That One Time I Made 'booch

Doesnt this little buddy look like a kid in a Nativity play? Like a little shepherd 😍 

BOOCH! I've been on the probiotic wagon for about a decade now. In the beginning, I simply wanted to feel better when I ate foods that didn't agree with my system. Now, I love probiotics not only for their digestive power, but also for their immunity boosting properties. My family and friends used to ask 'What the heck is that,' or say 'Something's floating in your juice...' Now my dad puts it on tap at bars all around the city. My how times have changed!

Lately, it seems like my kombucha habit is more expensive than a wine habit, so I thought to myself, on a scale of 1-10, how successful will I be at DIY'ing this stuff? 

Kombucha Home Brew Kit @kombuchabrooklyn

First things first, I got a Kombucha Brooklyn DIY kit. The kit makes the process about as easy as it could possibly be. What I quickly realized is that i already had everything in it the kit (besides the Scoby) IN. MY. HOUSE. Oh well. One can never have too many jars, or too much tea.

Next... dunnn dun dunnnn, I followed the instructions. 

step 1- brew your tea

step 2- add sugar to your tea, and dissolve completely

step 3- add tea/sugar (cooled)  and cold water to your booch jar   

Scoby-ewww. it looks gross... good thing I know what to expect 

scoby in the house!!  

cover with cotton cloth, secure with a rubber band, and let the scoby do its thing! (See what I did there? Scooby-Doo?) Full disclosure, I called it a Scooby instead of a scoby for a full 10 days... don't judge.

Last, I waited. While waiting, I'll sip on this and this. And probably this.

Flash forward 2 days: my house is too cold, and the booch isn't at the optimal temperature, so I ordered a heating belt to keep my little buddy the perfect temp through the brewing process.Thermometer Strips are also a great thing to have on hand as you brew batch after batch.

Flash forward 4 days: The Scooby is starting to separate. I'm told this is a good thing.  

Flash forward 10 days: I'm bottling, baby! I added 1Tbsp mango/strawberry/blueberry puree, and let it do it's second fermentation for carbonation. I used these bottles because the dark color is supposed to be better for fermentation, and also because the cap allows for a full seal during the second fermentation.

Flash forward 5 more days: it's delicious, and I've got my next scoby (not Scooby) ready to go in the fridge!

This is the gift that keeps on giving. Now I'm starting a second batch with my Scoob (that's what i'm calling this baby now- we're on first-name terms). I'm excited to experiment with new flavors, and save a few bucks in the process!

xo, Terra