Post Punk Kitchen Forum

<3 Wish I lived closer because I'd take you up on it!
That sucks! I wonder why?

I know that we discussed how the GT formula seemed to have changed... the more I drink it (I wasn't impressed with the new formula) the more it seems like it is slowly going back to how it used to taste.... unless it's just my mind playing tricks on me. I've only stuck with Trilogy and Original. I picked up Gingerberry, and will see how that one tastes. The WF cashier stated that the Mango still isn't the same since the change. I haven't had the new Strawberry- I miss the old one, though.

I love that so many people are successfully brewing their own!

My first batch got mold, so I have to start over again. :(

I feel like the new version is starting to taste different, too. I thought I was just getting used to it. I really miss grape, but Gingerberry and Trilogy always seem to be in stock, and I like those a lot, too.

You didn't bottle it? So how did that work?

I am starting a batch now, hopefully ready in 10 days! I've only done plain, no flavors, though I've used earl grey and oolong tea for the base.

Quick question, I've had a bottle of Kombucha wonder drink in the back of my fridge for over a month now, I went to throw it out but looked at the bottle and the expiration date says February of 2012 actually it says Y 020312 so I'm assuming that's the expiration date. This seems way to long, I'm used to drinking GT which seems to expire pretty quickly. Am I the only one who finds that to be a bit strange. I really want to drink it but I'm afraid it might secretly be expired.

I'd just give it a taste and see how you like it. I think it will only get stronger and that's why there's an expiration date.

Meanwhile, my mother is looking really strange, I'm wondering if the heat wave did something to it. No mold, it's just really bubbly looking & 3D instead of smooth and flat. Anyone ever experience that?

I've got months old kombucha in my fridge. I will drink them...but slowly because its super sour.

It might be fizzier and more acidic, but it should be safe.

I purposely let some GT's go past the expiration date because I think that part of the new plan so they could bring it back involved them having a shorter expiration date. Plus, I didn't like how the new flavour tasted- it wasn't vinegary enough; didn't have that fizz I was used to. Anyway, I drank it a couple of months past the expiration date and it was fine. I think that as long as it is refrigerated it's ok. I wouldn't drink it if it had been sitting out in the heat or anything.

Hmmm...I might just throw it out then. If I wasn't expecting I'd probably take the chance but it's not worth chancing it right now.

I'm making a fresh batch right now. Lavender Lemongrass!

Ok, my new batch looks fine! I'm just about ready to bottle it. I'm thinking blueberry ginger, plain ginger, and cherry. Maybe citrus ginger. I'm pouring off a gallon! I don't know how we'll be able to drink all of this.

Emailed the Wonderdrink folks and as it turns out their kombuchia is good for 18 months! I guess that means the expiration date on my bottle is 100% correct. Wonderdrink is pastuerized as opposed to GT which is raw and has a shorter expiration date, even with all the changes. I'm sipping on my bottle of mango wonderdrink right now with a smile on my face but secretly wishing I could get some of Designedtobekind's blueberry ginger brew.

Do you add the flavors on bottling? Using extracts? I've messed around with that a bit, but not very much.

That sounds yummy.

I had a bottle of GT's super-green(or whatever it's called) this morning and I opened it over the sink like I do all the time and as usual this one didn't fizzle up or anything so I set it on the counter to go answer my phone and when I walked back in a minute later, half the bottle had exploded all over my counter :(

I added the flavors when I bottled and did a secondary ferment. The blog I read (kombuchakamp.com) says to let them sit for 1-2 days, but they weren't fizzy or tart enough for me at that point. 5-6 extra days seemed about right. I used fresh/frozen fruit and crystallized ginger.

The extra boost of sugar is supposed to help produce more carbonation, and so far, it seems to be working! I've hear dry fruit can work well, too--also because of the high sugar content.

I'm drinking cherry kombucha right now. I think I'll bottle some pineapple and experiment with other flavors this weekend. I love GT's, but wow, there's nothing like the stuff you make yourself!

This thread always gets me wanting some kombucha. Guess what I'm buying today! I still want to make it at home but that's not going to work out now.

I'm not typically a cherry flavoured drink fan, but cherry kombucha sounds really good. I was talking to my brother about making his own and I think he might do it! I'm going to show him this thread!

Cherry kombucha sounds so good. I really need to start making this myself. What did you use for a starter?

You need a kombucha scobie. Ask around at hippie places near where you live!

Meggs, I totally agree with you about GT's. It really sucked for awhile but they seem to be fermenting it longer and longer--hopefully to try and trick stupid John Mackey and provide GT's fans with the product they loved!

I haven't made a batch in a while--mainly because my kitchen is so small and cramped and there is a lack of counter room/distinct brewery smell when I do it there. Now that it is warmer and I can ferment in any of our rooms, I might start again. I've had scobes in the fridge for months and months but they still look fine!

So I went to the store a little while ago to pick up a bottle of kombucha and the girl at the register stared at it and then asked one of her co-workers to "okay it"...wth?

How old are you? Whole Foods, at one point (still?) deemed GT's alcoholic, so maybe if you look young she was confused as to whether or not it was alcohol and she needed to card you.

I'm 22 but it was in the hippie food section, doesn't say anything about alcohol on it and no one carded me. I've also bought kombucha from them before, even after that whole alcohol thing. That's why I'm really confused!

She probably just had no idea what it was and was just trying to cover herself in case it was alcohol.

Yeah, that sounds like the case. Lots of people don't know a thing about kombucha/think it's really weird. I worked at a vegan business and some colleagues joked dubiously about me "drinking on the job."

I am about to make a batch with roobios tea/red tea, and I was wondering if any of you have done this before. I usually just do green tea or oolong, but looking for something more flavorful. Does this kind of tea work well, because I read that some kinds of tea may kill the mother.

Heads up! Lindsay Lohan has agained blamed kombucha for setting off her alcohol bracelet. We may soon find ourselves GT-less; stock up!

Sorry for the dramatics, I'm just still pissed at Lindsay for last time. Need to start making my own anyways.

I just googled around out of curiosity, and it looks like you can use it, but it won't be considered true kombucha since rooibos isn't technically tea. It might take longer to ferment, but as long as you use plain, unflavored, you should still get a tasty drink.


I got mine online, but as Vijita said, you can many times find people giving away free SCOBYs. I've even seen instructions on growing your own from a plain bottle of GT's.


It's a very light cherry flavor. It's really just slightly sweet and refreshing!