Kombucha America - FAQ Page - Cultures available here.

The Kombucha Mushroom is not a true mushroom but a tea pseudo lichen. It is primarily a fibrous cellulose spongy membrane that is formed by the various Kombucha bacteria and yeast cells that live in the liquid sugary tea. It is primarily grown to act as an evaporation cap to keep the tea from evaporating and also to prevent other microorganisms from getting to the sugary tea. It has no sex, and produces no seeds or spores for the purpose of reproduction but within the cells of the membrane exists the same bacteria and yeasts cells that exist within the tea. When your transfer a newly formed mushroom to a new batch of tea you then introduce these bacteria and yeasts to the new tea which quickly colonize it, cause the tea to ferment, and grow a new membrane on the surface.

Kombucha tea is safe to drink even the Federal Drug Administration as indicated it is safe provided it is prepared properly in a clean manner as should any food or beverage you are planning to consume. But like any food it is possible that the tea can become spoiled and if you were foolishly enough to then drink the tea it then might make you ill. But the risk of this happening is no greater than for any other food or beverage probably even less so for Kombucha because it is a fermented beveage which contains alcoholl which helps to inhibit contamination. Millions of people drink Kombucha daily and only see positive benefits from doing so. Kombucha is safer than aspirin. A lot of people pose the safety question about Kombucha because they mistakenly believe it to be a mushroom and they are aware that some mushrooms are posionous. Kombucha is not a mushroom, it is something more like a lichen, a simple plant.

No, not really. If the tea ferments OK the size of the mushroom at the time you decide to end the fermentation and strain off the tea is not important. What is important is that the tea has fermented. The fermentation of the tea is caused by the living bacteria and yeasts within the tea and these are what are responsible for the health benefits seen from drinking the tea... Again the so-called mushroom is nothing more than a cellulose mat.

Mushrooms can be eaten but not many do so as it is fiberous and may be hard to digest. Also it's only flavor is that which it gets from the type of liquid tea it is grown in. Eating it would not be of any medical benefit. When dried it takes on the appearance of a slippery rubbery leather... chew toy for your dog?

Each person's body is different as is their physical health. I cannot answer this question. The only way to know if the tea can improve your health or how soon it will improve your health is to start drinking it... I suggest daily for at least 3 months. Health benefits from the tea hopefully will be seen sooner than later but there is no way to know for sure. Many notice a difference in their health quickly. If you are already in good health then I strongly suggest that you drink the tea daily for the rest of your life to maintain that good health! You will be pleasantly surprised at how good Kombucha Tea tastes... you will enjoy drinking it daily!

Like any food to be prepare there are a variety of different ways of doing it. Here is the one I personally use: Using clean unchlorinated water, not distilled water which lacks mineral content, make a gallon of tea using 8 standard size tea bags of green tea or orange pekoe/black tea. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of white cane sugar. If you boil the water let it cool to room temperature and add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar is used to lower the pH level of the tea to help the fermentation process and protect against mold formation. You may also use old Kombucha tea that has turned vinegary in place of apple cider vinegar. Pour the prepared tea into a gallon size glass brewing container with a wide mouth (old glass pickle jars work well) and add the mother mushroom culture to the tea. Set the brewing container in a warm area (74F to 84F degrees) out of direct sunlight covered with a paper towel or coffee filter and secured by a rubber band. Let the tea ferment for 7 to 9 days. Keep in mind that the longer you allow the tea to ferment the more sour it becomes. Taste test the tea starting on the 7th day using a straw when you like its taste then strain the tea off into another glass container and cool in the refrigerator until ready to drink. That's all there is to it! Detailed instructions sent with your order.

Decaffinated tea can be used but sugar must be used. Sugar is needed for the fermentation process, most all the sugar will be consumed by the newly forming baby mushroom and the fermentation of the tea. At the end of 7 days the tea will contain about 1/2 of 1 percent alcohol. Some people do make Kombucha tea using honey, fructous sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, raw sugar, or sugary fruit juices instead of regular white sugar. White cane sugar however makes the best tasting tea. Sugar substitues cannot be used to make Kombucha. The amount of caffeine in Kombucha Tea is dependent on the type of tea you initially use when making the tea. Various types of different teas can be used. Green and white teas generally have more caffeine content than black teas. For more info on caffeine content of various teas you can go to this URL address - http://users.argolink.net/purfarms/komchem/teacaff.htm

There appears to be several mistakes most novice brewers will make. The first is not reading carefully the detailed instructions we send with an order. The second is allowing the tea to ferment too long because they forget about keeping track of the time and it then it becomes too sour for their taste. Normal brewing time is 7 to 9 days. The third mistake a novice brewer makes is mis-identifying the new mushroom that is forming on the surface of the tea as mold which leads then to throw out a prefectly good brew before the 7 to 9 day brewing cycle is complete. Also sometimes the new mushroom forming in the tea forms more slowly than the novice brewer anticipates and this leads them to panic thinking that something with the brew has gone wrong.

If you use orange pekoe/black tea the taste is like an apple wine cider. If you use green tea it taste like a ginger ale wine. Kombucha can be made using other types of tea as well. The tastes is refreshing and delicious and it will quickly become a favorite drink.

