Katya4me Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 My little brother has been brewing regular kombucha for a while but it didn't sound particularly appealing to me, both flavor or process. Then he mentioned the jun variant and after researching it, sounded much more appealing. For those who are unfamiliar, the kombucha that you typically find has a based of black tea and white sugar whereas jun kombucha is brewed with green tea and honey. Jun kombucha also prefers a slightly lower temperature for fermenting, and takes only a week for the first fermentation. I started brewing jun kombucha back in April when my he gifted me with a SCOBY. Once I had that, I still needed a jar and then bottles for holding the finished product. I bought a 1 gallon ceramic jar w/ a spigot for convenience. Fill the jar with the brewed sweetened tea, add the extra water, top with the SCOBY and cover with a paper towel for a week. The instructions said to test the ph level, but after the first couple of batches, I stopped doing it as I was happy with the taste and the process. After a week, I take out the SCOBY along with a cup or so of the kombucha and set aside for the next batch. I drain into 3 big bottles with different flavoring agents added and leave them on the counter for another 3 days, after which I strain them into 6 small bottles and put them in the fridge, at which point, the fermentation process stops. I am a huge fan of variety and trying unique flavors that you can't buy at a grocery store, so I've been having a lot of fun trying different combinations. As of this weekend, I've tried 31 different combinations now and figured I should document for posterity and if anyone is curious or has recommendations on other combinations to try. Combination Thoughts Lychee & Vanilla Delicious, sweeter and mellower Chai Spices & Agave Very smooth, nice flavors Mint & Lime juice w/ Agave Great w/ Coconut Rum Rose Petal & Agave Delicious, great floral flavor Hibiscus Quite tangy Hibiscus & Ginger Tangy w/ some bite Apple & Cinnamon Light flavor but very good Dried Apple & Ginger Tastes sort of like mulled cider if it was made more with cranberry juice Blueberry & Basil Very good flavor Canned peaches First carbonation incident, sweet flavor, not repeated Strawberry & Basil Quite tart, not happy, carbonates well Raspberry Quite tart, not happy Pineapple Very tasty Cherry Good but a bit tangier than I like Cherry & Almond Bleh.... Dried Pear Not bad, but too bland on its own Dried Apple Not bad, but too bland on its own Freeze-dried blueberries Bleh, blue vinegar Turmeric, peppercorn and candied ginger Try fresh turmeric next time and cayenne Blueberry Peach Carbonates well, very tasty Blueberry Tarragon Pear ginger Very tasty Pineapple puree w/ coconut water Good but mild, no carbonation Dried orange with cacao nibs Not quite the flavor I was hoping for. Candied ginger Good mixed with OJ. Cherry plums Tasty Dried mandarin orange Tasty Mint No carbonation, needs other flavors Mangosteen vanilla Good but I like lychee better Cactus pear Chai Spices & Agave w/ freeze-dried pears If anyone else is brewing jun kombucha, I'd love to know and share ideas. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I’m so grumpy, started brewing kombucha a few years ago, had like 6 batches going at once, & no one in my family would drink it. I backed off, & now my daughter has moved out & is buying commercial kombucha 🙄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted September 9, 2018 Author Share Posted September 9, 2018 Ah, that is a bummer. My husband is not a fan so when I start to get too many bottles in the fridge, I share with friends and co-workers who enjoy the home-brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I have tried to share w/ friends & family, but they are strangely reluctant. I like to mix my kombucha w/ seltzer water.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted September 9, 2018 Author Share Posted September 9, 2018 Jun is way milder, less vinegary and has more carbonation than regular kombucha. I do like to mix it with OJ. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 My darling daughter, who moved out about 3 weeks ago, just texted me that there is a garden snake in her apartment, & no one that they have contacted is replying-oh well, I’m sure they’ll be fine 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I’ve made jun, the only batch of kombucha I made that went bad was made w/rooibos tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 At Union Market, not too long ago, there was a stall that makes their own Kombucha. The next day, a friend with whom I had a glass went to a yoga party, where someone else had brought some homemade Kombucha also (two different batches for her in two days). Anyway: tummy trouble, cramps, etc. - is this common, and does it happen to people? Nothing happened to me at Union Market, and I probably had half of the Kombucha drink (we snuck our glasses into Bidwell and enjoyed them there). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 17 hours ago, DonRocks said: At Union Market, not too long ago, there was a stall that make their own Kombucha. The next day, a friend with whom I had a glass went to a yoga party, where someone else had brought some homemade Kombucha also (two different batches for her in two days). Anyway: tummy trouble, cramps, etc. - is this common, and does it happen to people? Nothing happened to me at Union Market, and I probably had half of the Kombucha drink (we snuck our glasses into Bidwell and enjoyed them there). Craft Kombucha does have this advisory on their website and at their stall at Union Market: Quote HOW MUCH SHOULD I DRINK? When drinking kombucha for the first time, it's best to start by drinking one small glass per day or sip on a large glass over several hours. Try this for a few days to allow your body to adjust. Kombucha is a raw probiotic drink, so if you have a sensitive stomach, take it with food to start. Once your body is used to drinking kombucha, you can drink it as often as you like, whenever you like, depending on the desired effects and your lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 On 9/9/2018 at 5:29 PM, thistle said: I’ve made jun, the only batch of kombucha I made that went bad was made w/rooibos tea. Interesting. I thought it may have been because rooibos is not made from tea leaves but I know you can make coffee kombucha, once you have converted the SCOBY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 True, I was experimenting with different teas & blends-white, green, black tea, even some lapsang souchong mixed in. I used a blend of hibiscus & black successfully once, but with the rooibos, it went funky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 I've done hibiscus in the second fermentation but I stay conservative with the first fermentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Really liked the cactus pear taste and came out a very vibrant pink color. This week I did fig with agave and it carbonated very well in addition to having a delicious flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share Posted September 11, 2019 I took a bit of a break over the summer, but just started a new batch of kombucha. Peach ginger in 2 bottles and kiwi aloe with bee pollen in the 3rd bottle. As a side note, if you're in the DC area and would like a jun kombucha SCOBY, let me know as I have several right now but will be throwing them away in about a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Since I picked back up, I've made about 10 batches. So far, the apple with mulling spices is probably my favorite but I do find myself frequently reaching for ginger. I'm stocking up a bit for Christmas (my family loves kombucha) and so I've got 12 bottles in the fridge now and I picked up some blood oranges for this week's batch. Peach ginger Kiwi aloe w/ bee pollen Turmeric and candied ginger Good combo and carbonated well. Canned pineapple and mint OMG, intense carbonation after 3 days, not too sweet Apple Spice Apple with mulling spices, very nice flavor Pear Very ripe pear slices, cloudy and good Ginger Juice Acai Juice Nice flavor, mild carbonation Blueberry apple w/ tarragon & mint Freeze-dried pear w/ rosemary Herbal flavor is stronger than the fruit but I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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