The Food and Fermentation Science Club is hosting a kombucha workshop this Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Pilot Plant, giving members an up close look at the fermentation process.
While the event is strictly for club members, according to club President Hugh Clarke, anyone is allowed to join. For those not in the club already but who wish to participate, the club asks that you pay their termly membership of $15.
Clarke said most of that cost covers the gallon jugs provided to members.
After a presentation on kombucha and fermentation given by a graduate student, participants – usually around 25-30 people – will then get to experience the process for themselves.
According to Clarke, the group does a variety of fermentations, but tries to do kombucha every year, because it’s non-alcoholic and easy to make.
For those unfamiliar with the drink, kombucha is essentially sweet black tea that has had a fermentation starter added to it, according to a thread on Reddit which was provided by Clarke.
This starter, called a SCOBY, short for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (in this case, a bit of kombucha from an earlier batch made by the Fermentation Club members), kicks off the fermentation process.
After about a week, the kombucha is ready to be packaged into cans or bottles. Bottling the kombucha also acts as a secondary fermentation process, in which the beverage gets its fizz. Flavorings can be added at this point.
“(Another) very important detail,” Clarke said in an email, “is if there is mold in the batch, THROW IT OUT! The toxins are in solution and many may be carcinogenic. It only takes a few dollars to restart a bottle of GT Original Kombucha, which is a lot cheaper than food poisoning.”
In the workshop, the participants will be shown how first fermentation happens by starting their own new batch. Then they will be shown “second” fermentation, getting to flavor and bottle a premade batch themselves.
“This year,” Clarke said, “we’re doing the bottling, because that’s what everyone keeps telling us they want. We will be doing a pineapple (and) mint flavor with fresh mint and pineapple juice.”For more information about the Food and Fermentation Science Club, check out their Ideal Logic page. For more information about upcoming club events, sign up for their mailing list.
