Homemade Kombucha Kefir/Yogurt Experiments

Fro-yo girl here. Kefir is typically made with kefir cultures but it is possible to make something like kefir with kombucha SCOBY. I’ve read that kombucha kefir can be made with any type of milk, dairy or non-dairy. Since I love yogurt and kefir, I was very excited to make my own kefir kombucha or yogurt kombucha.

I tried making kefir kombucha using three different methods.

Method 1: Add SCOBY to milk 

I started with Whole Foods brand 2% milk. After preparing the kombucha yogurt by adding a SCOBY directly to the milk, I checked on it every day. It never smelled pleasant and the SCOBY curled up and looked like it had died. After three days at room temperature, the mixture separated and remained in liquid form. The bottom half of it was whey. It smelled and looked awful, so I threw it away without trying it. 

In retrospect, it seems odd to put a SCOBY in refrigerated millk, since the SCOBY prefers a warm environment. It seemed like a good idea to try Method 2, scald the milk first and incubating in a warm place. 

Method 2: Scald the milk, then add SCOBY 

This time I used 2% milk from Aldi (Friendly Farms brand). I scalded half a gallon of milk, and let it cool to a warm bath temperature. I added a SCOBY around 9 PM. The next day I warmed the oven three times (at the lowest temperature setting) and put the jar of milk w/ the SCOBY in the oven. About 24 hours later, the mixture separated. It was still liquid but there was whey on top. It didn’t smell as bad as what I created w/ Method 1, so I gave it a try. It tasted okay but didn’t have much flavor or tang. Since it didn’t get thicker, I don’t think this method worked for me. But small curds had formed and they tasted okay. I didn’t like the texture. 

Method 3: Incubate your SCOBY first using kefir, then add milk 

This method involves creating a hybrid kefir/kombucha mother first. Since it involves buying commercial kefir first, I tried this method last.

Basically, you put your SCOBY in a jar and pour a layer of kefir on top, swirl it and leave it for a few days. Repeat the process until you’ve used up the bottle of kefir. This creates a hybrid kefir/kombucha mother.

I used a quart of unsweetened, original Lifeway Kefir made with whole milk. I poured some in for five days straight, swirled it around, and on the fifth day, added a quart of 2% milk from Aldi. I waited two more days before pulling the SCOBY out.

The SCOBY was definitely doing something to the kefir. The kefir smelled warm and yeasty and it looked bubbly. When I tasted it, it was very sour. It was a bit thicker than milk and it had curds, but the whey hadn’t separated out. It smelled similar to my batches using Methods 1 and 2 but it looked better since the whey hadn’t separated out.

I made this kefir during the summer, when the temperatures were in the high 90’s during the day and the 70’s at night.

It tasted okay – it was too sour even for me. When I sweetened it, it tasted better but it still didn’t seem worth the effort because I like commercial kefir better. I could have strained it to thicken it up, but it didn't seem worth the hassle.

Method 3 was the only method that worked for me.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Kombucha Coffee Experiments – Three Methods for Making Coffee Kombucha

Fro-yo girl here. Now that I’m making my own kombucha on a regular basis, I’ve been experimenting with different teas and flavorings. Mr. Froyo loves coffee, so he wondered about coffee kombucha.

There are several ways to make kombucha coffee. The first method starts by making a coffee syrup with brewed coffee, water, and sugar, adding the coffee syrup to your finished kombucha, sealing the bottle and waiting 5-7 days for the second ferment to occur. The second method is to brew a big batch of coffee, dissolve sugar into the coffee, and add your SCOBY. The third method involves adding coffee beans to your homemade kombucha during the 2nd ferment.

Method 1: I had some leftover coffee from a good coffee place (Constellation Coffee in La Canada Flintridge, CA) which I used to make coffee syrup. I added it to my freshly (home) brewed kombucha in a bottle and let the second fermentation happen. After about a week, I tried it. The coffee kombucha liquid smelled like vinegar with coffee. It wasn’t the most appealing scent, but my extra strong homemade kombucha usually smells like vinegar. I could definitely taste the coffee and the kombucha but the kombucha flavor was much stronger than the coffee flavor. I thought I could smell/taste a bit of alcohol too. It wasn’t bad but I think I’d like a stronger coffee flavor. Mr. Froyo seemed to like it. It also seemed less refreshing than regular kombucha.

Method 2: This method seems like it would result in a stronger coffee flavor, since it starts with a pot of freshly brewed coffee. Basically, you brew the coffee, dissolve sugar in it, add your SCOBY and ferment.

I started with half a cup of Trader Joe’s Dark 100% arabica whole coffee beans. After grinding the beans, I added sugar and 4 cups of hot water to a French press, brewed for 4 minutes, and let it cool to room temperature. A few hours later I transferred the contents to a glass jar using a filter, added a SCOBY, covered the top with a dark cloth, and set it aside. The SCOBY turned very dark. After 10 days, I tried it.

The liquid was much darker than the coffee kombucha made with coffee syrup. It smelled more like coffee than kombucha. It was also much more carbonated than the Method 1 product and even my typical homemade kombucha.

In terms of taste, the coffee flavor was dominant but it had a sour, vinegary kick and a bitter aftertaste. Mr. Froyo said it was okay. The coffee I brewed was probably too strong and too bitter. Method 1 resulted in a slightly tastier coffee kombucha.

Method 3: I used whole coffee beans added to homemade kombucha to infuse coffee flavor during the second ferment. I added about a tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Dark coffee beans to a bottle of homemade kombucha during the second ferment. I let it infuse for a few days.

This was my favorite method. The end result tasted more like kombucha than coffee and it was much less bitter than the brew from Method 2. The coffee flavor was dark and smoky, like the flavor of the beans. It wasn't as sweet as Method 1's brew. However, Mr. Froyo wasn't so fond of this batch.

There are other ways to make coffee kombucha, including using different methods to brew the coffee. Apparently, cold brewing the coffee can provide a good result.

SCOBY thrive in tea but not in coffee, so if you plan to make coffeebucha, make sure you have extra SCOBY.  Warning, Mr. Froyo did not love coffeebucha.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.