Fermenterie

Confessions of a Kombucha Brewer <3  Riding the Waves of Love for Kombucha!

Where I first tried kombucha in Utah!

I confess... I didn't like Kombucha when I first tried it, and I later became interested in it because I wanted to impress a guy!

I can remember the first time I tried Kombucha. It was in Park City, Utah in 2005.  I was ending a yoga teacher training session with Anusara founder John Friend, and a woman was walking around the studio with a tray filled with little cups, like the ones you drink medicine from, of this bubbly drink kombucha.   The women told us it was an ancient brew that was to bring greater health to our bodies, minds, and hearts.  I tried it and thought it was gross!  


About three years later, a co-worker of mine emailed me about this same drink, and the email gave instructions on how to brew kombucha yourself.  I had a crush on this co-worker, so I got interested and wanted to know more about this exotic sounding brew.  I went ahead and contacted another friend who knew more about fermentation and could give me the details about what was so great about this drink.

Kombucha SCOBY

I ended up getting my own SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, the culture that creates the drink Kombucha) from my now Fermenterie business partner Doug Cullen, who was already brewing his own Kombucha.   At this time, there were few if no commercial kombucha drinks available.  So Doug had ordered his SCOBY from an online distributor of SCOBY's.  The best part was that each time he brewed the drink, his original culture creates a baby culture, which he could keep to brew more kombucha or he could gift to his friends!  So I left his house with my own SCOBY and went straight home to read my co-worker's email about how to brew Kombucha at home.

Needless to say, things never worked out with my co-worker.  But the universe had sent my way a Kombucha culture which I treasured (simply for novelty sake at first!) and worked hard to maintain.   I quickly realized the benefits of the drink; Physically I was having more energy, greater focus, regular bowel movements, less appetite, and my digestion of foods I had previously had trouble digesting (like milk and wheat) had improved!  Emotionally, I felt more calm, clear, and in my Center.  I was hooked!


Days, months, and years went by, and I kept brewing, sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully.  There are many little details one learns about brewing Kombucha after 4 years of experience.  That will be the subject for the next blog post.  In 2010 there were many changes in my life, and my Kombucha drinking reached a new high.  I couldn't keep up with my own kombucha habit.  I was brewing at home, and then when that wasn't enough, I was buying the commercial brands at the store.  It seemed every day I was brewing and drinking more and more.  Friends used to say to me things like, "Those jars look scary, are you sure you should be drinking that stuff so much?"  I was also told to read online the websites that say kombucha is harmful.  Just like all things, there is someone saying it will heal you, others say it will harm you.  There are equal websites postulating either or.

me healthy in Mexico

I abruptly moved to Mexico in August 2011 and I couldn't take my SOCBY with me.  I thought it was the end, and it was for a few months.  Surprisingly, I was fine without the kombucha!  Eventually though I found someone brewing kombucha in Mexico and was given a SCOBY baby.  It was the healthiest SCOBY I have had to date.  With the tropical weather in Mexico my Kombucha brewed in days!  The Kombucha was so helpful to keep my body healthy in Mexico and help fight off harmful bacteria from the contaminated food and water sometimes found in Mexico.  My regular kombucha habit was back and helping me stay strong.

I found a way to bring my strong kombucha SCOBY from Mexico back to NY this summer, and I have been enjoying this Mexican kombucha here in the Hudson Valley.  But just one glass a day!  Finding balance has been a combination of building strength and at the same time letting go to what the universe has in store for me.  Riding the waves of love for kombucha today and every day!

With love, Stephanie

My daily dose. This version has hibiscus tea!