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Kombucha – How to Make a Delicious Batch — 34 Comments

  1. You say to use a spoon to test your kombucha, but I’ve heard that it’s best to avoid all contact with metal since it can react with fermenting kombucha and give it off-flavors. Have you had any problems with that or do you have any opinion on the matter?

    • I haven’t noticed any problems with that and can’t honestly imagine that using a metal spoon would cause a problem. Your question reminded me of an episode on an old 60s/70s tv sitcom where butler played by Sebastian Cabot instructed the young girl that one must not cut the lettuce for a salad but gently tear it so it doesn’t turn brown. She then asked something along the lines of, “Then why do you put it in a metal bowl?” Good question.

  2. Actually there’s a valid reason for the “don’t cut lettuce” rule, one I only recently learned after 45 years of salad-making. When you tear lettuce, it mostly breaks along the boundaries between cells, which are like tiny perforations. This makes for a fresher tasting salad. When you cut it, you are cutting across the cell membranes, which makes for limper leafy greens.

  3. “Although I’ve never tried this, I’m quite certain that if you were to simply pour some kombucha into your tea rather than getting a colony from someone else, that a colony would form in your batch over time and you’d get a lovely kombucha. If you try that, let me know how it goes please.”

    I tried this with bottled Kombucha years ago and it took a lot longer than a full fledged SCOBY. Maybe because the Bacteria and yeast are dispersed in the bottle, then it had to form a home (SCOBY) and there is the possibility that there was too much liquid for the amount of SCOBY material in the bottle. But it did work!

  4. I’m new to fermentation and am anxious to get started. My question is,does the liquid need to be strained after fermenting,prior to bottling?

    • In my experience, there is no need to strain the kombucha before bottling. I believe some of the strainable material in the kombucha are yeast strands. When I first started making kombucha seceral years ago, I would strain it before bottling/drinking, but I soon gave up on that. I guess it’s more of an aesthetic issue than anything else, but certainly not necessary.

      • I honestly don’t know a firsthand answer to your question since I’ve never tried it myself. My understanding is that the kombucha mother contains Gluconacetobacter xylinus while the Apple Cider Mother of Vinegar (MOV) does not. Not to say that you might not enjoy the results, but I don’t think the sweet tea base for the kombucha will respond the same way to using the MOV. Would love to hear what happens if you try it. Please let us know.

        • I agree with ferment Ted. If you don’t have a scoby for Kombucha, use a bottle of Kombucha from a store, plain if possible. I make both kombucha and apple cider vinegar and have yet to try using my vinegar mother for kombucha. I have used a bottle of kombucha to start and it takes a while longer but it does work.

          On a side note, I recently used a wild blueberry powder in the second fermentation and man was that good, fizzy and pretty as can be. Too busy drinking it, to take a picture.

  5. The bubbles come after you move the Kombucha out of the 1st vessel and into smaller vessels. I ferment mine in a large pickle jar then pour into smaller glass jars (mason jars, some use ceramic cork/ wire stopper bottles). This is the 2nd fermentation stage, or 2f, the flavoful, fizzy, fun part! Add ONE raisin to each small container, then any flavor:grated ginger,chopped stone fruit, berries, melon, mango, pineapple, hibiscus, herbs, dried fruit, fruit syrup, fruit jam, spices, citrus…or any combo that strikes your fancy. Close and set on the counter again, 1-2 days. Pop the tops carefully several times a day to release fermentation and to avoid an explosion :)Refrigerate and enjoy.

  6. About obtaining a scoby, you said, “Although I’ve never tried this, I’m quite certain that if you were to simply pour some kombucha into your tea rather than getting a colony from someone else, that a colony would form in your batch over time and you’d get a lovely kombucha. If you try that, let me know how it goes please.” I tried it and it works just fine. About 16 days ago I bought a bottle of GT’S original organic raw kombucha. I made a cup of strong black tea, dissolved two Tbs. sugar into it, let it cool, then poured it into a pint mason jar and added the store bought kombucha. I now have a scoby about 1/4″ thick covering the top of the liquid. Steve

    • I wouldn’t worry about fermenting kombucha and kefir in the same room. I have often had a half dozen or more different ferments in the same room going with no problems. Keep them both appropriately covered.

  7. Question. Has anyone ever used raw honey in place of sugar? white sugar is NOT healthy at all. also what are the health benefits of kombucha?

