Kombucha Drink for Longevity – Make It Yourself

You probably know already or even have tried Kombucha drinks that are widely available at grocery stores, health food shops, as well as online. These drinks have a unique flavor and are known for powerful health benefits. Too bad that, typically, they are quite expensive.

However, the good news is that you can make your own Kombucha drink with a SCOBY.

What is a SCOBY?

“SCOBY” is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. It is an ingredient used in the fermentation and production of Kombucha.

The appearance of the SCOBY can vary, but it’s typically dense, round, rubbery, and opaque with a mild, vinegar-like smell. You can buy starter kits or cultures in certain health food stores or online, including on Amazon, which usually comes with instructions on how to make the drink.

The best news is that you can make a SCOBY yourself from practically nothing. There are several websites with information on how to grow a SCOBY, which looks to be a simple, straightforward process. However, many people (who tried to do it) failed. Here, you can find some tricks and tips on growing, maintaining, and treating the SCOBY if it is sick.

A little bit of history

The history of Kombucha is shrouded in mystery and hotly debated, but the general consensus is that this ancient tonic originated in ancient China over 2000 years ago in the Qin Dynasty (220BC). However, archeological evidence of fermentation via clay pots can be dated to pre-historical times more than 9,000 years ago. We will probably never know for sure where Kombucha may have originated. At the same time, several Kombucha legends and a healthy dose of common sense can give a good idea.

When I was a little girl, I heard the story that a long time ago, the Japanese emperor, who suffered from a severe stomach disease, was cured by a solution unknown to anyone at the time. A monk prophesied to him that an ant would bring the potion. One day at lunch, an ant fell into a cup of tea that the emperor was drinking. The ant whispered to the emperor that he had put a miracle cure in his tea. But he should not drink it yet. He needs to wait until the jellyfish grows in his tea and only then drink. The emperor obeyed and did as the ant said. A few days later, the disease was gone, and the emperor was healed. Many years later, I found out that, according to some scientists, there is some truth in this beautiful fairy tale. It is proved that “jellyfish” or a SCOBY is formed due to acetic acid bacteria. Scientists, however, do not have a definite answer about where it could get into the cup and the ant’s role in the event.

In the early 20th century, Kombucha became very popular in Russia. My grandmother always had a few big jars with homemade drinks. I absolutely loved the taste and freshness of it. Sometimes, I was asked to clean the SCOBY and refill the jars.

1. Wash the glass jar very thoroughly. It will become the residence of your SCOBY. It is a mandatory requirement because the SCOBY loves cleanliness. Otherwise, it will die before getting a chance to grow.

Note: do not use synthetic detergents to wash the jar – ordinary baking soda will do the job.

2. Place 5 tablespoons of black tea in the teapot and fill with 500 ml of boiling water.
3. Wait until the brew is completely cooled, and add 7 tablespoons of sugar to the teapot.
4. Stir thoroughly and strain the brewed tea with a gauze cloth into the clean glass jar.
5. Cover the jar with a gauze cloth on top and put it in a warm place for about a month and a half.

In a week or two, a strong vinegar smell will appear – this is completely normal. Please be a little patient and, after 5-6 days, the smell will disappear. At the same time, a thin film will form on the surface of the liquid – this is a SCOBY. Every day it will be thicker and thicker – the growth of the fungus does not stop all its life.

6. In a month and a half, the thin film on the surface will acquire a familiar shape and dense consistency. At this stage, our SCOBY needs more liquid to grow and produce a Kombucha drink.
7. Pour boiling water into the teapot with used black tea (if you drink black tea) or make a fresh one. Cool it.
8. Mix brewed tea with room temperature water (it needs to be boiled in advance). The mixed liquid should have a light yellow color.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar for each liter of liquid.
10. Filter the prepared liquid with a gauze cloth (or fine mesh strainer).

Prepared this way, light and slightly sweet tea will be our refill every time the liquid in the jar becomes low. The amount will depend on the size of the glass jar where our SCOBY lives.

Note: Sugar should be completely dissolved. Grains of sugar should never be in contact with the surface of the SCOBY.

11. Pour the liquid into the glass jar with the SCOBY. The level of the liquid needs to be comfortable for our SCOBY, depending on the jar shape.
12. Place the jar where the daylight is at least 8 hours, but direct sunlight must be avoided. Do not place it on the windowsill.
13. The optimal temperature should not exceed 65 F (18 C).
14. After a couple of days, a colorless film should appear on the surface, which at first is barely noticeable, and then begins to grow.
15. After a few weeks, the thickness of the film will increase to 10-12 millimeters. The liquid should remain transparent throughout the entire process of cultivating the SCOBY, while the film should exfoliate.
16. Over time, the lower layer of the film will darken and become brown-brown in color.
17. A week after that, the drink can be considered ready. It would be best if you poured it through gauze.

The right drink should be pleasant with a somewhat sour taste and should not irritate the mucous membrane of the mouth.

How to take care of the SCOBY?

Growing a SCOBY at home from scratch is just half the battle. To enjoy your Kombucha drink on a regular basis, the proper care of the SCOBY is critical. Otherwise, you risk getting not a delicious drink but something resembling vinegar. Or even worse – a SCOBY grown with such care will simply die.

Once every two to three weeks, be sure to give your SCOBY a bath day.

