No Sugar Kombucha

[Paul Kersey]

I'm a big fan of the store bought Health First - Original Flavor Kumbucha, but it has 12g of sugar per bottle and I'm doing (well trying to) the keto thing. I've also heard that all the in-store brands are really watered down.

I'm looking for recommendations on where to get the highest quality SCOBY. Even better, a no sugar recipe that isn't too disgusting. Although I'm not used to sweets anymore, so maybe i'd like a no sugar recipe.

Thanks.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

My girlfriend is also doing low carb and I made a batch of Kombucha using minimal sugar (about 4 tablespoons) in a large (2 gallon) batch. We both enjoy the result but it is as expected quite vinegar-like. I got my SCOBY online from amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7S1CV5/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I would just take any normal kombucha recipe and start cutting the sugar down as you see fit, keep in mind you will need some in there but you are right most call for quite a bit of sugar (for instance on the above link the recipe on the pouch calls for a whole cup of sugar to 14 cups of water), it will really depend on time left fermenting and your taste preference. At least that's my approach to kombucha. Keep in mind it will likely not taste like many commercial examples as they often have a ton of sugar added to make them palatable to a wide audience.

 

[hottpeper13]

The sugar is for the SCOBY not you. If you want a less sweet drink just let it ferment longer.All the info I can find says to not go less then 3/4 cup per gal of tea or the SCOBY will suffer ,go very sour and loose some of the acids a healthy SCOBY produces.

 

[bracconiere]

get a hydrometer along with your SCOBY, make sure it ferments dry, like the post above me said...you need the sugar for the fermentation, but it gets converted to alcohol, then some sorta weird acetic acid type thing...great work drink, used to make 10 gal batches of it....

 

[Paul Kersey]

Thanks for the responses. So there's not a certain type of SCOBY that's considered WAY better than the rest? As well as a recepie that bests all the others? It's pretty much all the same?

 

[johnzuki]

In my experience, a kombucha recipe is a framework that you add your own flourishes to. 3/4 -1 1/4 cup sugar, 1 gallon water, black tea for 1 gallon, and a S.C.O.B.Y.
Ferment for a length of time, and bottle with a fruit for secondary fermentation. Refrigerate after a few days then drink.
You can vary anything in that basic design to add your own flair, it’s all personal taste. So, likely no one best recipe.
And S.C.O.B.Y.s can vary simply from the microbes in the area you are brewing in, and likely change over time. So, again, no one best S.C.O.B.Y.
Experiment, learn what you like, and develop your own best kombucha.

Also, I grew my own S.C.O.B.Y. from a commercial kombucha that I liked. It’s pretty easy and gets you a good S.C.O.B.Y.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Thanks for the responses. So there's not a certain type of SCOBY that's considered WAY better than the rest? As well as a recepie that bests all the others? It's pretty much all the same?

I use less sugar to get the kombucha more vinegary more quickly. I drink kombucha raw with no secondary stuff added, this is not what most people enjoy but like the above said there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do kombucha unless you kill or damage your scoby.