    • I haven’t tried honey in place of sugar. As to health consequences of using white sugar, my feeling is that almost all of the sugar is consumed during the fermentation process so you’re not diretly ingesting the sugar. I preferred to use raw sugars and organic where possible, simply to avoid overprocessing and pesticides.

  8. responding to the comment saying that the bubbles come during a 2nd fermentation,away from the scoby,
    my kombucha always used to become wonderfully sparkling right in it’s home jar,under the scoby,in a week to ten days. 🙂

  9. oh yeah,about metal use with kombucha, i was told that it was great at absorbing metals out of your body, and one didn’t want it to do this from metal strainers or spoons, then drink the metal traces. just in case,i always try to drink it so as to keep it off the metal fillings in my molars!

  10. Hello guys,
    yes kombi does absorb metal very quickly and I too would not let it soak up metal fillings too much on a regular basis…I wanted to dehydrate some for storage and in some absent minded way put them on a metal rack until an hour later when I said: “Oh shoot what did I do!? was supposed to use unbleached parchment paper!” By then the scoby (s) were very blackened wherever they made contact with the metal…put them in the composter…may not have been the best place in retrospect.

    I am interested in finding out more about how much sugar is really left in the beverage. I let mine brew a long time (25 to 30 days) and end up with a very acidic beverage to avoid the sugar…but I like it that way

  11. Hello all, I’m new to Kombucha. My original scoby has been reproducing like mad. All is healthy and fine. Except I’m not getting an fermentation, none. Any suggestions for how I can get more than scobies and sweet tea would be greatly appreciated.

    • First batches of Kombucha notoriously take longer, at least in my kitchen. Are you putting in a cup of sugar per gallon of tea? When I’ve started with a new Scoby, it is usually my third batch, or sometimes second batch, that has more of the flavor I’m looking for. I’d just let it ferment yet longer. Also, if it’s cold in your place at this time of the year, the ferment will take longer as well. Once it becomes tart enough, you can add ginger to the bottle for a fizz-adding second stage ferment. See https://www.fermentationrecipes.com/making-your-kombucha-fizzy-with-ginger/1116

      good luck!

  12. I added my SCOBY to my new batch of tea mixture and after a couple days it sank to the bottom. It’s really thick. Is this a normal thing to happen?

    • This happens occasionally. I have found that the healthier the SCOBY, the less likely it is to sink. Sinking isn’t the end of the world as it often rises again of it’s own accord or a new SCOBY begins to form on the surface. I haven’t studied this specifically, but my hunch is that the SCOBYs float because they’ve accumulated gasses, and perhaps they are likely to accumulate more gasses when the yeasts are more abundant. If a SCOBY sits for too long without being used, I find it is also more likely to sink than float. Good luck!

  13. Hi there, I’m new to kombucha making. Did I miss something in reading this recipe which lists 1 scoby, but I don’t see at which point it is added. Sorry if it is there and I just plain missed it!

    Jim

    • Hey Jim, I just updated the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out. Adding the SCOBY is generally the last thing you do before covering with a cloth. NEver add to water that is too hot. Warm to the touch (or cooler) is fine.

  14. Hi Ted, I have a question pertaining to the black tea. In the recipe to make a scoby, the quantity is 1/4 C/8 bags. In the “Delicious Batch” 2 Tbsp/4 bags and in the “Fizzy” recipe 1/8C/4 bags. Three different amounts while the other ingredients are the same. Any problem with just using 1/4 C for any of these recipes? Thanks for your help!

    • Hey Jim, sorry about the confusion. Since 1/8th cup is the same as 2 Tablespoons, those two measurements are the same. But you’re right I do show 4 bags in some recipes and 8 in another. Kombucha seems to work fine with more or less tea, so I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ll work on standardizing those recipes. I’m actually using 6 tea bags in making my kombucha these days. Go figure!

  15. Good day to you all! Is it ok to use distilled water for kombucha? Also what about water filtered through a household carbon filter?

    Thanks!

    • Distilled water is definitely fine. Tap water will depend upon where you are and the quality. If it’s safe enough to drink from the tap (or household carbon filter) it’s fine to use for your kombucha.

  16. Hello, I just made my first batch of Kombucha and I just bottled it. I’m ready to start a second batch. I bought a SCOBY new off amazon. My question is, do put just the SCOBY in the new batch or does it also need some of the liquid?
    Thank you! Cheers!

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