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I'm about to start a batch of Kombucha using 100% Hibiscus flowers as the tea. Just received a 1 pound bag of organic Hibiscus flowers. Can anyone give me some recomendations on amounts to use in a gallon of water and possibly some brewing methods for this type of tea? I know what to do for the Kombucha but I've never brewed Hibiscus flower for tea before and want to do it as nicely as possible before adding to the Kombucha first ferment.

NKY Homesteading
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  • There seem to be plenty of recipes for how to do it on the web. Is there something we can tell you that the recipes can not? – Catija Feb 04 '16 at 22:46
  • If I had to guess... answers might discuss pros and cons of hot vs cold brewing (probably the biggest categories of brewing methods) and reasonable range of ratios, in particular can you make it more concentrated then dilute? The question could be more explicit, though. – Cascabel Feb 04 '16 at 22:54
  • Yes, concentrate is what I usually do with green tea in my Kombucha so that I can add cold water to help it cool down quicker. The tea has to be room temperature when adding to the Scoby and starter tea otherwise it kills the beneficial bacteria that helps it ferment. – NKY Homesteading Feb 04 '16 at 23:05
  • Catija, I'm looking for methods from people who are really into tea's. I've seen many posts here about tea brewing and the online searches just lead to a broad variety of directions that counter inform each other. I know we have some tea snobs here. ;) Would rather get their advice. – NKY Homesteading Feb 04 '16 at 23:10
  • Have you asked this question at a specialty tea store. The ones out here will occasionally brew teas on site and give you good tips to follow. – Ken Graham Feb 08 '16 at 23:55

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I use 1 rounded teaspoon for 12 to 16 ounces (depends on the mug I'm using), so about 8 teaspoons (or about 2 1/2 tbsp) for a gallon of water. Hot water, just under boiling, is best. Ideally, the water is heated and poured onto the tea at just under boiling. Because I don't think you want to boil a gallon of water, I'd use the amount of hibiscus for a gallon of tea, but only use about a quart of hot water to start, let the tea steep in that (at least 5 minutes, longer will give a stronger flavor) then add the remaining 3 quarts of water.

wombar
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  • I believe for kombucha you want something that's twice as concentrated, compared when you brew it for direct drinking. The fermentation process tends to dilute the flavour and aroma quite much. – Lisa at Teasenz.com Jun 28 '17 at 03:39