Q. Why are your kombucha cultures shipped in a dehydrated state?
A.We ship dehydrated cultures because they are shelf stable and therefore make the trip to you more safely. We take your safety seriously.
MAKING HOMEMADE KOMBUCHA
Q. Can I make my homemade kombucha tea taste like that bought at the grocery store?
A.Yes, experimenting with the type of tea, fermentation time, and flavor additives (fruit, juice, ginger, etc.) you can invent your own kombucha tea flavors, or you can try to replicate a commercial flavor.
Learn more aboutFlavoring and Bottling Kombucha.
Q. What supplies will I need for making kombucha tea?
A.Making kombucha doesn't require anything too fancy.Find tipson the best equipment for making kombucha tea in our articleChoosing Equipment for Making Kombucha.Glass is the most popular choicefor brewing kombucha. If you eventually want to set up acontinuous brewing systemyou will needa large glass jar with a non-metal spigot, likethis one.
Our articleChoosing the Best Ingredients for Making Kombuchagoes into detail about which ingredients work best for making kombucha, including tea, sugar, water, and more. You may also consider using aDIY Kombucha Kitfor brewing which includes everything you need to get started.
Q.What type of sugar should I use to make kombucha? What type of tea? What type of water?
A.Learn about the best sugar, tea and water for brewing kombucha in our article,Choosing Ingredients for Making Kombucha. TheKombucha Tea Starter Kitincludes tea, sugar, a SCOBY, and vinegar to make choosing kombucha ingredients as easy as possible.
Q. What is the process to make kombucha?
A.Making kombucha tea at home involves making tea, adding a starter culture (SCOBY) and letting it culture in a warm spot for 7-30 days.You can find instructions and a How-To Video on our page forHow to Make Kombucha.
Q. How long should Ibrew my kombucha?
A.Kombucha can be brewed from7 to 30 days,depending on personal preference. Alonger brewing timeresults inless sugarand amore vinegary-flavoredbeverage. Keep in mind that temperature will play a role in how quickly the kombucha cultures.
Q. Can Iuse less sugar or alter any ingredients used to make kombucha?
A. We strongly recommend following thetea:sugar:water:starter tea ratiosindicated in the instructions. These ratios encourage aproper balance, which discourages the growth of mold and the spoiling of the batch. It also helps ensure the SCOBYgetsenough food to culture properly.
Q. Can Iuse a plastic container to brew kombucha and plastic bottles to store it?
A.We recommendglass containerswhen working with starter cultures, because of the potential of plastic to leach undesirable chemicals. Additionally, plastic ismore easily damaged, often without your knowledge, which can result in hidden bacteria that may disrupt the culturing process.
Q. Can I culture my kombucha tea in a cupboard, or on a windowsill, etc.?
A.Brewing kombucha tea in a cupboard is perfectly fine. However,do not put kombucha tea in sunlight. It is important to keep fermenting kombuchaout of direct sunlightandaway from excessive heat or cold.
Q. Can Imake kombucha without a starter tea?
A.Yes, you can use anequal portion of distilled white vinegarin place of starter tea. Alternatively you may use bottledraw, unflavored kombucha tea, which can be purchased at many health food and grocery stores. However, whenactivating a dehydrated scoby, use distilled white vinegar only.
Q. I'm brewing my first batch of kombucha using the dehydrated culture. It doesn't seem to be doing anything. How can Iknow if it's working properly?
A.Click here forKombucha Scoby Activation Troubleshootingor contactCustomer Support.
Q. What signs should Ilook for to determine the kombucha is culturing properly?
A.A few good signs the kombucha fermentation process is proceeding normally include the formation of a new kombucha culture over the opening of the brewing container, development of brown stringy yeast particles, and the liquid becoming less sweet and more vinegar-like.
NOTE:For the initial batch when using a dehydrated culture, there may be no visible signs of culturing. The best way to check progress of the brew is to test aroma and flavor.
Q.If I’m making other cultured foods (yogurt, sourdough, kombucha, etc.), how far apart do I need to keep the cultures?
A. We suggest keeping a distance of at least 4 feet between items. When your cultured items are being stored in the refrigerator with tight-fitting lids, there is no need to keep distance between them.
Q. Where can Iview the instructions for making kombucha?
A.Click to check for kombucha ingredients and the kombucha instructions.
