VINEGAR MOTHER RECIPES

Steps:

• The most surefire way to make vinegar is by using a vinegar mother (you can order one online). The next best way to make it is to use a heavy dose of unfiltered raw vinegar (like Bragg’s Cider Vinegar) to start a fermentation. The “mother” may not be visible in the vinegar (it will resemble a small jellyfish), but the raw vinegar should trigger a new fermentation once mixed with new wine. This should help grow a new visible mother as well as a pellicle (a thin layer of cellulose that acts as a barrier between the air and the vinegar while it ferments). Transferring the mother, along with a layer of the pellicle, will both work to quickly start new fermentations in the future.
• Combine wine and vinegar in a nonreactive (preferably glass) container. Top with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel; secure with a rubber band. Let sit in a dark place, stirring and tasting occasionally (like every few days), until it tastes fully vinegar-y (this could take from several weeks to several months). Along the way it might smell sort of weird, skunky, or maybe like nail polish remover as ours did for days on end. Don’t give up, just keep going. When your vinegar tastes as sharply acidic as your store-bought stuff does, you are ready to bottle it.
• Pour off three-quarters of vinegar into a clean, airtight bottle with as little empty space as possible. You can continue to age it in the bottle where its aroma and flavor should continue to improve. (Oxygen helps convert alcohol into acetic acid, but once all the alcohol is consumed, exposure to oxygen should be limited as much as possible.) You can now add more wine to the mother and pellicle left behind to start a new batch.

Steps:

• Pour the wine or beer into a glass or plastic container with a wide mouth to allow plenty of air circulation
•   Stir in the raw apple cider vinegar
•   Cover the container with cheese cloth and leave it out on the counter for 2-4 weeks
•   In a week or two you should begin to see a thin film form on the top of the liquid
•   Begin tasting your vinegar
•   Once it reaches your desired level of sourness, it’s ready to use
•   Store the vinegar in warm, dark place
•   It may be transferred to a glass bottle, but I recommend keeping the top covered with cheese cloth
•    I actually pour mine right through the cheese cloth to filter out the Mother
•   When you’re ready to make a new batch, use the Mother and it should go a bit faster
•   You may want to steer clear of overly hoppy beers like IPAs as they become bitter vinegar
•   Kombucha from a Vinegar Mother Recipe By Tammy Kimbler Ingredients:2 c water1 tsp loose tea or 1 tea bag2 tbs sugar3” round piece of vinegar Mother 1/4 c white vinegar Instructions:Because you are converting a vinegar Mother to a kombucha Mother, you need to grow it slowly in a small batch first so you don’t kill the vinegar Mother, and so that the new bacteria and yeast colony can adjust to their new food source
• Bring the water to a boil
•   Remove from heat, add the sugar and tea, and let brew off the heat for 10 minutes
•   Strain tea in to a wide, shallow glass container and let cool to room temp
•   Add the vinegar and vinegar Mother
•   Cover the container with cheese cloth and store in a warm spot
•   The new kombuch Mother skin should start to form in about a week
•   After a couple weeks the Mother should have thickened considerably (1/4 inch), and the kombucha should taste sour
•   Now you can make the next larger batch of kombucha and grow a Mother that will sustain multiple batches
• Repeat the kombucha recipe, but this time add the entire starter batch of your first kombucha with it’s Mothers (there should be two now, the original vinegar and new kombucha)
• Cover the container with cheese cloth and store in a warm spot
•   When the kombucha tastes sour, strain the kombucha, reserving the Mothers and at least 1 cup of kombucha for your next batch
• Double the above recipe, add the 1 cup mature kombucha and a Mother for a quart batch
•   Your kombucha Mothers will begin multiplying
•   Keep them together, or start multiple batches
•   Or give them to friends!  The strained kombucha can now be consumed as is, or can be poured into a 750ml screw top soda bottle or bail top bottle to be carbonated
•   To carbonate the kombucha, add 1 tsp of sugar to the bottle before adding the kombucha
•   Seal and allow to sit 1-2 weeks at room temp
•   Chill before consuming