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Home Brew Kombucha .... Roll the Dice & Your Gut Could Win!

Folks - 

Some great conversations happening in the Zwift Channel to talk about value of healthy food choices to help keep your gut / digestive biomes in a healthy place. I am NOT the person to talk to about this, but thankfully we have some real rockstars here on the Team who can contribute. 

Officially paging @Sheila Leard and @Leslie Sedlak to the floor to take us to school. 

If any of you have input or feedback, please include as well!!!

~ Coach P
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  • edited January 23, 2018 1:13PM
    All things Kombucha:

    Kombuch"what"?  probiotics?  PREbiotics? fermented foods?

    If you already drink kombucha - YAY - You are receiving some great benefits for your gut health.

    If you don't drink kombucha - have seen it in the store but thought "what drink could possibly be worth $4 and not have alcohol in it?" - or have no idea what in the heck we are talking about - Here are a few links to get you started.

    https://wellnessmama.com/23994/kombucha-benefits/
    https://draxe.com/7-reasons-drink-kombucha-everyday/ 

    Basically, Kombucha is a fermented beverage/food that has probiotics that are great for your gut.  And it all starts out with sugar and tea and a bacteria/yeast colony that gets the fermentation process going and ends up as a DELICIOUS beverage, low in sugar and high in general goodness.  [your sugar is for your kombucha to 'feed' on, not for you]

    AND YOU CAN BREW IT AT HOME!!  IT's SOOOOOOPER Easy!

    I started brewing Kombucha about a year ago. I purchased my gallon jars from Michaels, cheesecloth, tea and sugar from Target and I was off and running.  A year in - I have addd some fun 'extras' to my brews - fun brown growlers, a siphon for easier bottling, and different flavoring options I've experimented with over many, many, many brew cycles.

    The Basic process can start two ways
    1.  You make your own scoby - takes a few weeks - but it's basically free
    https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596
    2.  You buy/get a scoby from on-line or down the street. [You will be surprised as you start talking to people, how many people you may already know that brew their own kombucha - ask for their next extra scoby!]
    https://kombuchabrooklyn.com/

    WHAT The HECK is a SCOBY! Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. :)

    Once you have your scoby:
    1.  Make some tea
    2.  Add some sugar
    3.  Add your scoby and starter kombucha
    4.  Wait.......for as long as you like!  7-14 days usually.  

    https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-173858

    You taste your kombucha along the way - some people like it more vinegar tasting, some people like it more sweet.  Some like with more carbonation, some with less.  Some with flavor, some with less.  It's up to you!  And it all depends on your environment/temperature/process at your abode on how your batch turns out.  

    Personally, I start in a large jar for 11 days, then move to growlers with flavors (mango, strawberries and ginger, lemon) for 3-5 days, then into the fridge for enjoyment.  To be honest, my batches usually start disappearing once they are in the growlers, even if they are warm in the cupboard, it goes fast around my house - All the more reason to make my own!

    Enjoy!
  • No guts no glory .... There has been lots of chatter in the Zwift GroupMe about healthy micobiomes and how it affects health and in particular endurance athletes. The conversation led to how can we get diverse bugs to support our immune system.  The science on what strains of bacteria helping athletes is emerging.  Here's a little clip on that topic. https://www.labroots.com/trending/microbiology/6746/gaining-insight-microbiome-athletes

    Many athletes deal with bloating, resistant weight loss and reflux.  Start with looking at what is causing it. This can be as simple as eating more fiber from veggies and hardy grains which ultimately feed good bacteria. Another option is to eat or drink more fermented foods .... enter KOMBUCHA !   I haven't gone the extra step in making my own. Leslie is the Kombucha Master Chef. If you haven't tried it yet, go slow. Drink one cup a day. 

    It would be unfair to have a discussion about healthy biomes without mentioning the Peek a Poo Game. 
    So here you go ... this is science. It can say so much about YOU. We own our bacteria and can change it for the better. You should only be a 3 or 4. 
     
