Water kefir grains (tibicos) are merely kefir grains that have been developed to culture nondairy beverages. Rather than appearing white or creamy, tibicos are translucent. You can use them to culture sugar water, coconut water, or fruit juice into water kefir, coconut kefir, or cider. As far as their history and properties, they are identical to the kefir grains covered earlier. I include them here with kombucha, because they can be used in much the same way. However, tibicos can culture a drink in as quickly as 1–2 days, while the kombucha culture takes as long as 7–14 days.
Kombucha is a tasty drink made from culturing and fermenting sweet tea. It probably originated in Northeast Asia, specifically in the Manchurian region of China, but possibly in Japan. The first mention of kombucha appeared in Manchuria around 330 BC, while another story places it in Japan in 415 AD. However, because a seaweed tea in the region also carried a similar name, no one is sure that this referred to the fermented tea drink. Centuries later, kombucha emerged in a historical record in Russia, which may have been its actual place of birth.
The kombucha mother is a unique culture. First of all, it is the most visible of all SCOBYs, looking like a chunk of rubber or silicon. In addition, while kefir and ginger beer cultures mostly drop to the bottom of any liquid (at least until it gets carbonated), the much bulkier kombucha SCOBY floats on top of the drink. It can cover the entire surface area of the container and grow to an inch or more in thickness. The species of bacteria most responsible for the physical appearance of the kombucha mother is Bacillus coagulans (also known as Lactobacillus sporogenes). The porous, rubbery mat it creates provides a great living environment for up to a dozen additional kinds of yeasts and bacteria.
You can either obtain a kombucha SCOBY from someone who has some extra culture to share, order one online, or grow one yourself from a bottle of kombucha. Growing your own is fairly easy. Start with a store-bought bottle of kombucha, pouring this into a larger jar or plastic container along with some tea and sugar. After a few days, you will see a white film growing near the top of the liquid, which at first you might mistake for mold. Each day you check it, you will notice that the film has grown thicker, eventually becoming a deep mat that covers the top of your fermenting drink.
This flat blob is your very own kombucha mushroom, which you can use to ferment your own probiotic drinks and foods. Anytime you want to culture something new, you can gently move the mushroom to a new container. If it gets too big, you can cut it and divide the pieces. You can use your extra culture to ferment another drink, share it with a friend, or compost it. Used SCOBYs are great for your garden also, where beneficial microorganisms contribute to healthy soil, helping plants grow and stay healthy.
How to Make Water Kefir (Using Tibicos)
Water kefir is made by using tibicos (water kefir grains) to ferment sugar water. Most people use brown sugar, cane sugar, or maple syrup, or another wholesome sweetener that provides more minerals than the depleted white sugar sold in stores. When the cultures do not have enough minerals available, they will not ferment effectively. Usually, water kefir grains (tibicos) are used to make water kefir, though milk kefir grains will work also.
Adding some sea salt (anywhere from a pinch to a teaspoon, depending on your preference) also can help ensure that minerals are present. Another option is to add some cut fruit or ginger to the ferment. This will supply a few more minerals as well as some flavor. But bear in mind that you will need to pick out the kefir grains later on from the fruit or ginger. And it is always possible to add flavor after the fermentation, once these grains are removed (see the chapter on making sodas for many postfermentation flavor possibilities).
As an alternative to sugar water, you can use coconut water from a young coconut, which contains enough sugar and minerals that it does not need any added sweeteners or minerals. Young coconuts and coconut water are increasingly popular. You can find both at many health food stores as well as Latin American and Asian food markets.
Water Kefir (or Coconut Water Kefir)
Makes 1 quart
Required materials:
• 1 large mixing bowl (glass, plastic, or wood, but not metal)
• 2 glass jars (quart-sized mason jars are good)
• 1 silicon spatula or wooden spoon
• 1 plastic strainer
• Cheesecloth, towel, or a sprouting lid for the jar
Ingredients:
• 1 quart of filtered (nonchlorinated) water or young coconut water
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of water kefir grains (tibicos)
• Sweetener (not needed if using coconut water): ¼ cup of cane sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup
• Optional: Chopped or sliced fruit of your choice or sliced ginger root
• Optional: Dash of sea salt
Process:
• Wash all equipment thoroughly before using.
