Welcome To…
Chapter 1: Secrets of Kombucha Tea!
Whether You Are Brand New To Kombucha Tea Or Already A Long Time Brewer, I Have Crafted Secrets To Provide A Wealth Of Information That Will Educate, Amuse And Empower You To Make The Freshest, Healthiest Kombucha At A Fraction Of The Cost Of Store-Bought Booch.
This Free Course Is A Distillation Of All I Have Learned Via Thousands Of Hours Of Brewing In Batches From 1 To 50 Gallons.
Serving As Teacher And Mentor To Thousands Of New And Experienced Brewers From All Over The World Has Helped Me To Hone In On Only The Important Information So You Learn All The Kombucha Basics And Are Prepared For Successful Home Brewing.
Even If You Decide Homebrewing Is Not For You, Secrets Explains What Kombucha Does To And For The Body And Guides You Through A Simple Introduction To Enjoying Kombucha.
If You’ve Got Your Own Kombucha Story To Share, Drop Me A Line. I Love To Hear From My Readers!
…So Let’s Dive Right In And Start At The Beginning…
Question: What Exactly IS Kombucha?
Kombucha Is (Legendary):
An Ancient Longevity Elixir Consumed For Thousands Of Years By People All Over The Planet.
OR
Kombucha Is (Technically):
A Fermented Health Beverage Made From A Nutrient Solution Of Tea And Sugar To Which A Starter Culture Known As A SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria + Yeast) Is Added.
Answer: Kombucha Is Both These Things, And More.
According To The Weston A. Price Foundation, A Respected Food Research Non-Profit Located In Washington, DC, Kombucha Is:
“…rich in B vitamins and a substance called Glucuronic acid which…boosts the natural detoxification process.”
And…
“Fermented foods aid in digestion, promote healthy micro-organisms in our GI tract, produce beneficial enzymes, offer us better nutrition, allow our bodies to absorb more nutrition from the foods we eat…(and) help fight and prevent some cancers.”
Those paragraphs sum up the two main benefits most often attributed to Kombucha:
- Kombucha Specific – B Vitamins and Glucuronic acid assist the body’s natural detoxification and nourishment processes.
- All Fermented Foods – Enzymes and beneficial bacteria improve Gastrointestinal function, which boosts immunity and allows the body to more easily absorb nutrients and eliminate waste, freeing up energy for other uses.
But What Can Kombucha Do For Me?
The truth is I don’t know exactly what Kombucha will do for your health, if anything. How Kombucha affects you is particular to your body chemistry. That’s because most of the benefits attributed to Kombucha actually result from your own body working more efficiently and healing itself. More about that part in a minute. But first….
Real Quick, Because The FDA And Lawyers Everywhere Are Staring At Me:
These Statements Have Not Been Evaluated By The Food And Drug Administration. This Product Is Not Intended To Diagnose, Treat, Cure, Or Prevent Any Disease. Consult Your Health Care Professional With Any Questions. Disclaimer.
I can say that Kombucha has had a profound effect on my life and health. So many people have written to tell me of the benefits to their mental & physical health that they attribute to their Kombucha consumption. Friends and family tell me how great it makes them feel. Your experience will be your own.
Here are some of the purported benefits:
- Contains Probiotics
- Alkalizes The Body
- Detoxifies The Liver
- Increases Metabolism
- Improves Digestion
- Alleviates Constipation
- Cancer Prevention
- Reduces Blood Pressure
- Relieves Headaches & Migraines
- Aids Healthy Cell Regeneration]
- Reduces Kidney Stones
- High In Polyphenols
- Improves Eyesight
- Reduces Eczema – Softens The Skin
- Prevents Arteriosclerosis
- Speeds Healing Of Ulcers
- Reduces Gray Hair
- Helps Clear Up Candida & Yeast Infections
- Boosts Energy – Helps With Chronic Fatigue
- High In Antioxidants – Destroy Free-Radicals That Cause Cancer
- Rebuilds Connective Tissue – Helps With Arthritis, Gout, Asthma, Rheumatism
Whew! That’s quite a list! You are likely thinking, “Nothing can do all that, right!”