CARING FOR YOUR SCOBY
Q. Will kombucha tea starters multiply?
A. Kombucha tea cultures multiply. Each time you brew a batch of Kombucha tea a new starter culture will form. The original starter culture ("the mother") and the new starter culture ("the baby") can each be used to brew a new batch of kombucha tea.
Note:It may take several batches for a baby to form after initial rehydration.
Q. My kombucha has been fermenting for a period of time and is developing a cloudy layer on top. Is this normal?
A.Yes. The cloudy white layer is the beginning of a new baby kombucha culture. The formation of a new culture is one sign that your batch of kombucha is fermenting properly.
Q. My kombucha tea has been fermenting for a period of time and is developing brown stringy particles. Is this normal?
A.The brown stringy particles are yeast particles and are harmless. They are a natural byproduct of the fermentation process. You can strain them out of the finished kombuchaif desired.
Q. My kombucha culture sank to the bottom of my container, is floating sideways, rose to the top of the liquid, etc. Is this normal?
A.Depending on a number of factors, the culture may sink, float or sit sideways. Any of these is normal and will not affect the brewing process.
Q. The new baby kombucha culture seems to have detached from the container opening. Will this affect the fermentation process?
A.Having the baby kombucha culture detach from the container opening does not affect the fermentation process.
Q. I've been storing a batch of finished kombucha for a few days and it seems to be developing a jelly-like mass on top. Is this normal? What is it?
A.The jelly-like mass is the beginning of a new baby kombucha culture. Even after the main kombucha culture is removed, the kombucha remains full of living yeast and bacteria which continue to ferment slowly on their own. As a result, idle kombucha will eventually form a new baby culture.
Q. One of my kombucha cultures has a hole in it or is split into pieces because Ihad to separate it from mother culture after they fused. Can I still use it?
A.Kombucha cultures will work just fine even with holes or if they have been torn in half.
Q. Does the size of the kombucha culture matter in relation to how much kombucha Iwill be brewing?
A.No, even a small kombucha culture will effectively ferment a full gallon of kombucha. We recommend using a culture or a piece of a culture. The culture should be at least 3 inches in diameter.
Q. I've been brewing kombucha for awhile and am overrun with kombucha scobys. What can Ido with them?
A.Don't worry, there are lots of ways to use leftover scobys. Try on thesecreative ideas for using the extra scobys.
FLAVORING, BOTTLING, AND SECOND FERMENTATION
Q. How can Iflavor my kombucha tea?
A.There are lots of ways to flavor kombucha tea! In our how-to video onFlavoring and Bottling Kombuchawe show you how to flavor and bottle your homemade kombucha tea, plus include our favorite kombucha flavor ideas!
Q. What ratio of juice to kombucha should Iuse for the second fermentation (to add flavor)?
A.For a second fermentation,a ratio of20%juice and 80%kombuchagenerally works well. You can alsoexperimentwith other ratios to change the flavor.
Q. How do Iincrease the carbonation of my kombucha tea?
A.Bottling kombucha in an airtight bottle helps to increase carbonation.Learn more aboutFlavoring and Bottling Kombucha.
Q. Is there any danger of the glass container exploding under the carbonation pressure when bottling kombucha?
A.While it is possible for bottles to explode, it is more common for lids to fly off, particularly when being opened. We recommend keeping your whole hand over the lid of the container as you open it. Check bottles for cracks or imperfections before use.
FINISHED KOMBUCHA
Q. How can Ireduce the amount of sugar in the finished kombucha tea?
A.Alonger fermentationprocess will reduce the amount of sugar in the finished product. At the end of a 30-day fermentation period, there is generallyvery little sugarremaining.Begin with the required amount of sugar, to ensure that the scoby gets enough food to culture properly.
Q. Does finished kombucha contain alcohol?
A.Yes, as with all cultured and fermented foods, a small amount of naturally occurring alcohol is typically present in the finished product. Although the amount contained in kombucha will vary from batch to batch, the amount should be quite small.
Q. How do Itake a break from making kombucha tea?
A.Read our instructions forTaking a Break from Making Kombucha Tea.
Q. Why would Ineed to strain the finished kombucha?
A.Straining finished kombucha tea isn't necessary. Some people prefer to strain their kombucha tea prior to drinking it to filter out the yeast particles as well as any baby kombucha cultures which may be forming. Ourplastic mesh strainersare perfect for this task.
Ready to Learn More?
- Expert Advice Articles on Making Kombucha at Home
- The Complete Kombucha Brewing Glossary: Baby SCOBYs to Second Fermentation
