Deluxe Kit

I started brewing my kombucha a bit over 2 weeks ago. At the 2 week point I found it tart/sweet enough to bottle and already there was considerable fizz in the large jar. That's a good thing, as in the past I never got more than a suggestion of fizz. I used to brew Kombucha maybe 15+ years ago and was doing it more on a whim. But now I've had some gut issues and I thought the pre and prop biotic properties of Kombucha could only help. And honestly, while there is never a chance that I'd down a 6 pack of this stuff in 1 day, it's really not that bad; in fact it kind of grows on you. I like that this kit has almost everything I needed. I did buy a strainer/funnel. I'd also never tried flavoring my Kombucha in the past, and the website for the Kombucha Store includes detailed instructions for the handling of your growing SCOBY, bottling, 2nd fermentation, and adding various flavorings. I currently have assorted berries in my bottles and am curious as to how that will enhance the flavor. I may have to get a 2nd large jar (and possibly more swing top bottles) so I can have a continual Kombucha flow, but I'm going to see how this first batch tastes. I just started a new batch, so shortly after I drink up my current bottles,. the new jarful should be almost ready. Initially I'm going to drink half a bottle a day. I've heard that if you start drinking large amounts at once, you may wind up running to the bathroom, so I'm going to ease into it. It's kind of fun creating this concoction, kind of creepy seeing the SCOBY grow another disc, and really creepy seeing the yeasty brown threads hanging down from the SCOBY (I know those threads are a good thing but I can't help it, I throw them away, because they make me want to start maniacally cackling "it's alive... IT'S ALIVE!!!!" Anyway, great product and great website w/ great instructions from the Kombucha Shop.

I've been brewing kombucha for years but bought this kit because I really liked these gallon jars with the markings on the sides for keeping notes on your batch. To be honest, it's kind of hard to see what I've written once the dark tea is in there, so I wish they'd design it so there were white patches you could write on. It's still an improvement of my old method of "when did I start this batch again???"It's great having a thermometer sticker on the side of the jar. The pipette for testing the kombucha is very handy. And the funnel with strainer is good quality and very useful if you don't already have one and are planning on doing flavored batches. There are just enough swing top bottles for a batch, and they're proper handy.I already placed a subsequent order for another gallon jar and a heating wraps (not included). I don't know how I lived without the heating wrap before - highly recommended - it's well designed and works great.A couple notes:I ordered mine in the winter and the scoby was partially frozen when I got it. The box did have to sit outside a bit, due to my schedule, so that's my bad planning. Just something to think about, because it does compromise scoby health and make your batch more vulnerable to problems.The instruction sheet was well designed and printed, but the pamphlet with recipe ideas for flavored batches was a little hard to follow. It was hard to tell whether they meant the portions for 16oz or 1gallon, and it was sometimes hard to be certain whether they were talking about fresh or dehydrated fruit.

This kit has everything you need to make great Kombucha: quality ingredients and instructions. Tonight I sampled my first batch and was blown away. I started drinking Kombucha only a year ago and fell in love, but even at Sam's Club, it's rather expensive. Plus, I love to make my own food, so I decided to go for the big kit plus the optional heater wrap, and I'm so glad I did. I'll be making Kombucha on a regular basis now. It isn't at all difficult and a lot of fun. I loved the version I made using POM to flavor the 2nd fermentation. I do highly recommend you buy the optional heat blanket for both the first and 2nd fermentation. It really ensures the ideal and consistent temperature. At this time, it is winter in NM and we don't keep the house that warm, the blanket did all the work with 78-80F for both fermentations. I just ordered more of the original tea, which was a fantastic flavor for this process.

I wanted to start brewing kombucha at home and bought this kit to make it easier to just get started without worrying about buying all the right equipment.This kit had everything I needed and almost everything was extremely high quality. (The lone exception was the tasting pipette which I have stopped using anyways). The scoby worked right out of the bag, the instructions were super clear and detailed and the funnel is large and sturdy for easy bottling. My favorite thing is actually the bottles - they're 16 oz bottles that are short and wide instead of tall and narrow. These bottles dry better in my dishwasher than the taller and narrower bottles I bought separately off Amazon once I started increasing my brewing volume. If I buy more bottles in the future, I'll look for bottles like the ones included in this kit.I'm now 6 batches into brewing kombucha and have upgraded my glass jar from this kit for a larger one (which is the one pictured), but I still use all of the rest of the equipment I got. I've also recommended this kit to friends who want to get started bottling too!

Great starter kit - although a little expensive.I was willing to pay a bit of extra to ensure a good and correct experience brewing kombucha but now that I am a little experienced I realize you can create your own kit for cheaper.Product is of good quality, it took two batches for the kombucha to get acclimated - I live in a hot climate.Metal funnel was damaged when I opened the box.