    See the source image

    Feedback? 
  • I am reading this thread a day after I had food poisoning, and can’t begin to describe the distress it has caused.    

    Will bookmark for future reading!
  • All the kombucha I see on store shelves has sugar in it.  Not good.  For fermented foods I choose sauerkraut, kimchi (yum), kefir, greek yogurt (full fat) and my new favorite Creme Fraiche.  I also try to get a green banana in a smoothie each day for some resistant starch.  I don't know if my gut is happy, but it certainly doesn't feel unhappy. 
  • @Dave Tallo -- apparently, if it's Type 3 or Type 4 distress that you have, things are perfectly normal
  • Here is a great article on Resistant Starch:
    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/resistant-starch-101#section5
    I had gut issues for years (IBS), as well as inflammatory conditions (endometriosis, asthma, numerous upper respiratory infections). I got so desperate three years ago, that I stopped eating gluten. Took a couple of months, but my symptoms subsided and eventually disappeared. I don’t even catch colds anymore. Along with not eating gluten, I eat no processed foods or foods with added sugar. I cook steel cut oats, rice, quinoa, and sweet and white potatoes ahead of time and let them cool before re-heating and eating, to convert as much of the starch as possible to resistant starch. My gut is so much happier, and overall, I am so much healthier than I used to be. 
  • I brew my own 'booch and it's delicious. I don't know if it does anything useful for my microbiome or not, but it's tasty and if you make your own it has very little residual sugar after the snot-ball scoby ferments it all. I'll do a post fermentation and add ginger juice, lavender concentrate, or a couple pieces of fruit (blueberries, strawberries, defrosted frozen mango) for flavor. I like it as an after work treat instead of a glass of wine. 

    It's a bit faster to make the first time if you can get a scoby from a friend, though when I started I made my own from a commercial bottle of plain. Easy breezy.
  • Great reading from all these links!!! Will have to try this; consuming store-bought Kombucha for a few weeks now -- GT's Gingerade and Gingerberry are my favorites
  • @Satish Punna  brings up a good point about the sugar content in Kombucha. The sugar is in there for the fermentation. As Kombucha becomes more popular and commercialized we need to read the labels for added sugars that are not necessary. Also, adding extra caffeine is not good thing.  

    @Alicia Chase thanks for sharing article on resistant starch. 

    "The main reason why resistant starch works, is that it functions like soluble, fermentable fiber. It goes through the stomach and small intestine undigested, eventually reaching the colon where it feeds the friendly bacteria in the gut".

    @Carole Harbison  I didn't know you could make it without a Scoby. You have me thinking its time to make my own.  



  • All this Kombucha talk has inspired me to make it again.  Does the SCOBY go "bad?" The SCOBY I have from my first batch shows no signs of mold but it has become very thick. My first batch wasn't very fizzy.  Did I do something wrong or does it need to sit longer?  I'm going to watch the video that @Leslie Sedlak posted and see where I may have gone wrong.  Thanks also to @Sheila Leard  for the great chart above.  ;)    
  • @Sabra Gonzalez Did you do a secondary fermentation in a sealed container (2-3 days on the counter)? If it's in the open cheesecloth container it won't fizz too much. Sometimes I have to add a little sugar (usually in the form of fruit) before sealing it up and doing the secondary fermentation to get the fizz to come on board as much as I like.

    Whenever the scoby gets out of control I'll peel off the older parts to keep it a reasonable size. 
    I think you'll know if it goes bad. I've never had that happen though. 
  • I drink a Kombucha or two a week, usually grab one when grocery shopping or at WFM lunch.... I think this carbohydrate phobia pendulum has swung way too far if anyone is really concerned about 60 calories of "sugar".... I like to drink mine when I am really thirsty after a WKO and could use those carbs anyway.....

