Flavor Experiment

Flavors to me is one of the fun, creative parts of making Kombucha that can be really rewarding.

So with my latest batches of Kombucha, I whipped up some new flavor combos. Here's how they turned out.



I have never brewed my primary brew with honey, but decided I'd like to add it to the 2ndary fermentation to see how it would taste. The results were fabulous! Especially for those out there who are a little put off by the tartness of Kombucha, adding a little honey to the decanted brew was excellent. It also added increased carbonation by giving the yeasties some more sugar to create a little more fizz. It really mellowed out that tart flavor but for my tastes, I'd let it ferment 5 days or longer to let some of the sweetness subside.

I created a few different Honey combos:

Honey, lemon, ginger: I LOVE lemon and ginger and the honey rounded out the flavors with a tad of sweetness to balance the natural tartness of the lemon and Kombucha

Honey, vanilla bean: Incredible! Sweet and tart with flavors like an old fashioned italian vanilla soda. Definitely use real vanilla bean to achieve this unique and smooth flavor

Honey, ginger, blueberry: Really nice flavor. There is a complex bouquet of flavors. The initial taste is the tartness of the Kombucha but right behind it is the spice of the ginger and the fruitiness of the blueberries. Like appreciating fine wine.

Also in the sweet vein, I added some "Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate" to a small bottle of booch. WOW! It practically exploded with carbonation when I opened the bottle (GT's new caps also help keep the carbonation in). The chocolate flavor was very present and I found it to be a bit too sweet for my tastes. I think I'll try it with cocoa powder next time and see how it turns out. The first sip started out super chocolatey and the tartness of the Kombucha was nearly completely sublimated, but just a hint of it finished off the taste. Fun for dessert Kombucha.



What yummy flavors do you love?

Fermentation Time

Hello Kombucha Friends

I've been receiving many questions that ask, "How long should I ferment my brew?"

This is an excellent question and the answer depends on you. First, let's look at the factors that influence fermentation time for Kombucha.

1. Temperature
2. Taste
3. Size & Shape of Vessel
4. Acids expression

1. Temperature

The hotter the temperature, the faster the ferment. Conversely, the cooler the temperature, the slower the ferment. The ideal temperature for fermenting Kombucha is 70-80 degrees F. In the summer, my brew time is anywhere from 10-12 days, whereas in the winter it can be 2 weeks or longer. Sometimes I use a heating pad in the winter, but since it doesn't get below freezing in Southern California, it's not really necessary.

2. Taste

This is the deciding factor for most people. I recommend that after 7 days of fermenting, you take a straw and insert it under your SCOBY and take a sip. Is it too sweet? Too tart? Not tart enough? You are the ultimate decider in this process. What tastes delicious to you? And your taste will evolve over time the longer you brew Kombucha. I've also discovered that I am better able to sense when the Kombucha is ready based on how the weather has been, the date it was brewed, etc.

How to fix the flavor

TOO TART

There are a couple of things you can do to improve the taste of your Kombucha if it has been brewed too long.

*Add some less mature Kombucha to the more mature Kombucha to even out the flavor
*Dilute with water or juice
*Use it as vinegar (you can use really tart Kombucha the same way you use vinegar)

Once you found the flavor you like, stick it in the fridge. The drop in temperature will slow down the fermentation process.

TOO SWEET

Allow your Kombucha to continue to ferment. If after a couple of weeks your Kombucha is still too sweet, then your culture may have fallen dormant and you will need to revive it.

2ndary Ferment

If you enjoy the 2ndary fermentation process, then you might not want your brew to be as tart since it will be fermenting a little longer - however, the addition of sugar (from the fruit or ginger,etc) will also add a little sweetness.

I keep a log book to record the date I brewed my batch, since I have multiple batches going at once, this keeps it easy to know which one will come to fruition next.

3. Size and Shape of Vessel

There is a bit of physics that goes into brewing Kombucha. Your culture will always grow to the size of the vessel - meaning that whatever size your SCOBY is, the new culture will always grow so that it completely seals off the aperture of the vessel.

I ferment in gallon sized pickle jars - they are more tall and less wide. Therefore the surface area covered by the SCOBY is less than the depth of my vessel. It will ferment more slowly since less surface area to depth is covered.

I also ferment in a gallon sized glass bowl with a really wide mouth. Therefore the surface area covered by the SCOBY is more than the depth of my vessel. It will ferment faster because there is more surface area to depth covered.

