How I began brewing my own Kombucha (and how you can too!)


I can do that!  ...and it started.  

Kombucha is so good!  It’s addicting. It’s gut health in a bottle.  It’s the fuzzy goodness with a fruity and tangy bite.  Kombucha is a cult classic. It is a party favorite at a few FABULOUS homes.  Kombucha brings communities together and Winona has a good start!

My passion for this liquid gold started after a very good friend of mine proved me wrong.  I was adamant how horrible it was and I didn’t understand how anyone could drink it. The scent alone was one that could peel paint off of metal cabinets.  (A bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. It was strong)

Picture this, you’re sitting on a front porch swing on a beautiful sunny day in Minnesota.  A friend with a tray of day drinks comes and sits next to you. Do you ignore her OR do you welcome her with open arms?  I solved my conundrum pretty darn fast. It went like this...It’s sunny, it’s during the day, I’m with a beautiful friend, AND it’s during the day, of course I’m not going to deny the hospitality.  So I partook in a bit of day drinking on a beautiful sunny day in Minnesota. She sits, she smiles, and then she hands me this beautiful glass filled with ice and lovely pink liquid.

It was delicious.  Would I like another one?  Of course I would.

And as simple as it sounds, I was hooked.  Of course the love started when I was able to mix it with whiskey or vodka (which is ONLY for adults who can LEGALLY drink...Disclaimer).  But as my creativity grew with the adult version of Kombucha so did my curiosity for what it actually was.

What’s the big deal?  

Why are all these health conscious individuals seeking it out?

Why is Instagram exploding with Kombucha ads?

Why am I all of a sudden a regular visitor to the ladies room?  

How can Kombucha be different colors?

What do they do to it?

Where exactly did it come from?

How exactly did the drink show up on someone’s front porch swing?

I began to do a bit of light reading.  I drank more Kombucha (plain, I might add).  I asked around about this interesting concoction.  I drank more Kombucha. My family started drinking Kombucha.  I drank more Kombucha. My family started drinking more Kombucha.  Once I was purchasing four bottles at almost $5.00 a bottle I decided there has to be a better way.  I asked more questions. I read more books. I dug through the internet (the internet is always right) and finally came up with four very empowering words.  


So I did.  

I started to grow my very own SCOBY (S.symbiotic C.culture O.of B.bacteria Y.yeast).  It seemed like it took the nine months and a few weeks it took to grow my human babies!  I watched the jar, and watched and watched and watched until I actually forgot about it. (AWESOME MAMA to my FIRST SCOBY!!!)  But that is exactly what it needed. The symbiosis and the connecting and growing and creating needed it own quiet time. When I finally remembered about my baby SCOBY (truly liquid that I mixed together hoping for the magic of fermentation to happen) it had turned into the prettiest MAMA SCOBY I have seen.  I never saw one or touched one before so of course it was perfect.

I put that MAMA SCOBY right to work and brewed up my first batch of kombucha.  Because remember I said…

I can do that!

I kept brewing.  My MAMA became bigger and she made babies and then her babies became MAMAs  and the beautiful cycle of fermentation began. Pretty soon I had SCOBY HOTELS and mini motels and thought I NEED to share the love.  I NEED to get these SCOBYs out into Winona so they can keep growing and keep creating and keep allowing the flow of pretty pink kombucha-tails!  

So I did!  I started Pied Brew Kombucha and that is where I’ll leave you until I see you at the Pied Brew Kombucha workshop.  I will be touching more about what Kombucha is and why EVERYONE should drink it and brew it. I will also be sharing my liquid gold with each and everybody who comes to learn.  All you need to begin would be the four precious little words that drove me into curiosity:


Big love,

Karin Wollan

Karin Wollan

Heather BeierComment