1. Very carefully remove the SCOBY from the jar and put it on a wide plate, trying not to deform much.
2. Strain the liquid from the jar thoroughly through a gauze cloth into a clean container.
3. Wash the jar thoroughly with baking soda and fill it with the filtered liquid from the container.
4. Put a plate with the SCOBY in the sink and gently rinse with warm (but not hot) water.
5. Then, gently transfer the Scoby to a jar and cover it with a gauze cloth.

This simple procedure will help to keep your SCOBY healthy.

The overgrown SCOBY can be exfoliated; only this must be done carefully. The separated layer needs to be washed and transferred to a new jar. After that, a new life of healing SCOBY begins.

How to determine if your SCOBY is sick?

There is an excellent indicator of the SCOBY health – it should always be on the surface of the liquid. If your SCOBY has sunk to the bottom or, after refilling, it refuses to float again, there is a very high probability that it is sick.

If the SCOBY gets sick, there is only one treatment. Give it a bath, clean the jar, and properly prepare the liquid.

In the case when the SCOBY acquires a brown tint and begins to exfoliate altogether, it is a sign of a serious problem. Typically, it is very difficult to save it at this stage. It is easier to grow a new one. A Kombucha from a sick SCOBY is not recommended for drinking. It not only loses its benefits but is more likely to become dangerous to health. Remember that the Kombucha drink from your SCOBY should always be highly transparent.

What is so good about Kombucha drinks?

SCOBY is a floating symbiosis of fibrous cellulose filaments and colonies of beneficial microorganisms. The bacteria and yeast in the SCOBY break down the tea’s sugars and convert them into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and acids. The result is a fizzy product with a tangy, sweet, and vinegar-like taste. Its specific flavors depend on how long it is left to ferment, the type of tea used, and the addition of other ingredients like fruit, juice, or herbs.

One of the most common beneficial bacteria in the structure of Kombucha is Gluconacetobacter xylinus, the primary producer of microbiological cellulose. This microorganism converts ethanol to acetic acid, which reduces the alcohol content of Kombucha and increases probiotic products.

The acidic environment of Kombucha prevents infection with mold and pathogenic bacteria. In addition, SCOBY produces many substances:

• organic acids (acetic, gluconic, oxalic, citric, malic, lactic, kojic);
• ethyl alcohol;
• vitamins (ascorbic acid, thiamine, vitamin D);
• enzymes (catalase, lipase, protease, carbohydrase, zimase, levansaccharase);
• lipids (sterols, phoefatides, fatty acids);
• sugars (monosaccharides, dieaccharides);
• pigments (chlorophyll, xanthophyll);
• purine bases from tea leaves;
• resins and tannins from tea leaves;
• antibiotic substances.

The antibacterial effects of Kombucha deserve separate notice. According to a study conducted at the Department of Microbiology of the Yerevan Zooveterinary Institute in 1946-1947, Kombucha has antibacterial activity with a broad spectrum of effects. According to scientists, the antibacterial activity of the culture in the liquid is mainly due to the presence of biologically active substances in it.

Kombucha is effective against a number of bacteria. Many bacteria died in the Kombucha solution within 10 minutes to 2 hours. Some bacteria and mold fungi may show significant resistance but still die at exposure from 1 to 4 days. These included spores of anthrax pathogens, spore-bearing soil bacteria, and fungi of the genus Penicillium, Aspergillus, sem. Mukor. The most sensitive to the action of Kombucha are streptococci, which die after 1 hour when exposed to undiluted Kombucha.

In other words, Kombucha can become a remedy for a home medicine cabinet for infectious diseases caused by various pathogenic microorganisms. And for prevention, it is enough just to drink a drink daily.

What is most surprising, fermented foods and beverages such as kombucha are the only food sources of NAD+.  Fermentation uses NADH to produce lactate, and the byproduct is NAD+.

How can Kombucha help?

Many people say it helps relieve or prevent a variety of health problems, everything from hair loss to cancer and AIDS. There’s little scientific evidence to back up the claims, but some elements of the drink may be good for you.

Because of its antibacterial properties, this drink will help to fight against inflammation in the nasopharynx, as well as the oral cavity.

With angina or pharyngitis, you should gargle every two to three hours to remove inflammation rapidly.

Purulent wounds are also well treated with Kombucha against infection.

A healing infusion of Kombucha helps to reduce cholesterol in the blood and can have a calming effect on the nervous system.

It is also used to prevent various gastrointestinal disorders and is recommended to drink for colitis, gastritis, constipation, and dysentery. Traditional medicine also advises using it for hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, furunculosis, and edema.

Having excellent therapeutic properties, Kombucha can be used for cosmetic purposes. Washing with Kombucha helps improve skin elasticity and gives it freshness. Baths with the addition of Kombucha to the water will help with sweating of the palms or feet. It is also useful to rinse hair after washing with pre-boiled water containing Kombucha.

Fermentation also increases the concentration of probiotics — a type of beneficial bacteria in your gut with many positive health effects. In fact, studies have linked probiotic consumption to reduced cholesterol levels, improved immunity, and enhanced weight loss, among other benefits.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the cultivation and care of the Scoby. Therefore, if you set your mind on brewing this miracle drink yourself – go ahead because the benefits are obvious!