    Heather and I make Sauerkraut in one of these.  We make it nice and spicy.... Awesome
    https://www.amazon.com/Kenley-Fermentation-Crock-Jar-Liter/dp/B01MCR4D03/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1516813150&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=sauerkraut+crocks&psc=1
  • Fig3

    @maurice matthews asked a question if improving his Microbiome can help him as an athlete. 

    This is a complex topic that I absolutely love. I have helped several endurance athletes get over "gut shut down" by just improving their gut health.This is done first by looking at what is causing the inflammation, leaky gut or causing those tight junctions to open up allowing toxins to get out causing nausea, bloating and eventually malabsorption of nutrients. 

    I like to teach with pictures. Let me breakdown the above photo courtesy of Journal of Sport & Health, Vol.6, June 2017

    The lining of your gut needs to have tight junctions and lots of mucus. Endurance athletes are prone to dehydration and toxins getting out and causing nausea. If we can protect the lining of our gut through a whole foods diet and avoiding foods that assault the gut such as gluten for SOME people, then we can set ourselves up for greater absorption of the nutrients and fluids we need when racing.

    In the picture above you see TNF, IL-1, I-6 ... these are 
    pro-inflammatory cytokines. These need to stay on one side. If those cytokines get into circulation and the athlete becomes dehydrated or has “leaky gut” these endo-toxins get out. This is the beginning of the gut shutting down. 

    A healthy microbiome is thought to help:
    • delay symptoms of fatigue by utilizing fuel efficiently
    • improving hydration during exercise
    • provide tight junctions ... no leaky gut
    Bottom line. Improve the health of your gut by:
    • eating fermented foods, sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kefir, Kombucha, Bubbies pickles, resistant starch from greenish bananas, cooked then cooled potatoes.
    • eating veggies ... because the fiber feeds good bugs
    • whole grains ... yes, carbohydrates that breakdown to good bugs
    • limit alcohol ... I know I'm going to hear it from some  ;)
    • avoid antibiotics ... if you must go on a round of antibiotics take Saccharomycies Boulardi while on the meds. 
    • manage stress ... avoid  late night Zwift Races  B)
    • deep sleep
    • stay hydrated

    If you have GERD, IBS, IBD get on top of it before your next race. Use the Out Season to fix these issues.
    Trying to do it when racing is hard.

    Feedback anyone?  Success stories?

    #healthyTeamEn

  • edited January 24, 2018 6:45PM
    @Sheila LeardAwesome information. I am one of those athletes who suffers from dehydration in races. Being a heavy heavy sweater does not help. According the poo chart, I'm in the good region haha, but I'll begin to insert Kombucha into my diet. I want a healthy microbiome. I wonder if there is a way to "know" if your gut is improving?
  • I drink 2-3 bottles of Kombucha every day (and have for ~6+ months).   For a while Jess was making it which was much better than the bottled stuff and also MUCH cheaper...    But if she's not making it, I just by the bottles by the case.  

    I agree that some of the other fermented foods are better than store bought Kombucha, but Buch is certainly the most convenient...

    It may sound expensive, but there was a period in my life that Jess and I were splitting a bottle of wine almost every night and even the cheap stuff at ~$12/bottle is a LOT more expensive than a $4 bottle of Kombucha!  And let's not even talk about the period that Jess and I were going through a very expensive bottle of Scotch every week...
  • @maurice matthews Yes, there are labs that can test stools for diversity and type of bacteria. However, it can change fairly quickly with diet.  Also, it can be pricey. I use these labs in severe cases of IBS. You have to ask yourself if testing would change anything that you are already doing to have a healthy gut biome.


  • @Sabra Gonzalez Your SCOBY can go bad - but it's not typical.  If your scoby went bad - you would be able to see mold on it.  Every batch of buch you brew you get a 'new' scoby.  Simply peel off the oldest layer (save for a friend, put in your compost or garden, or toss) and keep the newest layers.  

    Both the kitchen.com and the brooklyn kombucha sites in my first post show examples of what a scoby should look like and how to 'peel' the old to reveal the new.  The first few batches, you may not even need to peel off the top layer.

