It’s a SCOBY!

That stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. And yes, people drink it.

Kombucha, both a prebiotic and probiotic fermented sparkling tea, has many gut-healthy benefits. It has a slightly vinegar-like taste, but if you brew it at home, you can tweak it by adding organic juices to your liking.

On Monday, you can find out exactly how to brew your own kombucha and take home a starter kit to try it out yourself. Stacy Lukitsch will lead a presentation called Introduction to Kombucha from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Call 989-724-6796 to register, as space is limited.

Courtesy Photo Here are batches of kombucha on Stacy Lukitsch’s kitchen counter, in various stages of brewing. The left one is ready to drink, the middle one is brewing for 7 to 10 days with a cheesecloth over it to let it breathe, and the right one is housing a SCOBY or two in what is called a SCOBY hotel, where the cultures can be stored until brewing time.

Lukitsch explained how she got into making kombucha, and how it has led her to better digestive health.

“I went to the doctor and I’ve tried four or five different types of medication,” she recalled of six years ago when she started making kombucha. “And really, my body needed probiotics.”

Kombucha is a prebiotic, which means its ingredients promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the digestive tract. It is also a probiotic, which means it contains good bacteria that help with digestion.

Lukitsch makes kombucha in her Alpena home, and you can, too.

First, you need a SCOBY, a slimy cellulose organism. But that slimy SCOBY can produce a drink that helps you feel better, if you don’t mind the taste. Some people love it, and others don’t, but home-brewing allows you to add different juices to your liking. If you like a lighter taste, you can brew it for seven days. The longer you brew it, the more fermented flavor it gets. Ten days is about the average that most people prefer to brew it. But Lukitsch likes to brew her own for up to 14 days to give it a stronger flavor.

Courtesy Photo Here is an up-close look at a SCOBY that has grown, producing more SCOBY babies that can be used for kombucha starter kits.

A starter SCOBY comes in a little glass jar full of the brown liquid, also called starter tea, which keeps the SCOBY alive. These little SCOBY babies grow on the main SCOBY, which is called the mother. That’s how Lukitsch gets her starter kits. When the mother grows a baby, you can store it in a small glass jar with a tight lid, which is called a hotel.

“It’s where they can live while they’re not brewing,” Lukitsch said.

Of course, you have to “burp” the babies by taking the lid off every few days when the metal top pops out, if you are using Mason jar lids. You can also use plastic screw-on lids, but you must remember to burp the babies so they stay healthy.

Before handling the SCOBY, you need to brew some tea. You are going to be making a gallon of kombucha, so you need to make less than a gallon of tea, to make room for the SCOBY and the starter tea.

Using plain, caffeinated black tea is recommended for first-time brewers. Lukitsch uses 15 tea bags to her gallon. Using distilled water, brew the tea in a separate glass pitcher or container, then let it cool to room temperature. The SCOBY is temperature-sensitive and should be kept between 70 and 80 degrees.

Measure two cups of sugar to your gallon of tea, mix it up and get ready for your SCOBY.

Once you obtain a starter kit, to get your baby to grow into a mother, you start with a one-gallon glass jar.

“You do not want to use plastic, because, plastic ­– it will eat away at it,” Lukitsch explained. “I even recommend using stainless steel utensils.”

Each SCOBY is very sensitive and must be handled in a sterile way so it does not go bad or grow mold. So, the jar needs to be clean, but all soaps need to be rinsed off of it thoroughly before placing the SCOBY into its new brew palace, which is much more luxurious than its former hotel. Your hands need to be scrupulously clean before touching the SCOBY. Or you can use surgical-grade gloves, if desired. Some people don’t like the feeling of the slimy organism. Or they just want to be sure to keep it clean.

Pour your room-temp tea and sugar mixture into the SCOBY jar, then gently add the SCOBY and starter tea. Leave a little room at the top for it to breathe. Cover it with a cheesecloth or coffee filter, wrap the edges with twine or a rubber band, and wait seven to 10 days.

After a week or longer, your kombucha is ready to pour and drink. You can flavor it with juice once you remove it from the SCOBY container. Leave the SCOBY in about one cup of the tea so it’s ready for the next batch.

“I use a cup of juice to my gallon,” Lukitsch said, referring to the gallon of tea that has been brewing with a SCOBY in it for seven to 10 days.

She said it depends on the type of juice you are using, and your taste preference. For example, mango juice is very sweet so you would likely need less of it than, say, cherry juice, which is more tart.

The microorganisms in the kombucha eat sugar, so it’s good to use juice with a high sugar content, she said.

“You can dump the whole bottle of juice in there, and it will eat it so fast,” she said, referring to a 16-ounce bottle of juice. “You’ll see it ­– as soon as you pour it, it will instantly start bubbling and carbonating. And then you get your lid on quick.”

She said that’s the key to keeping the carbonation in the kombucha, so it tastes like sparkling cider.

“I generally leave mine on the counter for one more day,” she added, to make sure it gets carbonated to the point that it tastes better.

She said even if you love kombucha, you should limit your intake daily, so it does not disrupt your digestion.

“I don’t think anyone should drink more than 16 ounces,” per day, Lukitsch said. “If you’re drinking more than 16 ounces, you’re putting too much good bacteria in there. And your gut needs to be balanced with good and bad bacteria.”