Well, you are correct. Kombucha doesn’t actually do any of the things listed above itself. Let me repeat this:
Kombucha Is NOT A Panacea – It Doesn’t Cure ANYTHING!
The truth is that we are born with an amazingly powerful immune system that helps our body repair and rebuild. However, we are bombarded with toxins from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and so forth. This has greatly reduced the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
The beauty of Kombucha is that it helps brings the body back into balance. Then, Kombucha provides a small boost of certain key acids and enzymes that the body naturally lacks but needs in order to function properly. With these assists, the body is free to work more efficiently and HEAL ITSELF NATURALLY.
Also, Kombucha is adaptogenic which means that it normalizes the body and protects it from stressors in the environment. So, depending on what your body specifically needs, Kombucha works to bring that into balance – for example, some people may lose weight, while others may gain weight.
That Is How It Is Able To Do So Much – Because Kombucha Works
With Your Body’s Extremely Powerful Natural Immune System.
Okay sounds good, right? Excited yet? Me too!
Let’s build our Kombucha vocab with three terms before we’re done for the day.
THE “BIG 3″ BREWING INGREDIENTS
#1 – SCOBY
We saw this one earlier in the chapter. Remember, it’s an acronym, which is just a fancy way of saying it likes to use initials.
Though you may be tempted to say “Scooby” like your favorite cartoon dog, it is most commonly pronounced with a long ‘o’ like in “go.”
The SCOBY is a complicated organism and therefore goes by several aliases – AKA “Culture,” “Mother,” “Baby,” “Mushroom,” “Pancake,” and my personal fave – “Full Moon.”
Despite the differences in names, the SCOBY always serves the same function – as mother ship to the colony of bacteria and yeast that work in symbiosis (harmony) to convert the nutrient solution into Kombucha. A weirdly wonderful process!
P.S. About That “Mushroom” Nickname – The Kombucha Culture Is NOT A Mushroom. This Is A Powerful Mythological Misnomer, But One That Is Generally Harmless. You May Sometimes Hear Kombucha Referred To As “Mushroom Tea,” Mostly Because It Sounds Better Than “Bacteria Tea” Which Might Be A More Exact Description.
#2 – Starter Tea
All fermented foods (sour dough bread, yogurt, etc.) require a bit of the old batch in order to start the new batch. Every time you brew, you’ll hang onto a cup or two of mature KT as Starter Tea for the next brew.
Always begin with quality ingredients. In this case, that means you need some well aged starter tea and yeast with your culture.
Watch out for dehydrated cultures (they get mold easily). It makes sense, considering dehydrated anything is not as good as the original.
For that matter, when seeking out a first culture, also avoid refrigerated cultures (“dead” brews and mold problems) and especially watch out for silver dollar size cultures or even test tube sized cultures (yes, test tube) that are too weak to protect your brew.
If you have not been gifted a clean full sized culture with strong starter liquid, they are available here.
BONUS DEFINITION: KT = Kombucha Tea. Mature, Fermented Kombucha. Convenient Shorthand That Sounds Cool. Technically Sweet Tea Becomes KT When The PH Drops To 3.0.
#3 – Nutrient Solution /Sweet Tea
We all need to eat. Even the Kombucha culture. So we make a tea and sugar mixture to feed the culture. (Yes, you need to use sugar. Don’t worry, the sugar is NOT for you.) When combined with starter liquid and SCOBY, Kombucha will brew.
I Hope You’re Enjoying Chapter 1. This Course Contains The Full Contents Of My Original Kombucha Seminar In This FREE Class, That Usually Costs $50 In Person. There’s A Ton Of Great Stuff To Cram Into Just A Few Short Lessons.
I Have Been Inspired To Offer This Introduction To Kombucha For Free As A Thank You To All The Wonderful New Brewers I’ve Met And Helped Over The Years. You Have Helped Me Learn As Well. I Believe That Knowledge Is Power And I Know You Will Feel Empowered By The End Of This Series, Just As I Do Whenever I Brew Kombucha. This Free Class Is Meant To Be Simple And To Inspire You.
Remember, You Don’t Have To Absorb Every Word Right Now, Take What Works And Is Interesting For Now And Come Back For The Rest Later.
Even After Only One Chapter, You’ve Learned A Lot About Kombucha.
☮+♥ Hannah
