By Stacy and Travis of kombuchahunter.com If you didn't already know, figs are a superfood. We most commonly find them in stores in the dry form, but they are absolutely delicious and beneficial when they're fresh, and that's how we utilized them in this recipe. Naturally sweet, figs make a great compliment to your second ferment. They are high in potassium, and low in sodium, which makes them a very heart-friendly food. For this recipe, we chose the Black Mission fig, which is a particularly high-quality variety of fig. With figs bringing a nice dose of sweetness to the brew, we decided to balance it with the bright licorice note of fennel seeds. These guys aid in digestion, lower blood pressure, improve skin health, among other benefits. So this booch is not just a pleasure to drink, but truly acts as a healing elixir for your body. And the gorgeous purple-mauvey color? That's thanks to Butterfly Pea Flower, which we added a pinch of to this brew. Read on for the full recipe. Tea Base: Sencha or any other good quality green tea and Assam (2.5 tbsp each of loose-leaf total, per 1 gallon of spring water ) Second ferment ingredients (per 12 oz bottle): Organic fresh black mission figs (1 tbsp, mashed); Fennel seeds (1/2 tsp); Fresh pineapple (1 tsp)—you can also use pineapple juice if you wish; Butterfly Pea Flower (1/2 tsp). Process: Brew your kombucha to your usual tart/sweet preference. For this recipe, we let our brew sit in first ferment for a full 8 days. Peel your fig and scoop out the meat; mash it well in a bowl, or puree in a food processor. When you are ready to bottle, add the mixture, via funnel , to your bottle. Next, take your fennel seeds, and add them into the bottle as well. Add your pineapple and your butterfly pea flowers, and then pour in your finished kombucha to the top. Seal tightly, label and date, and set in your kitchen cabinet for about 4-5 days at room temperature. Be sure to burp on day 2. The sugar in the fig and pineapple will definitely make this a fizzy brew. There will be bits of fig and fennel seeds floating around in your finished brew, so before serving, be sure to strain out the pieces using a fine mesh strainer . https://www.kombuchahunter.com/flavor-gallery/2017/10/25/fig-fennel-butterfly-pea

By Terry and Ben of Kombuchahome.com Apr 19th, 2015 You already know about the many health benefits of drinking kombucha tea , but did you know that second ferment kombucha has even more healthy nutrients ? That’s because the yeasts and the bacteria that make up the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast) are still present in the kombucha tea, even after you have taken the SCOBY out when you’re done making a basic kombucha recipe . Most of the colony remains in the SCOBYs (the “mother” you used to start the batch of brew and the “baby” it produces) but there are millions of free-floating yeasts and bacteria in the liquid tea itself. That’s why you sometimes find a tiny baby SCOBY in a bottle of unpasteurized store-bought kombucha – the yeasts and bacteria in the bottle have gotten together in their own colony. During the first (primary) fermentation, the yeasts in the SCOBY use the nutrients in the sweetened tea mixture to grow and multiply. During this process, they produce byproducts like ethanol. The bacteria take the ethanol and use it to nourish themselves, breaking it down into organic acids. The longer the bacteria have to work, the more of these organic acids they produce, changing the kombucha from sweet to sour. There are several important acids that have health benefits: Gluconic acid helps fight yeast infections like candidiasis. Lactic acid helps regulate digestion. Malic acid is a natural detoxifier. However, the main acid produced is acetic acid , which is another name for vinegar. The longer the bacteria work, the more acidic and sour the kombucha tea becomes, especially during primary fermentation. One advantage of secondary fermentation is that it slows the production of acetic acid, which means that the nutrient value of the kombucha will continue to increase without getting sour too quickly. With longer fermentation periods, the antimicrobial compounds also accumulate, making second ferment kombucha a more effective antioxidant. At the same time, the sugar decreases, making the kombucha a healthier drink, especially for people who are concerned about diabetes. This makes second ferment kombucha a good method for making sugar-free kombucha . More Carbonation The yeasts also produce carbon dioxide, giving fresh kombucha tea a slight bubbly or fizzy quality. But since this first brewing is done in an aerobic environment, much of the CO2 escapes. It’s important to cover the brewing jar with a piece of thin but finely-woven material in order to protect the SCOBY from airborne molds and contaminants while also letting in enough oxygen for the yeasts in the SCOBY to breathe as they “eat” the tea and reproduce. Of course, that same material allows the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast to escape at the same time. During second fermentation, the SCOBY is removed, and the fermentation container is tightly sealed. The yeasts and bacteria switch over to anaerobic reproduction, which does not require oxygen. All of the carbon dioxide now stays dissolved in the kombucha liquid – at least until the container is unsealed! That’s why you need to make sure you have the right bottles for kombucha  when you’re doing second fermentation. More Alcohol Potential Freshly-brewed kombucha has very little alcohol. The bacteria convert most of the ethanol produced by the yeast into organic acids, so kombucha tea is generally safe for anyone to drink, even children. With only an average of 0.5%ABV (alcohol by volume) fresh kombucha tea is even less alcoholic than “lite” beer. However, because kombucha continues to ferment even after being bottled, the longer it’s in the bottle the more alcohol accumulates – though rarely above 2-3%ABV – and because of this, the Food and Drug Administration passed a law in 2010 regulating the sale and labeling of bottled kombucha. That’s why most bottled kombucha is pasteurized these days; pasteurization kills off the yeast and stops the transformation of sugars into ethanol. And that’s why if you want to grow a SCOBY using store-bought kombucha  you need to look for unpasteurized, raw kombucha that has its full quota of live yeasts and bacteria. When you do a second ferment kombucha by bottling your kombucha tea and storing it at room temperature for a few days, you’ll increase the alcohol content a little bit. However, if you add more food for the yeast to work on (extra sugar, fresh fruit, dried fruit, etc.) into those bottles, you’ll end up with kombucha tea that can reach 2-5%ABV, depending on how long you store it and what ingredients you’ve added. More Flavor Possibilities Even if you’re not concerned with getting a buzz from your “booch,” you can use second fermentation to add flavor to your kombucha. This is the best way to add flavor to kombucha  without putting your SCOBY at risk. Some ingredients, like raw honey, fresh fruit, and whole spices, have the potential for introducing mold or contamination that will harm the native yeasts and bacteria in the SCOBY during the first fermentation period. During second fermentation, the SCOBY is out of the way, and any possible contaminants on the added ingredients will find it hard to grow in the oxygen-free and high-acid environment of the bottled kombucha tea. http://kombuchahome.com/how-to-make-second-ferment-kombucha-and-why-you-absolutely-should/

By Terry and Ben of Kombuchahome.com Which you choose will depend on how much you’re brewing, what types of tea you want to use, and which types of tea are available near you. In general, you’ll have more flexibility with loose-leaf tea, and since you can buy it in just the quantity you need, it will be fresher than tea in bags. Without a double, Loose Leave is a much higher quality sort of tea and delivers a better taste. As such we recommend it over tea bags every time. But, it’s also usually more expensive than Tea Bags. So if you are trying to brew Kombucha the Cheapest Possible Way , you will probably want to look at Tea Bags in bulk. Still, you can brew awesome tasting Kombucha with regular old tea bags just fine. I’ve done it many times with the cheapest tea bags out there (Lipton Yellow Tea bags) and the Kombucha tastes great. Keep in mind that while the choice of Tea type and quality of tea IS very important to the Kombucha taste, it’s also only ONE element (albeit an important one). At the end of the day, we are making Kombucha, not TEA. http://kombuchahome.com/what-is-the-best-tea-for-brewing-kombucha/