The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea Paperback – March 8, 2016

I think this book was miss-named. It should be called the Bible of Kombucha since this is the book you return to again and again as you continue your Kombucha adventure. Every page is a revelation.I've been brewing this stuff on and off for many years. Why not consistently? Well, I don't know, perhaps I was not really aware of the all the benefits of the stuff and you hear so many conflicting stories. I mean is this stuff really good for you and all of that? Well, these guys have done the research and they take away the mystery about kombucha and you learn some really wondrous stuff about this delicious, healthful brew.So now I am really excited about brewing on a regular basis. I even ordered one of their SCOBYs because I am confident in the quality from these master brewers. For years I've been preparing this brew a certain way: boiling a gallon of water, boiling in the sugar then putting in the tea bags to let it steep for 15 minutes and then setting the pot on the counter for hours to let it cool so you can put it in a gallon jar into which you put your SCOBY. Every time I've ordered a SCOBY from somewhere else these are the instructions.Well, these guys simplify it. Just boil a quart of water, steep the tea, stir in the sugar and then pour that into the gallon jug and fill it will cool water. All this can be done in a matter of minutes, instead a waiting around for hours for the mixture to cool off. Makes preparation a heck of a lot easier.I also learned that you are not supposed to refrigerate your SCOBYs, that it's best to keep them in a "SCOBY hotel" so the cultures stay active and vibrant. I've been refrigerating them which is probably why I've had so much trouble with my brews.But the best part of the book which is where they spend the most time on is flavoring your batch, and that can be done in the original fermentation and/or afterwards. So they give all kind of wonderful ideas for this. I got a batch going right now with hibiscus, never thought about doing that. They got recipes for desserts, smoothies and alcoholic drinks made with the kombucha which look really delicious. They even got a recipe for making kombucha brewed with coffee! Can't wait to try that and can't even imagine what the heck it's going to taste like.My mom, who is 102, lives with me and I’ve been giving her apple cider vinegar in the mornings and just switched her to kombucha. I am going to have to have 2 batches going now and can’t wait to try the flavorings on her.So if you are just starting your kombucha journey or are an old pro don't hesitate to get this beautiful book. Brewing kombucha is a great, fun, healthy and life-giving hobby. The stuff you'll brew will be so much better than what you can get in the store because it is raw and full of healthy bacteria that your body really needs. This is the book you need for all things kombucha. Get it, you will not regret it.

Ok, so I haven't read any other books on the subject. I researched kombucha books and read dozens of reviews on several of them prior to ordering this one. The Big Book of Kombucha far exceeded my expectations. I had never brewed kombucha and I was a little nervous about it. I had googled it and it seemed both simple and complicated to me -- depending on the source.This book is perfect for the first timer. It answered all my questions. The author included pictures of the SCOBY in every stage of the process which took a lot of the guess work and worry out of it. Without that visual, I might have assumed my brew was ruined at certain points.The book is visually beautiful and enjoyable to read. You can use it as a reference book or you can read the whole thing. She includes information about the history of kombucha as well as advice about which ingredients work best, step by step instructions, troubleshooting, all kinds of recipes, how to care for your SCOBY and more.My first batch turned out better than I expected. It wasn't GTs quality but it was still delicious. I would like mine to be a little stronger and would like a little more fizz. I think I will be able to tweak these issues though. I was concerned about my bottles exploding during the second ferment (this can sometimes happen), so I kept burping the bottles and probably killed the fizz. I have my second batch about ready to bottle. I won't burp them as much this time.On a side note: I ordered my SCOBY and a few other items directly from Kombucha Kamp (the author's website). I've ordered 3 times and each time I received shipment notifications within HOURS of placing my orders and my orders arrived within a couple of days. The SCOBY was big, beautiful and healthy and the ingredients I ordered were top quality. I love everything about this company.