4. Acids Expression

Based on previous research, it has been discovered that there are certain amino acids that aren't expressed in the fermentation process until at least 30 days have passed. For most of us brewing a gallon batch, at 30 days, our brew would be undrinkable and taste like vinegar. This is why many people prefer to do a continuous brew - Check out my blog post about it here.

On the GT's bottles you will see that his has been fermented for 30 days, and yet it is quite delicious. My theory has been that he brews it in vessels of such a size and volume that even after 30 days, the ferment is still potable. This is only a theory as he doesn't allow visitors into his facility.

In the end, it really is up to you in terms of how long to ferment your Kombucha. The more times you engage in the process, the more intuitive this will become.

Happy Brewing!

Fizzy Brew

I just received an email with these 2 questions.

1. Why is my brew not fizzy all the time?
2. Why is my brew more vinegar tasting?

This first question is a common one for beginning brewers because part of what we love about Kombucha is the natural carbonation.

Fizz is related to the yeast. For example, yeast is needed to make bread fluffy because it burps our gas causing the dough to rise. It does the same thing for your Kombucha. The yeastie bits are the dark colored bits you find at the bottom of your brewing jar.















Fermentation for Kombucha is both an aerobic (needing oxygen) and anaerobic process (no oxygen). Initially it is aerobic as we cover it with a cloth allowing it to breathe - this is when the yeast are more active consuming the sugar. As the new layer forms, it creates a seal that prevents the oxygen from entering the solution - that's the anaerobic part of the process when the bacteria go to work.

You can make your brew more fizzy by adding starter liquid from the bottom of your jar where the brown stuff has fallen to the bottom. However, don't do that every time as you may knock it out of balance with the bacteria. For more information about yeast vs. bacteria balance - check out this site

Your brew will taste more sour depending on several factors:

1)BREW TIME - the longer you brew your Kombucha, the more of the initial sugar in the nutrient solution is consumed, leaving a more vinegar flavor - you can add fruit juice or sweetener to your Kombucha if a sweeter flavor is desired

2)TEMPERATURE - the warmer the temperature, the faster the fermentation occurs - that's why your brew time will be shorter in summer and longer in winter

3)VOLUME - so there's this math type thing involved with fermentation that has to do with surface area vs. depth of brewing vessel. A short vessel with a large mouth is going to ferment faster because there is more surface area and less depth. I brew in a gallon sized pickle jar which has a narrower mouth and more depth. Therefore, my brew takes longer to ferment.

4)TYPE OF TEA - Green tea will get tarter quicker. Earl Gray mellows the flavor. I use a combination of both of these teas to ensure a smooth and delicious flavor.

HOW TO FIX:

1)SECONDARY FERMENTATION - add some fresh fruit or ginger pieces to your bottles. The extra sugar will mellow the flavor and give the yeast a boost, adding more fizz to the final product.

2)FRUIT JUICE or SWEETENER - add to dilute or mellow the flavor of your finished Kombucha. Remember, always add your flavors after the brewing process so as not to corrupt your SCOBY.

3)YOUNG BATCH - you can always mix a younger brew (couple days - week old) with a more tart brew to mellow the flavor.

4)STARTER LIQUID - really tart Kombucha makes excellent starter liquid for future batches. Kombucha never "goes bad" it just tastes more and more like vinegar.

5)VINEGAR - you can use Kombucha vinegar the same way you would regular vinegar in salad dressings, cleaning supplies, hair rinse, etc.

Interview from "Welcome to the Vortex"

Continuous Brew vs Traditional Brewing Methods

I just received this question in my inbox

"Hi Hannah:

I have my first batch ever brewing and can't wait.

I'd like to run this by you.....do you have any opinions about continuous brewing systems vs. traditional method. Any thoughts, pros and cons?"

Let's first figure out what each method is and then look at the differences between them

Traditional Brew


The traditional brewing method of Kombucha consists of fermenting your culture for 7-14 days, depending on taste preference, then moving the Kombucha to glass containers where other flavors may be added. These are then permitted a secondary fermentation process where the sugar in the fruit or ginger reactivates the yeast cultures, but in an anaerobic environment (read as - the lid is on and there is no oxygen). This creates more fizz and pleasant flavors. Once the optimum flavor is reached (usually 2-4 days later) then the brew is refrigerated to stabilize fermentation. The cold of the refrigerator decreases the fermentation activity.

Now you have a delicious health beverage that also contains the anti-oxidants and other healing properties of the flavors you have combined with it.

