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.
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