December 2023 a fellow vendor (The Fermented Leaf, in Cheyenne Wy.) opened my eyes to a new flavor and experience. I now take bottles with me to events they are at to enjoy Kombucha at home.
Fast forward to May 2024.
My brother-in-law surprised me with a scoby hotel in a 2 gallon jar ready for a new… kitchen experience. I wrote down all his instructions and started my “F1 batch”.
I joined a couple Facebook kombucha groups read up on the how to, if I’d done it right and what to do next. I totally appreciate the helpful brewers on the group!
Feel free to check out these resources I used in addition to my brother-in-law 😊 Joe.
https://www.youbrewkombucha.com/guide-to-first-fermentation
https://www.facebook.com/share/hSshsWV99HgR9sXW/?mibextid=K35XfP
Reddit spreadsheet for flavoring recipes.
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I have also been a long time Thrive Life foods buyer. Living on a farm in western Nebraska, years ago I found that I like the convenience of freeze dried food. We have at least a 20 miles, drive either direction to get to a grocery store. So having things in the pantry works for me. Freeze Dried used to mean “ long term” store it for an emergency for some people. For me it’s always been just easy, ready to use, good food. We don’t love everything we have tried, but I have learned what we do and always have that ready to snack on and cook with. Thrive Life is freeze dried with only what is on the can, check your label, it’s not dried with preservatives or chemicals.
So of course I wanted to use my favorite fruits to make kombucha. Thinking… freeze dried fruit, once added to liquids can (if it gets forgotten in the frig) do what fresh does (mold etc) but will it ferment?
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2gallon to start with, gently stired, then removed 2cups for scoby hotel to new jar plus top stuff.
For F2: flavoring did these the same:
- added 1.5cup tea, stir,
- funnel into 33oz bottles, top off in need to leaving 1/2-1” headspace.
- Leave in room temp cooler with top open 1-2” (teatowel on lip so doesn’t close tight)
- check in 2-3 days.
- Moved to refrigerator to pause fermentation, when totally chilled checked taste and fizz
- back to refrig waiting to drink it.
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#1 : Cherry Limeade - powdered 40 sweet FD cherries with 1 tsp thrive life limeade, 1tsp sugar
#2 : CinApple : FD cinnamon apple's. Note to self- this fermented faster. Did not need F3. Exploded in cooler, glad I used cooler it kept in all liquid and most of the glass.
#3 : Tropical : FD mango, sm can pineapple juice, powered vanilla
#4 : Sangria - FD grapes, FD cinnamon apple, FD oranges
#5 : Pine-Dragon - sm can pineapple juice + FD dragon fruit, powdered vanilla