Keep the tea in a glass container (old wine bottles or jugs) in the refrigerator. Do not store at room temperature or the tea continues to ferment and carbonation pressure can build up in a sealed bottle and it may blow. Most people agree that the tea starts to reach its peak flavor after it has aged in the refrigerator for about two to four days until it begins to go flat after about 7 to 9 days if left uncapped. The tea is still good to drink even when flat but it just does not taste as refreshing.

Kombucha is a fermented tea and for the same reason you would not brew or store wine in plastic, the taste suffers, you should not brew Kombucha tea, or store the drinking tea, in such containers. You can however store surplus mushrooms in plastic containers.

Most people drink about one to three cups a day. Some in the morning and some in the evening. If you exercise drink the tea prior to starting and you will be most surprised by the extra energy it gives you.

Mushrooms can be stored in plastic bags and kept in the fridge. If you want to store them for long periods of time then store them in a covered glass container in the refrigerator (not the freezer) floating in a little sugary tea. They will live a long time. Most refrigerators are frost free and will dry out an exposed mushroom that is not properly stored and the mushroom might then die.

No this is not true... but the tea will leach metal molecules from ferrous metals such as iron so EXTENDED contact with ferrous metal should be avoided. That is why you should use a brewing container made of glass. In olden days when glass containers were not available people mistakenly brewed the tea in iron or other soft metal pots and this ruined the tea, this is how the old wives tale that Kombucha can be harmed by even brief contact with any metals began and has since been blown out of all proportion.

I do not recommend the use of plastic containers for storing the tea you will be drinking or as a brewing container.. use glass containers. Kombucha tea is a fermented tea.... would you store or brew wine in a plastic container... the taste suffers if you do. You can however store your surplus mushrooms in plastic containers.

Mold contamination is rare and can be avoided by preparing the tea in a clean manner as you should prepare any food to be consumed. If it should occur it is easily seen, in which case the tea can be discarded. I have personally brewed Kombucha tea for over 8 years and have experienced only minor problem with mold. To best avoid this minor problem I recommend that you cover the brewing jar with a coffee filter secured by a rubber band which will prevent mold spores or small insects (after the sugary tea) from getting into the brewing jar. The tea should also be prepared in a draftless room.

Most of the sugar initially used to make the tea will be used up in the fermentation of the tea and by the newly forming mushroom. In about 7 to 9 days the tea is neither too sweet or too tart/sour to the taste. It is recommended that if you have diabetes you use less sugar in initially preparing the tea or allow the tea to ferment longer. Sugar is required to be used otherwise the tea will not ferment. Drink limited amounts of the tea at first checking your blood sugar levels afterwards to determine the proper amount to drink for yourself and the best time of day to do so. Usually you will want to drink the tea when your blood sugar levels are low.

Kombucha tea is not likely to effect any medication you are taking... However to be safe check with your physician. If you can drink grapefruit juice, coffee, or wine, you are not likely to have a problem with Kombucha tea. Most people drink about 8 ounces to 24 ounces of tea a day (one cup to three cups). The tea can slightly lower the pH level of bodily fluids if you drink substantially more so check with your physician to see if any of the medication you are taking is pH sensitive. You should not drink huge amount of the tea simply because it is not wise to drink huge amounts of anything. No greater health benefits are seen by doing so. Keep in mind that your physician will probably not be that familiar with Kombucha tea so you may have to educate him. Do not drink the tea if it is very sour as it may upset your stomach

Yes, but it is not recommended for babies or toddlers because the tea contains alcohol (about 1%) and caffeine. Children should drink proportionately less due to their body size. I had one customer report that her children loved it because of the slight momentary buzz they feel after drinking the tea, most adults also will notice this slight buzz.

Pregnant women or women who are breast feeding should not drink excessive amounts of the tea as the tea contains both alcohol (about 1%) and caffeine and is slightly acidic. The tea however can be made with decaf tea. Most people drink 1 to 3 cups a day. Some incorrectly believe that because Kombucha detoxifies the body the toxins that are removed might somehow be removed to the fetus or a breast feeding baby. This does not happen, such toxins are removed by the functions of the liver and kidneys. There is no FDA warning cautioning women not to drink Kombucha if pregnant or breastfeeding and we have never heard of any fetus, or baby, having being harmed because the mother has taken the tea.

No... Tibicos is a different fermented beverage than Kombucha. It is similiar to Kefir which is a fermented milk culture taken for health. Kefir can be made in different ways other than using milk to make the beverage.

Absolutely not, all such products are bogus and provide no health benefits. The excellent reputation of Kombucha tea has caused many unscrupulous people to sell phoney products using the name Kombucha. Health benefits from Kombucha are only seen when you drink the LIVING tea itself which you can easily make at home for free. Also bottled Kombucha tea now being sold in some health food stores at ridculously high prices is another consumer rip-off, plus its taste is nowhere as delicious as home-made Kombucha tea.

I have been providing Kombucha cultures to the internet public for over a decade. My offer of a refund if not satisfied with this remarkable tea is as good as the tea itself. Millions around the world enjoy this refreshing tea daily and have done so for over 2000 years... I am sure you will as well.

Frequently Asked Questions