Kombucha

We’ve started working on Fermented Projects. Honestly, one at a time, and with proper research, measurements, and fine-tuning. First, we created our own kombucha. We see it as a kind of platform, a springboard to other beverages. And that means it has to be perfect. We’re then planning on making a kombucha tonic, energy drink, vinegar, mixer, sweets, and who knows what else.

What’s floating around in there?

That fungus floating at the top of each glass of kombucha isn’t actually a fungus but rather a colony of acetic bacteria and yeast. It’s held together by cellulose (which makes the fibre in what we eat and drink), which is why it looks like an adorable little, rubbery pancake. It always takes the same shape as the top of the glass it’s grown in. Here we’ve got our own SCOBY hotel up and running, however, we don’t use the actual mother herself in production.

We want flavour

Our primary concern is the flavour. We want it to be easy to drink, refreshing, and complex. Plenty of people have come to hate kombucha because their first experience was too sour or bland. And that’s what we don’t want, which is why the recognised barista Dušan Pavelka is overseeing the flavour and production process for us.

After the first fermentation, we’re rewarded with a lovely base that we can use any which way we please. The second fermentation sees the flavour added to the kombucha (and other fermented drinks). To do so, we prefer using the good leftovers from the freshening and various seasonal ingredients we come across. Herbs, rinds, blossoms, fruit, needles, hops, and what have you.

We then seal the pure or flavoured infusion in jars and leave them for 3 days at 4° to form a lather. The sparkling is created on its own, naturally. Sometimes there’s less, and other times we’re told quite firmly that we need to get a better lid. So, please don’t shake it around too much.

Our approach

We initiate fermentation using a starter from the previous batch, taking 20% (i.e., we use 2l from the last infusion of 10l) and mixing it with a new tea infusion. We’re still experimenting with the specific tea; we’re currently using Georgian tea and are pretty pleased with it. The infusion starts at pH 4.2 – to give you a proper idea, that’s about as sour as a beer or fresh orange juice – and we gradually achieve pH 3.6 via fermentation. This is the right acidity that we need to kill any pathogens, without it being too unpleasantly vinegary.

Is kombucha healthy?

This question doesn’t come with an unequivocal answer. Both its benefits and its negative impacts on health have yet to be established. What we do know, however, is that this fungus doesn’t then continue to grow in the body after you drink kombucha; such rumours have circulated all the way back since before WWI.

Generally speaking, fermented substances help with good digestion, both immediate and long-term. They form a lining on the intestinal wall that protects against pathogenic influences (e.g., salmonella). We recommend giving kombucha a try, tasting it, and monitoring its effect on you, while also taking a break from it at times.

Make your own at home

It’s easier than you think. To make your own kombucha, you won’t even need to get your hands on the mother. Simply pour our 250 ml bottle into an open jar at home (cover it with a piece of cloth or a handkerchief and a rubber band) and keep it at room temperature for a few days. Then watch as your own culture – mother – starts to grow at the top. Next, mix it with tea or a sweetener, and you’ll have a litre of your own kombucha. There are also hundreds of precise instructions online, so you can’t go wrong.