Scoby Sal and my first attempt at kombucha tea

Hi! In this little jar is Scoby Sal. In the short time I've owned her I've become oddly attached! She's a scoby, a culture used to grow kombucha - a fermented tea full of probiotics. It is meant to be great for gut health and costs next to nothing to make at home! Sal was given to me in a small amount of starter tea which is necessary to start the ball rolling. Each time I brew a tea, an additional scoby will form (so I'm told). You can give the extras away or roll them into the next batch. 

I have some memories of kombucha tea from when I was a child. I remember dad used to grow this mushroom looking thing in some water and he'd drink the water and the mushroom would grow. He brewed his in a big glass bowl and his 'mushroom' (scoby) grew really big!

There's a lot of information on the internet on how to make kombucha tea at home. I like this video myself, it's clear and simple. I also found that recipes vary a bit. For example some say to use white sugar and others say use brown. They often recommend organic but I'm a student so I'm hoping regular stuff is sufficient! This is what I did for my first attempt and we'll wait to see how it turns out!

In a clean jar (mine holds just over 1 litre), I added 1/2 cup of sugar and boiling water. To help dissolve the sugar I used a wooden spoon. If you are freaking out about the sugar, don't worry, the scoby eats the sugar up! 

Next I chucked four normal black teabags in and left them for around 30 minutes. Then it's waiting time. Scoby's don't like hot baths so it's important to let the tea/sugar mixture cool to room temperature. Finally I could pour Scoby Sal into the mixture where she will 'do her thang' for the next week or so. A piece of cloth and a rubber band stops any critters getting in.

Sal in her new home

And that's it for now! She'll just idle away in the background until the fermentation process is complete. Stay tuned to see if Sal and I have success...   :)