(See Process Journal 17 for Sources 4-5)
- Source 6 - Seeds of Health, "What Is Kombucha?"
- Source 7 - Anne's Kombucha, "What is a SCOBY?"
- Source 8 - Cultures for Health, "Obtaining a SCOBY"
- Source 9 - Cultures for Health, "What Does a Healthy SCOBY Look Like"
- Source 10 - Kombucha Kamp, "Tea and Kombucha - What to Use and What to Avoid"
- Source 11 - Seeds of Health, "Choosing Teas for Kombucha"
MLA Citations (Click here)
- Source 6 Analysis
This source is from a website called Seeds of Health, a UK based resource for those interested in traditional, locally sourced, and sustainable foods. Rather than having the information on the website itself, it acts as a sort of database for a multitude of helpful articles related to traditional home cooking. The website as a whole is limited in that most links come from only a handful of sources. Also, the homepage of the site says, "Do you think that modern processed foods and intensive farming are a major cause of the current epidemic of chronic and degenerative diseases?" This can be taken as an indicator of possible bias in favor of the modern organic food movement. Nevertheless, this page in particular provides information on kombucha itself and the history of kombucha as well as the molecular composition of the drink. Some helpful information is: "The first recorded use of kombucha comes from China in 221 BC during the Tsin Dynasty."; "As the Kombucha culture digests the sugar it produces a range of organic acids like glucuronic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, malic acid and usnic acid; vitamins, particularly B vitamins and vitamin C; as well as amino acids, enzymes." It also gives a description of the acids mentioned above. Additionally, it gives a quick guide on the different teas that may be used in kombucha. The source is backed by references cited at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, the source fails to answer questions such as "What is culture?". This source will be helpful in answering research questions concerning the biochemical aspect of kombucha.
- Source 7 Analysis
This source is from a website called Anne's Kombucha. Anne's Kombucha is a small company in California that produces kombucha. This source gives a description of what a SCOBY is, how it works, and some claimed health benefits of the kombucha cultures within the drink; " SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of friendly Bacteria and Yeast. [...] But with all the healthy drink choices you have, and all the marketing techniques why should I choose this? And what does it really do for me? Probiotics are recommended to keep up the good bacteria in our bodies, that help break down food, and much more. The SCOBY metabolizes the organic sugar and the caffeine in the organic green and black tea resulting in a beverage that contains billions of probiotics, vitamins such as B, C, amino acids and enzymes. The healthy benefits that SCOBY offers is impressive." A limitation of this article is that the claimed health benefits of detoxification, healthy joints, digestive health, and immunity boost have not been conclusively identified in any scientific articles I have found as of yet.
- Source 8 Analysis
This source is from Cultures for Health, a website that provides a variety of do-it-yourself guides for home items such as soaps and essential oils, as well as recipes for many kinds of food. This page details the various ways someone can obtain a SCOBY for use in the brewing process. A SCOBY may be bought; Cultures for Health offers several starter kits. A SCOBY may also be obtained from an acquaintance; this is the method I used to get my first SCOBY, from my older brother and project mentor, Nathan Bird. The third and final method is to simply grow one yourself. The steps for doing this are detailed, even giving tips on the optimal temperature for doing this. The basics of the process are as follows, taken directly from the source:
- Purchase a bottle of raw, unflavored kombucha.
- Pour the raw kombucha and the cooled tea into a glass jar.
- Cover the jar with a tight-weave dish towel or a paper coffee filter. Secure the covering with a tight rubber band.
- Ferment the tea in a warm spot, 68-85ºF, out of direct sunlight, for about 7 days.
- After a week it is common to see a baby SCOBY developing across the surface of the liquid. A new scoby starts off as a clear film or blob and then slowly become less translucent, more white, and thicker as time goes on. If no signs of SCOBY development appear after 3 weeks, discard the batch and start over. We recommend waiting until the SCOBY is at least ¼-inch thick before using it to brew the first batch of kombucha tea. Reaching that thickness may take up to 30 days.
- Retain the kombucha tea and the new SCOBY for making your first batch of kombucha.
This final method may be useful in case the SCOBY I obtained somehow proves defective.
- Source 9 Analysis
This source is again from Cultures for Health. The source provides descriptions and pictures of what a healthy SCOBY looks like. As problems may occur while the SCOBY is growing or fermenting, they also provide images of defective SCOBYs (i.e. moldy, dead) for the purpose of identifying potential problems. This source, coupled with advice from my mentor should protect against any serious problems with my SCOBY developing.
- Source 10 Analysis
This source is from Kombucha Kamp, a site dedicated to providing a complete guide to kombucha, from its history to its health affects to different recipes. This page details the various teas that can be used in the brewing of kombucha and the affects that each type has on the SCOBY and on the final product. It also explains the function of the tea within the process (it acts as a 'fuel' for the cultures), as well as warns what teas to avoid when making kombucha. This source is not very limited; it completely answers questions about why tea is used and what kind to use.
- Source 11 Analysis
This source is again from Seeds of Health. It serves the same purpose as Source 10: identifying the pro's and con's of each type of tea, as well as identifying teas that should not be used and why. Both sources warn against using flavoured teas such as Earl Grey as it may 'upset' or even kill the kombucha cultures. This source is also backed with linked resources that validate the information presented.
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