Whether you are a brewing newbie thinking about purchasing and brewing for the first time or an advanced brewer who has already enjoyed all the benefits of preparing and drinking for several years now it is always a good thing to have clear and well defined terms when discussing kombucha.



In this article we will discuss the common terms used for Kombucha brewing and offer some universal definitions.

Below is a Glossary of the Most Common Kombucha Terms. Understanding the following terms are simple, but necessary.

They also make a fantastic ?cheat sheet? when brewing and referring to a recipe.

KOMBUCHA MUSHROOM (or just MUSHROOM): Refers to an actual Kombucha Culture. It gets this name because it looks like a flat rubbery pancake, often resembling the cap of a mushroom. Note: Kombucha is NOT a mushroom, but more on this later :)

SCOBY: Acronym standing for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. This is the truest definition of a Kombucha Culture. Now you can impress your friends when you correct them and tell them it is not a Mushroom!

K-TEA: Short for . This is the delicious finished product of brewing kombucha.

STARTER TEA: This is K-Tea that has been fermented longer. Its main use is to help "kick off" the fermentation process. Also, starter tea can be enhanced when keeping in the yeast salts (yeast strands that gradually forms while brewing). When shipping a kombucha scoby, always be sure to pack it with a little starter tea!

SWEET TEA: Refers to the mixture of tea and sugar that is prepared for the kombucha culture to ferment and turn into K-TEA (ahhh, do you see how it's all coming together!) - We will discuss the best way to prepare your sweet tea a little later on in the course.

PREPARATION POT: Pot used to prepare your SWEET TEA. Note: Please avoid using lead based or aluminum pots for boiling your tea. Stainless Steel and Glass work great.

FERMENTATION CONTAINER: This is the container used for fermenting your sweet tea into your k-tea. Both the SCOBY (remember that word?), sweet tea, and your starter tea are placed into the fermentation container.

COVERING: This refers to a "breathable" (think handkerchief, paper towel, or the best: a muslin cloth), to cover your Fermentation Container. Though you can use several options for securing your covering over your fermentation container, experience shows that a simple rubber band is often the most effective - Note: we will explain why having a breathable covering is so important later on.

BOTTLING: Generally, the process of separating out your SCOBY with your newly fermented K-Tea. Bottling can refer to actually pouring the K-Tea in individual bottles, which will ensure longer shelf life, better serving portions, and a more delicious effervescent taste. Or it can refer to simply removing your K-Tea and placing it into another container to be enjoyed later.

Bottling is the most time consuming task that also yields the highest risk to your SCOBY being susceptible to unwanted elements. We will commit a whole class to BOTTLING for you to learn how to do it right. Most Advanced Brewers are not even aware of this.

Till then. Study up, but relax - there is no quiz :) And we'll see you next time when we explore in depth this ancient tonic, and finally find out...