    WRT the fizziness - that all depends on if you do a second fermentation (in your bottles before you put into the fridge) as well as if you add any flavors.  A second fermentation happens after you have poured your buch into bottles - you set them back into the cupboard for 3-7 days.  The longer they sit, the more fizzy (and vinegary tasting) they get.  Also if you use add-ins like fruit (esp berries) there is typically more carbonation.  One trick is to do one of your bottles in a plastic bottle.  Check it daily and feel the pressure build.  Everybody's brewing environment is different, so it may take shorter or longer to get your "fizzy" where you want it to be.  Experiment for a couple of brews, take note of how long you did your first and second fermentation, and go from there.


  • @Carole Harbison and @Leslie Sedlak - I did do a second fermentation and added in some tart cherry juice, but I placed it in the refrigerator rather than back on the counter. Perhaps the environment was too cold.  Thanks for all the tips. I think I know what I'm doing on Saturday after my ride!

  • @Sabra Gonzalez  You can def put in the fridge right after adding 'yummies', but you won't get as much carbonation.  Experiment with bottling a couple of days earlier, adding flavor, then back to the cupboard you go for a couple days, then try the fridge.  If fizz is what you are trying to perfect - a plastic bottle for a few brews could really help you get that dialed in.  Happy Brewing!
  • OK...I'm going to sample the cool aid.  :)
    Went to the store and saw several brands. Any recommendations of good brands: Kevita Master Brew Kombucha, Health Ade Kombucha; GTS Synergy Organic Kombucha; GTS Kombucha Organic and Raw. I'm sure there are other depending on the grocery store. Any recommendations @Sheila Leard ?  Thanks.
  • @Derrek Sanks It's personal preference. I like any of the tart cherry or pomegranate flavors. I didn't care for the Health Ade brand. I like GTS Synergy partly because the creator of this brand is original King of Kambucha and has very endearing story. https://www.inc.com/magazine/201503/tom-foster/the-king-of-kombucha.html

    If you're sensitive to caffeine be careful of drinking it late,  the tea might affect you.

    My second favorite is Kevita. I envy those who making there own. I'm not that adventurous. 

  • @Derrek Sanks  I second @Sheila Leard wrt the GTS Synergy.  They have a wide variety of flavors and the story is a great one to support!  Every brand is a bit different, more/less vinegary, more/less carbonation, more/less sugar.  And each 'flavor' is different between each brand as well.  I brew my own, but also purchase them at the store if I have a favorite that I haven't perfected yet.  Currently, my favorite, is the Synergy Winter Blend Hibiscus Rose.  I haven't convinced my family to eat rose petals yet, so I'll continue to purchase that one when our stock gets low in the fridge :)
  • I drink the Kevita (Pineapple Peach) for breakfast and the Kevita (Rasberry Lemonade or Tart Cherry) for lunch, only because that's what they sell in my work cafeteria.    For home I have found the GTS Synergy Cosmic Cranberry is my go to favorite flavor, but I also get the Gingerberry for some variety.

    I think the home brew "seems" way healthier, because I'm not convinced that the store bought bottled brands don't add extra sugar after the fermentation process to make it taste better.   But if you are too lazy to brew it yourself (like I am), then you take what you can get.
  • great thread. Growing up I always had a stomach ache and unexplained rashes. I think it has been about 10 years that I have taken gluten out of my diet and lately I have been loving me some kraut.  My tummy feels amazing and my poo - looking good.  
  • @Sheila Leard, @Leslie Sedlak, @John Withrow  - Thanks for the recommendations! I'll add them to my list.
  • edited March 10, 2018 1:23AM
    @Derrek Sanks have you tried any yet?
  • edited March 12, 2018 11:18PM via Email
    @Derrek Sanks , huh, I tried replying to an email and it didn't include my text (or I had a phone error).

    Anyway, I highly recommend anything by GT's. They are the gold standard. I hope you enjoy it!
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