Then you start the process all over again with a fresh batch of nutrient solution (tea & sugar) with a cup of the starter liquid and SCOBY. You wait another 2 weeks for a new batch to come to fruition. Provided you have enough jars of Kombucha brewing to get you through the 2 weeks while waiting for the next batch, you will always have Kombucha on hand.

PROS
*flexibility to enjoy flavors
*ability to experiment with different brewing methods and ingredients
*bottles on hand to bring to parties or share with friends or take to work

Continuous Brew


Continuous brew differs in that instead of waiting 2 weeks for each brewing cycle to come to fruition, you are consistently drawing Kombucha from your batch and then replacing it with nutrient solution every couple of days.

The flavors might be added to each individual cup of tea, but not to the entire batch.

The benefit to continuous brew is that you don't have to wait 2 weeks for the batch to come to fruition as it is using a much larger portion of fermented tea as the starter. Also, research by Michael Rossin has shown that certain acids aren't expressed in the fermentation process until 21-30 days in. For most people brewing in gallon size containers, that would mean the taste would be vinegar - which is not a pleasant taste.

PROS
*always Kombucha on hand
*other healthy acids are expressed later in the fermentation process

WHAT DO I DO?

I like the process of decanting the Kombucha and making flavors - however, I do have a continuous brew going at the same time. I use it to top off the last 10-20% with continuous brew - that way I'm infusing the healthy acids into my bottles of Kombucha, but I also get the yummy flavors. I also will use a bit of the continuous brew as starter for my next batch.

If you have any other questions about Kombucha, feel free to email me at kombuchakamp@gmail.com

Spring Tidings :)

Hello Friends,

Spring is here! The smell of jasmine intoxicates and the rains have scrubbed the air clean. Time to get out the brooms and brushes and scrub everything clean, including your inner ecology! RETURN TO HARMONY and acquire a new skill by attending Kombucha Kamp.

These days people are learning to be more self-sufficient, so it is the perfect moment to learn a skill that will have lasting benefits for years to come. Not only will you SAVE LOTS OF MONEY by making Kombucha yourself, but you will give yourself and your loved ones the gift of health that keeps giving.

Kombucha helps to:

* alleviate indigestion
* calm IBS
* relieve fatigue
* detoxify the liver and cure hangovers
* boost immunity
* feel great!

By consciously inviting the healthy bacteria and yeast present in Kombucha, you acknowledge that you are an integral part of this wonderful eco-system we call “Planet Earth.” WE ARE NATURE. There is no separation between us as human beings and the sky, water, earth and micro-organisms.

Here are the dates for Spring:

Sunday, March 15 @ 2pm

Sunday, April 12 @ 2pm

Sunday, May 17th @ 2pm

Email kombuchakamp at gmail dot com for more info about Kamp.

Here's what E.W of Los Angeles says, "I love Kombucha. I drink about 3/4 cup every morning when I wake up. It helps me to open my eyes and actually helps to defog my brain that early in the morning. I work very long hours and I've noticed Kombucha helps me to focus throughout the day. I also suffer from IBS (used to suffer from it until Kombucha that is) and with my long work days I now can feel healthy all day thanks to the balancing effect it has on my body. My skin is clearer, my hair shinier and I don't fluctuate with my weight as much as I used to."

The cost of the workshop is $30 and includes the following:

* sample flavors of home-brewed Kombucha
* SCOBY & starter liquid
* Cloth cover & rubber band
* Instructions and lifetime support

Gift certificates are available. You can also watch Kombucha Kamp online. Order your SCOBY kit online today!



Glad Spring Tidings,

Hannah

Helpful Tip: Removing Labels from Bottles

Recycling GT's or other bottles is a great way to package your completed brew. I also like to use San Pellegrino bottles and the Trader Joe's Lemonade bottles to transport my Kombucha.



However, when I bring it to a party or event, I want the guests to know the contents of the bottle without being confused. In that case, it's quick and easy to remove the old labels.

For GT's bottles or other bottles with the Mylar label

1. Funnel hot water into the bottle up to the top of the label. Be careful to avoid getting the label wet. The hot water will loosen the adhesive so that you can easily remove the label.

2. Replace the lid. Let the hot water stand for 2-5 minutes.
3. Starting at the seam, gently coax the label off. If the top layer and bottom layer start to separate, slow down. Press the label back on to the bottle to reconnect the layers and then start again.


Although it may seem tedious the first couple of times, once you get the hang of it, it goes quite quickly.



*You can also try using a hair dryer to heat the adhesive and remove that way.