Kombucha Tea Time Brewing Question

Hello, I just got into Kombucha brewing, and I LOVE IT. I feel better, and it’s so cheap to make rather than spend $4/bottle. PLUS, it uses up tea I have laying around that needs to be used up!

Also, so my question I have on debate on a facebook Kombucha group is it truly necessary to over brew tea for Kombucha. I haven’t been following the posted instructions on most sites, and I brew based on what I brew if I was drinking it. Most sites recommend 10-20 minutes. I know in Turkey, that can be common steep time for tea, but for me, I can’t stomach overbrewed tea.

But for bacteria and scoby health, should I be overbrewing the tea? I can’t find any site that’s describes the science behind it. I am assuming more tannins = more food for bacteria, but I don’t know if that’s right?

Thank you!!!