Are You Winter Ready?

Settle in for some hibernation, booch buddies.

We’ve shivered through the last days of autumn with winter now here.

This Goodbrew news will be dedicated to tips and tricks for all things winter:

1. Getting your home brewing setup winter-ready.
2. Preparing your immune system for the sniffles.
3. And how to keep warm on long winter nights (not like that you cheeky monkey).

KEEP YOUR SCOBY TOASTY IN THE WINTER MONTHS

That gorgeous little SCOBY that’s growing in your homebrew kit gets cold too! Just like your other pets, it needs a little extra love and warmth as the colder weather rolls in.

The glorious sweet little bacteria working to make your at-home kombucha is kinda fussy about the temperature, they thrive at 23 degrees celsius, but they can survive at 10 degrees on either side of that.

Heating, drafts, fireplaces and long cold winter nights can all cause fluctuations in temperature in your home. So finding a spot where your booch is consistently in that sweet spot around 23 degrees is key to a happy, healthy and harmonious SCOBY.

The moment when we have to be most careful about the thermostat is just after feeding your SCOBY. The bacteria that emerge to eat and ferment your kombucha matters! Good bacteria grow in a warm environment, and bad bacteria love the cold. Here are our tips for the best spots in your home for a winter ready home brewing set up.

WHERE YOU PLACE YOUR FERMENTOR MATTERS

The fridge. The coldest place inside is the warmest place outside. By placing your fermentation jar on top of the fridge, or on a shelf above your fridge, the heat that rises from the inside provides a warm space for your SCOBY to grow. Wrapping the fermentation jar in a thick blanket adds an extra layer of insulation.

The hot water system. It’s worth hunting down that mysterious cupboard in your house. It provides warmth not just for toasty winter showers, but for your SCOBY too. Pop your fermentation station in that warm little space in a box or milk crate insulated with a scarf or blanket. Make sure the opening of the jar is still covered by a breathable, dust-defying cloth.

The humble milkcrate. The easiest, simplest, most sustainable option is a thick warm blanket or scarf tucked into a milkcrate. Snuggle your fermentation jar in to keep the ‘booch warm and growing. The fermentation process generates its own heat and the insulation from the blanket guards it against any drops in temperature. And of course, it never hurts to give your booch a hug – we all need one for the colder months.

PREPARING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM FOR WINTER

Look after your gut and your gut looks after you.

The Flu Shot from Extremely Alive.

Our sister company, Extremely Alive, combines years of research in medical science with ancient brewing techniques to produce kick-ass wellness tonics that leave you feeling invincible. Exactly what we all need as the dreaded lurgie floats around in the colder months.

The flu shot is designed to help potentially fortify your defences against colds and flus by recharging your cellular soldiers and boost your internal defences.

Made with the same ancestral SCOBY as all our living kombucha, the Extremely Alive tonics pack a punch against cold and flus. Prevention is the best line of defence this winter.

MULLED WINE KOMBUCHA

Warm up your kombucha and your winter nights.

Our simple mulled wine recipe makes a booch-iful non-alcoholic version of this winter favourite.

Gently dry heat a few star anise, a stick or two of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg powder, a few cloves and a quarter cup of sugar in a saucepan.

As your sugar caramelises, stir continuously, gently pouring in a cup of water. Check for sweetness, add a little more sugar if needed, simmer and enjoy those gorgeous aromatics.

Once sugar is completely dissolved, take your mixture off the heat, and let it cool. A few orange slices popped in for colour & a little flavour too.

Be careful, you’ll kill your living kombucha if you add it to a hot mixture! Once it’s below 50 degrees celsius, pour in your own homebrew, or one of the Goodbrew’s living kombuchas. We recommend the hibiscus, ginger and lemongrass living kombucha. The perfect flavour match for a this wintery and comforting brew.

HOME BREWING WORKSHOP

June’s workshop focusing on all things winter.

Do you know how to keep your home-brew happy during the colder months? Are you new to home-brewing? Do you want a winter hobby that isn’t baking any-more-damn sourdough? Ferment with intent at our monthly home-brew workshop.

Thursday 24th June at 7pm at 54 Hope Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 – Melbourne

Due to the current Victorian / Melbourne lockdown, workshop availability may change. If the workshop needs to be postponed, tickets remain valid. If you purchased a ticket and miss out on a workshop, you can use your ticket for our future workshops.

Limited spots available in our heated Brunswick HQ. Detailed, hands-on, practical know-how to start up, reboot or improve your SCOBY’s living conditions.

All workshops taught by our CEO ecopreneur, Deano, teaching from decades of international brewing experience.

May all your brews be good brews
x