Pure strain of kombucha?

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The kombucha culture or scoby mushroom grows from a brewed solution of sugar and tea, this may be black, green, or white tea or really any other tea as long as it is not an herbal tea. Herbal teas
contain to many oils that the cultures will not like. You may add brewed herbal teas to your ready-to-drink brew if these qualities are desired. Many people, including people with diabetes, are
concerned with consuming sugar and/or caffeine tea. There is no need for worry, for when the tea is properly brewed and the fermentation process is complete (you can buy pH strips to test the acid
content of the tea if you like) there is very little sugar, if any, and trace amounts of caffeine and alcohol. The culture should never be frozen, however it may be stored in the refrigerator which will make
it go dormant. However we do not recommend doing this for a long period of time as this retards the culture and may take some time and many brewing cycles before the strength is returned to the
culture. The kombucha culture can sustain itself for long periods of time, months in fact, without a fresh source of food and may even still produce new s.c.o.b.y.s, but more slowly. This is a preferred
method of "storing" the kombucha culture if time or commitments keeps you from brewing new tea each week. To "restart" the s.c.o.b.y. simply add some brewed tea/sugar mixture and the culture will
again become active and start growing. Of course it is best to keep continually brewing new batches of tea to keep the kombucha as strong as possible. A weak or dormant culture will become more
susceptible to molds.

Traditional, Kombucha is used for aiding the body in detoxifying the body, maintaining metabolic balance, but it is said to also promote overall
wellbeing throughout the body. People from all parts of the world use it as a general daily health tonic.
Use before meals to lose weight, after meals to gain weight.

If you received your culture from a friend or from a commercial source, the question may arise about the history and purity of
the culture strain. While there are many strains to the kombucha mushroom culture due to different growing conditions,
environmental factors, age of culture and care.
However, there are some basic questions to ask when obtaining a culture from any source:

How long has the culture been maintained?

Ask your source the amount of time and experience they have culturing the kombucha culture. For the most part, longer experience
and time means that the person has the knowledge and skills to maintain the culture in a safe and proper manner.

Has it been maintained and cared for in the traditional way?

Traditionally, kombucha is grown on a tea (traditional or herbal) and sugar solution (cane or honey). Plane and simple, if your
kombucha source is using food mediums far from these norms then one should look for a different source. Just like mushrooms and
other bacteria, a certain basic food source requirements are necessary for life and proper growth. An example from a Yahoo
newsgroup had commented that they used only fresh fruit, no tea or sugar, to maintain the kombucha culture mushroom. However, by
maintaining their culture only with fresh fruit, obtained the sugars and organic matter needed, while at the same time adding millions of
wild active yeast to the east and bacteria of the kombucha. This would at the least change the purity of the strain, to say the least.

Health and reproduction of the culture ?

When you receive your culture test it growth and vitality can tell you if the culture has been maintained correctly and is
strong and healthy. If there is slow growth or none, these could be a sign of a damage culture or a weak strain.
Of course make sure that your growing conditions are optimal for kombucha growing, see our brewing guide.
A strain that produces thick healthy SCOBYS, just like plants, produce stronger vitality. To make sure that your culture is
100% safe is to have a sample of your kombucha culture sent to a lab for pathogen testing.
Your local department of agriculture or FDA can refer you to a testing lab.

Note: Our cultures are tested monthly for contamination by a MDA recommended independent lab and comes with a 100% guarantee.

How do I Know if I Have a Pure Strain of the Kombucha Culture ?