I do know there are plenty, if not hundreds, of demos and recipes online here is my take on 'booch makin...enjoy loves!

Supplies

Tea (I use 2 tbs of black or green…but go ahead get crazy….i would not use any flavored teas)

Sugar (I use refined)

SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria & Yeast) & starter tea (tea from the last batch)

Gallon glass jug (or ½ gallon depending on how much you make….)
Sealable jars for bottling

Flavor stuff….ginger/herbs/fruit…you name it you can booch it (maybe…)

Make the tea

For 1 gallon of booch I bring 14 cups of water to a boil and turn off, add a cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of tea (I have also experimented with adding dried rosehips at this stage), stir and let it cool. Once cooled, pour into your glass jug (make sure you strain if you are using loose tea without a bag), add a SCOBY and approximately 2 cups of tea from your last batch.

S.C.O.B.Y
(or snotty mama)

Ferment

Cover your gallon jug with a clean dishtowel and secure with a rubber band.  I’m into a sweeter tasting booch so in this weather I am doing my first ferment for 4 days at the most.  To find out what you like…use a straw and slurp up a taste as it is fermenting…just be sure not to back wash!  In colder climates this step will most certainly take longer - taste daily to make sure it doesn't get vinegery.

Bottle

With clean hands remove your SCOBY…separate if she has become a monster (the old mama can be passed to a friend, composted, eaten by your chickens...or i have even seen a recipe for candied SCOBY...totally not going there...but if you do, let me know!)… Put your new mama in a jar with 2 cups of that batch tea.  Using a funnel pour your booch into bottles (we like the grolsch style…but you can use anything as long as it is glass and creates a good seal).  Leave about 2 inches or more if you plan to use fruit or just 1 inch head space if you don’t plan to add anything else.

jug of fermented tea getting ready to be bottled and flavored with lemon and grated ginger

Flavor

Add anything you want.  I would clean any fresh fruit or herbs you decide to throw in.  So far we love raspberry/lime/ginger, strawberry/mint, lemon/lavender/ginger,  blueberry/lime/ginger, strawberry/rhubarb.  When I made rhubarb I cooked the rhubarb in a little water and then strained it…you could do that with any of the fruit if you were looking to get fancy and not have globs of fruit floating in your booch.  Really do whatever sounds fantastic in your head…the sky is the limit

Ferment

After you have flavored, clean off bottle tops and cap.  Let sit on counter (in this weather) for 2 or more days.  Move to the fridge once she is ready!

Drink

The most obvious step!  If you put whole fruit in you will want to strain it (or not)....i like to use a little tea strainer to catch all the globs!  Oh and side note...the batch of late obsession is ginger-lavendar-lemon...and she is delightful paired with a splash of rum and a lime sqeeze!

the final product
(this was raspberry lime ginger)

NOTES

•Always use clean hands and bottles.  I run my bottles through a cycle in the dishwasher…that is as sterile as I get.

•Keep your fermenting batches out of direct sunlight (a cabinet or dark corner is ideal)

•At first booch can be tricky and then once you have it “figured out” the season will change and you may have to play with your fermentation time a bit.  If your first batch comes out crappy you can always go down to a ½ gallon batch at a time…that is what I did until I “nailed it”.

•There are a million and more sites online that give comprehensive picturesque demonstrations…if this isn’t enough…google it.

•If your SCOBY ever looks funny (green/black/really white or fuzzy) throw her out…there is no hope for her. Find a friend...with a SCOBY and get a new one!  If you don't have a friend with a SCOBY there are several online resources...google it!

•From what I have read there is a chance that your booch will have over the legal limit of alcohol content…that being said…it is probably very minimal…I have never had a booch hangover!  I’ve read that the second ferment with fruit is where the alcohol level may be affected…so maybe a shorter 2nd ferment is the way to go if you are worried about it. 

•If you are so excited about your booch and want to share it with everyone make sure you don’t inundate someone with too much booch…”they say”….to gradually increase consumption starting at maybe 4 oz a day…..basically don’t let grandma chug 16 oz the first times she has it.

•Keep your fermenting jugs covered at all times to decrease your likelihood of contamination and keep other fermenting goodies (like sour dough) and compost heaps on the other side of your kitchen

•I’ve read booch can hang in your fridge for up to 2 months safely (probably longer)…if you don’t go through it so fast then it might be worth labeling with a date.