• Place kefir grains in the jar, fill it with water, and gently stir in the sweetener.
• Optional: Throw in a dash of sea salt, which adds trace minerals to support the fermentation.
• Put the jar in an undisturbed place away from direct sunlight. Cover it loosely with the cheesecloth, towel, or a sprouting lid (which provides air circulation).
• Check your water kefir after 12 hours and again after 24 hours. Swish it around a little bit in the jar and then taste it with a clean spoon. If it’s not sour enough for you yet, then give it another 12 hours. The fermentation will be faster in warm weather and slower when the air is cool. If you want to slow it down and fine tune your kefir, then you can put the whole jar in the refrigerator, where it will continue to ferment more slowly.
• Once you are ready to stop the fermentation, use the strainer over a bowl to strain out the kefir grains from the beverage. If you have also used fruit or ginger, you must pick out the kefir grains from these; my favorite tool for this is wooden/bamboo chopsticks. Your kefir can be enjoyed immediately or stored in a jar or plastic container in the refrigerator.
• Reuse your kefir grains immediately in a new batch of sugar water or else store them for up to two weeks in the refrigerator (sitting in some sugar water).
How to Make Kombucha
To make kombucha, you simply mix up some sweet tea, put it in a jar, place your SCOBY in it, and cover it with a loose lid or a towel for aeration. Kombucha SCOBYs float near the top. For a quart of kombucha, use 2–4 tea bags and about 1/2 cup of white sugar, which should be cooled to room temperature before you add the SCOBY. Yes, in the other chapters I recommend more wholesome sugars, but for kombucha, white sugar balances nicely with the tea.
Kombucha SCOBYs do not ferment as fast as kefir grains, so it probably will take from 1–4 weeks to brew a batch. The length of time varies based on the temperature, the SCOBY’s potency, and your taste preference. As with other fermented beverages, you can drink it early at a slightly sweeter stage or you can let it ferment for a longer period for a stronger taste.
It’s good to put your brew in a relatively warm place, where the air temperature is 65–82°F. Anything much colder than that may cause the yeast to shut down and go into hibernation. I find that the top of my refrigerator stays a bit warmer than room temperature. In colder weather, you can use a heating mat of the type used to grow seedlings.
Checking for Proper Fermentation
Your nose and the little bubbles should tell you if your kombucha is fermenting properly. But if you suspect something has gone wrong and the culture has failed, then you need to check it more closely. The best method of investigation is to use pH test strips. If, after 3–4 days of fermentation, the pH of your fluid is not in the 2.5–3.0 range, then it is not acidic enough and something has gone wrong. Dump it out, sterilize everything, and start again with a new culture. Also, if there is a strong kerosene smell coming from the kombucha, as opposed to a yeast or vinegar smell, that means something else has gotten in there and you need to dump it.
Fizzy Kombucha
If your kombucha is not as effervescent as you would like, you can conduct a secondary fermentation in a bottle. To fuel this second stage, you can use juice (which provides a nice flavor), or else use some more sweet tea. Either way, you will end up with a kombucha soda.
Take a plastic bottle with a tight-fitting lid, such as a soda or water bottle. (You can use a glass jar or bottle also, but it is easiest to check the air pressure in a plastic vessel.) Fill it three-quarters of the way with your fermented kombucha and top this off with some additional juice. Tighten the lid and leave this at room temperature to continue fermenting. It probably will be ready in 2–7 days, but check it every day or so.
If you used a plastic bottle, then checking it is as simple as squeezing the sides of the bottle. If it has really puffed out so that squeezing is difficult, your drink should be ready. Open with caution, since the contents may be under pressure. Unless you’ve shaken the bottle, it really should not explode on you, but there will be a release of air pressure as there is when opening any soda bottle. Taste and decide if it’s fizzy enough for you. If not, tighten the lid and give it another 12 hours or so.
Storing and Reusing Your Kombucha SCOBY
Storing a kombucha SCOBY is easier than storing kefir grains, simply because it takes longer to ferment a batch. This means that you can start fermenting some sweet tea with a kombucha SCOBY and just leave it for as long as a couple of weeks. The fermented liquid may be too acidic to drink, but your culture should still be alive after that time and you can begin using it again. While you can store your SCOBY in the refrigerator, this can cause the yeasts to go dormant, so the above method is better.
