The Adventures of Paul and Sue

You will need

• Gallon glass jug 
• cheesecloth
• tea towel or some sort of fabric and a rubber band
• glass swing top bottles with rubber stoppers (makes enough kombucha for about 5 or 6 bottles

Ingredients

• 8 black tea bags
• SCOBY
• 13 cups of water
• 2 cups unflavored kombucha (either from a previous batch or store bought for the starter)
• 2 cups of sugar
• Dandelion flowers
• Turkey Tail mushrooms
• Mango chunks

Directions

1. Bring a gallon water to boil in a large pot, once it boils add the sugar, dandelions, tea bags and turkey tail mushrooms. Once the sugar is incorporated; turn off the heat and let steep and cool completely.
2. Once the tea is cooled put the Kombucha SCOBY in the bottom of the gallon jug add the kombucha starter and pour the tea on top. The SCOBY will float to the top once it starts fermenting. Cover the jug with the towel and secure it with a rubber band.
3. Set the jug in a dark place where it will stay around room temperature to keep the SCOBY alive. Let ferment for about two weeks.

After about two weeks the kombucha is ready to drink but for this recipe I did a second ferment where I added the mango chunks for flavor and to add carbonation. At this point you can taste it to see if it is all working well. If it tastes good; continue to the second fermentation.

1. Sanitize the flip top bottles and put about 1/4 cup mango chunks in the bottom of each bottle. Then add the kombucha and seal the rubber stoppers. Let the bottles ferment for three more days in a dark place.
2. Each day burp the bottles completely so that the carbonation can escape (the bottles will explode otherwise!). After three days they should be carbonated and ready to drink. To stop the fermentation process put the bottles in the fridge.

Some tips:

• The longer you let the bottles ferment on the second fermentation the less sweet the tea will become.
• Taste it with a straw and don’t let your mouth (or any germs) touch the kombucha while it is still fermenting. When it is to your desired sweetness, stop fermenting.
• Burp it with a towel over the top because it can shoot out and make a big mess.

Watch the recipe video here