A Kombucha Brewer’s Sampler

A Kombucha Brewer’s Sampler

Brewer's Blends - a line of teas crafted by Shanti Tea in partnership with Boochfest, specifically designed for perfectly balanced, exceptional kombucha brewing.

This sampler includes all four Brewer's Blends teas, with enough tea to make a gallon batch of kombucha with each sample. Any of the teas in this sampler can also be made into a regular cup of a wonderfully tasty tea, not only for kombucha making.

BRIGHT

The least processed variety of tea, white teas are delicate, floral and slightly grassy. We used white teas in this blend to give you a clean and bright kombucha with a slightly floral and fruity undertone. This blend will pair well with floral flavours (lavender, rose, etc), herbs (rosemary, basil, mint), citrus fruits, pears, ginger and probably anything else you want to experiment with. It’s a great base, but stronger flavours may overwhelm the subtlety of the kombucha.

BARE

The second least processed variety of tea, green tea, vary significantly but are often grassy, vegetal crisp, buttery or even slightly smoky. This blend of teas is complex with grassy, floral, fruity, citrusy, smoky and vegetal notes. It produces a kombucha that has a nice body, crisp flavour and light grassy undertones. It will pair well with any flavours. Some good options are citrus fruits, berries, herbs, tropical fruits, flowers or peaches.

BOLD

Black teas are the most processed and pu-erh is processed like a black tea, then aged. This blend is earthy, malty, rich and smooth with a slightly fruity note. Kombucha made with this tea is smooth, full-bodied and earthy with some astringency. It will pair well with dark fruits, any kind of spice, oranges and other bold flavors.

BURNT

Our smokiest teas in a single blend. The smoke aroma is heavy, but the flavour will surprise you! The tea is light for a black tea blend, with notes of earth, fruits and a smoky aftertaste with a clean finish. It produces a kombucha that is also earthy, slightly smoky yet light in body. The aroma of smoke is stronger than the flavour. This kombucha pairs very well with lemon or grapefruit, herbs and spices.

Ingredients

Organic white tea, organic green tea, organic black tea, organic pu-erh

Specifications

Directions

To make 1 gallon of Kombucha you will need:

• 1 SCOBY (can be purchased online, you can grow it yourself but an established SCOBY often has better results)
• 1-2 cups starter liquid (see notes below)
• 1-gallon wide-mouth glass jar
• Tea towel (or breathable fabric) and rubber band
• 1 gallon (4 litres) clean, purified water
• 2 tablespoons loose tea
• 1 cup pure cane sugar

The Process

1. Start by making your tea base; infuse your chosen tea in hot or boiling water (BOLD and BURNT can be infused in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. BRIGHT and BARE should only be infused in hot water, about 75-80°C for 3-4 minutes). Fully cool the tea base using an ice bath or place it in a cool area for a few hours. Once the tea base is cool, add the starter tea.
2. Kombucha starter tea is raw, healthy kombucha that contains the living bacteria and yeast needed to brew kombucha, and is usually taken from a previous batch of kombucha. You can usually purchase the starter tea with your SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). After your first successful kombucha brew, you can reserve some of it as starter tea for your next batch.
3. Pour the sweet tea and starter tea mixture into a one gallon glass jar and gently add the SCOBY. Cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers tightly-woven cloth like a tea towel and secure with a rubber band.
4. Ferment for seven to 10 days at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, checking the kombucha and the SCOBY regularly.
5. After seven days, taste the kombucha daily; when it reaches a balanced taste that you enjoy, your kombucha is ready to bottle. Remove the SCOBY and reserve your starter tea for the next batch. When bottling your Kombucha, add fruit and botanicals to create your desired flavour.
6. If you want a fizzy kombucha, store the bottled kombucha at room temperature (out of direct sunlight) for one to three days. Check the kombucha regularly as a gas buildup could shatter the bottle. Once it is fizzy enough, refrigerate (this stops it fermentation and carbonation) and then enjoy your kombucha within a month.