Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Own Kombucha

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Bad Bacteria Growth

Kombucha is made with black or green tea, sugar, vinegar and SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) - the leathery disk of goop that floats inside your drink. The environment in which the mixture thrives and is required for proper fermentation is also the perfect breeding ground for contaminants. Both good and bad bacterias grow at 68-85°F and have similar pH levels. Adjusting the environment slightly can alter the fermentation process eventually turning it bad. The good news — when prepared properly, kombucha becomes more acidic over time creating a not-so-friendly habitat for these bad bacteria to live. The bad news — fermenting your home-brew for too long can throw off your own body’s pH levels and make you feel ill.

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Keeping Things Clean

Part of the reason why consuming store-bought kombucha is safer than making it yourself is because it’s prepared in a commercial kitchen where tools and surfaces can be properly disinfected and kept free of foreign bacterias and germs. Washing your tools at home in the dishwasher won’t cut it and even sterilizing them in hot water doesn't always eliminate the chance of something unsafe getting into your brew.

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Using The Wrong Tools

Not only is it harder to keep your home sterile, but most homebrewers don’t always use, or at least know to use, the proper vessels. Using a plastic container and expose the kombucha to unsafe chemicals and disrupt the brewing process. This is also true with ceramic dishes that can pull lead into the mix—gross. It’s recommended to use glass only.

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Less Is More

Having an unlimited supply of kombucha may sound like a dream come true, but it puts you at a higher risk of over drinking. And too much of a good thing is never good—especially when it can lead to liver damage and lead poisoning. Consuming kombucha every day as much as you do with your cup of morning coffee is not okay. It should be enjoyed every once in a while to ensure your body stays balanced. Not to mention there are small traces of alcohol in the finished product so the key is moderation! When careful, home-brewed kombucha can be a real treat, but when it comes to food safety we recommend leaving it to the pros.

Photo by SewCream / Shutterstock

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Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Own Kombucha

At upwards of $3 a bottle, people have started brewing their own kombucha at home — a method that appears to be quite simple but comes with its hazards.

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At upwards of $3 a bottle, people have started brewing their own kombucha at home — a method that appears to be quite simple but comes with its hazards.

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that has become a popular drink for the health conscious and foodies alike. Surprisingly, the beverage has been around for centuries and has recently become mainstream because of its apparent health benefits.

At upwards of $3 a bottle, people have started brewing their own kombucha at home — a method that appears to be quite simple but comes with its hazards. This is especially true with kombucha which requires several days of fermentation leaving not only plenty of opportunities for harmful microorganism to grow but a chance of making yourself sick.

Here’s a breakdown of why you should leave your kombucha obsession up to the pros and limit your home brewing to your cup of morning coffee instead.

 

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