Questions on Kombucha Tea Starter Culture

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• From Lori at 5/16/13 8:12 AM
  • I want to order a kombucha starter and other cultures but I live in Florida and it's already 85 degrees in mid-May. I see you have heat sensitive alerts on some products. What are your recommendations and/or should I wait until winter to order?
  • Our cultures are dehydrated for safe shipping and will be fine for the short trip to your home. You may want to track your package to ensure your culture does not sit in a hot mail box. The cultures should be refrigerated until you are ready to activate.
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• From Ben at 5/4/13 12:48 PM
  • Once the kombucha is started, can you make it using commercial tea bags from the grocery store or do you need some special kind of tea?
  • The tea you use can be loose tea or tea bags from the store. There is no tea made especially for brewing kombucha. For more information on choosing the right tea for your kombucha, click here:
    
    http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kombucha-ingredients
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• From Elsie at 5/1/13 8:05 AM
  • what's the difference between the contents of Kombucha Tea Starter Culture and Kombucha tea starter kit? Do I need to buy both to start brewing? Thanks!
    
    
  • No need to buy both. The Kombucha Tea Starter Kit includes the Kombucha Tea Culture (scoby) as well as organic black tea, plastic mesh strainer and pH test strips... perfect for the first time brewer.
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• From Bill at 4/22/13 9:58 PM
  • Hi I used a quart mason jar to re-hydrate I used the prescribed amount vinegar, tea and sugar I've left the scoby in a warm dry place its been two months and nothing has happened. What did I do wrong?
  • The dehydrated scoby won't change much in appearance but it is busy preparing your tea for the next batch. Since you've already waited more than the recommended 30 days, go ahead and test the pH of your kombucha, You're looking for a pH between 4.0 and 2.8 before beginning your next batch. If you don't have the test strips, go ahead and taste your kombucha. If it still tastes sweet, let it sit a few more days and test again. If you have that rich, vinegary kombucha flavor, you're ready to start your next batch. This article may help: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/blog/wheres-the-baby-the-kombucha-baby
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• From susan at 3/19/13 2:42 PM
  • how long will kombucha keep in the fridge?
  • Kombucha lasts about 1-2 weeks when stored in the fridge. The brew will continue to ferment even after the scoby is removed, so the flavor will be stronger the longer it is stored.
    
    If your kombucha is bottled, use caution when opening the bottle, as the fermentation gases may have built up quite a lot, depending on how long the bottles have been stored.
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• From Angel at 3/19/13 7:29 AM
  • I've just been reading about the fluoride content in black and green teas. Is there a recommended way to reduce the amount of black and green teas (to reduce the fluoride content) without damaging the kombucha? Oolong has half the available fluoride content as green tea but white and herbal have the least. Herbal doesn't balance out the pH in the kombucha, though, so I'm wondering about white. Thanks!
  • Naturally occurring fluoride (such as is found in tea) is completely different from the kind of fluoride that is added to water, and is not generally considered harmful.
    
    Any sort of real tea (green, black, white, Pekoe, Oolong, Darjeeling, etc.) is acceptable for brewing kombucha. The scoby requires actual tea (camellia sinensis) as food - it is not about the pH. Herbal teas can be added to real tea, as long as there is sufficient real tea to feed the scoby.
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• From Trianna at 2/24/13 1:09 AM
  • Is kombucha safe to drink while nursing?thank you
  • We recommend that you consult a health professional for any questions regarding our products safety and suitability for you and your baby.
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• From Alison at 11/14/12 2:25 PM
  • I have a 6 month old baby and hope to get pregnant again soon. What are the guidelines for consuming kombucha while breastfeeding or pregnant?
  • Unfortunately we cannot answer health related questions. Please talk to your health care provider about this. :)
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• From Courtney at 11/8/12 2:24 PM
  • Is it possible to brew kombucha without using any vinegar? I am allergic to brewer's yeast and must avoid it. Thanks.
  • If you must avoid vinegar and can obtain some raw kombucha, either bottled or from a friend, you can use the raw kombucha instead.
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• From cam at 10/26/12 6:53 PM
  • How do you rest a scoby? Is it OK to do this in a fridge, or is it better a room temperature?
    Thanks
  • Room temperature is best but your scoby can also be stored in the fridge. Short and long term suggestions can be found here: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-take-break-making-kombucha-tea
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