How to Flavor Kombucha - Second Ferment & Carbonate Kombucha - Part 2

How to flavor kombucha – part 2 – in this blog I show how to do a second ferment for kombucha, also how to carbonate kombucha and how to bottle kombucha. How to flavor kombucha with fruit using any fruit you like or fruit juice as well as sugar and even how to just make an original flavor.

I also talk about the benefits of kombucha and how much to drink per day. Some of the benefits are good bacteria, gut flora, friendly bacteria helping to improve your joint health, digestion, immunity and more.

Part 2 – How to flavor, carbonate and bottle Kombucha:

In part 1 I showed how to make Kombucha from tea (known as the first ferment) and where to get your scoby. In this blog I will show what to do after the first ferment with regard to flavoring and carbonating.

1. Remove the scoby: first, prepare and cool another pot of tea (explained in part 1) for your next batch of kombucha. With clean hands, remove the top scoby out of the kombucha and put it into a clean bowl with between 1 and 2 cups of kombucha from the same batch. (This is the starter tea for the next batch – follow steps in part 1 adding sugar and tea to make another batch)

2. Take the bottom scoby (the old one known as the Mother) and put it in a mason jar with a cup of kombucha and put it in the fridge for back up incase you lose one. (save 5 of these for future use) after you have 5 you can cook them, put them in salads or give to friends) This is your insurance plan in case one goes bad from mold or fruit flies.

3. The finished kombucha can be bottled flavored and plain (original style) Pour the fermented kombucha (straining, if desired) into bottles using the small funnel. Leave about a half-inch of head room in each bottle.

Second Ferment Starts here: This is where you carbonate and flavor

4 Options:

Option 1:

Original Tea with little or no carbonation – Just pour the tea into a bottle and Refrigerate

Option 2:

Original Tea with Little Carbonation – Pour into a sealable bottle and let sit for 3 to 5 days before refrigerating.

Option 3: (most popular)

Second Ferment with Fruit – This is done by adding fruit to the bottle with the kombucha and letting sit in the sealed bottle for 2 to 5 days depending on the temperature in your home. The hotter it is the less time you need. Over 80 degrees, you can just ferment for a day or 2. This method creates the most sugar and alcohol. (Sugar approximately 2 grams per oz. Alcohol between .5% and 2.5% alcohol). This method also creates the most carbonation.

- Any fruit can be used. Popular options are kiwi, mango, pear, grapes, rhubarb, pomegranate, blueberries, apple, and any other fruit that you like and combinations as well. (Frozen fruit works great as well)

- This can also be done with fruit juice bought in the store. (aprox 2.5 oz of juice per quart size)

You can strain fruit and remove the this film of new “mother” that accumulates on top of the fruit. Put bottles in the refrigerator and chill completely before opening. Do not shake. Contents will be bubbly.

- bottles with seal (big and small)

Carbonate and refrigerate the finished kombucha: Store the bottled kombucha at room temperature out of direct sunlight and allow 1 to 3 days for the kombucha to carbonate. There is nothing to add, Kombucha will carbonate in an airtight bottle because of the fermentation process. Until you get a feel for how quickly your kombucha carbonates, it's helpful to burp the bottles. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation, and then consume your kombucha within a month.

- strainer

- funnel

Temperature - The temperature of the environment in which you are doing secondary fermentation plays a large role as well. Just like during primary fermentation, higher temperatures will result in quicker fermentation and lower temperatures will result in slower fermentation. So this is all on you and your creativity in your space.

- thermometer

Recipe Notes

Covering for the jar: Cheesecloth is not ideal because it's easy for small insects, like fruit flies, to wiggle through the layers. Use a few layers of tightly woven cloth (like clean napkins or tea towels), coffee filters, or paper towels, and secure it tightly with rubber bands or twine. Batch Size: To increase or decrease the amount of kombucha you make, maintain the basic ratio of 1 cup of sugar, 8 bags of tea, and 2 cups starter tea per gallon batch. One scoby will ferment any size batch, though larger batches may take longer. Putting Kombucha on Pause: If you'll be away for 3 weeks or less, just make a fresh batch and leave it on your counter. It will likely be too vinegary to drink by the time you get back, but the scoby will be fine. For longer breaks, store the scoby in a fresh batch of the tea base with starter tea in the fridge. Change out the tea for a fresh batch every 4 to 6 weeks. Other Tea Options: Black tea tends to be the easiest and most reliable for the scoby to ferment into kombucha, but once your scoby is going strong, you can try branching out into other kinds. Green tea, white tea, oolong tea, or a even mix of these make especially good kombucha. Avoid any teas that contain oils, like earl grey or flavored teas. Avoid Prolonged Contact with Metal: Using metal utensils is generally fine, but avoid fermenting or bottling the kombucha in anything that brings them into contact with metal. Metals, especially reactive metals like aluminum, can give the kombucha a metallic flavor and weaken the scoby over time.

I recommend starting out with a cup in the morning and see how that goes for you. you might be on the bathroom a bit cause it’s detoxing. So it will clean out the toxins, get in some good bacteria. But well worth it.

Final Notes and Troubleshooting Kombucha

It is normal for the scoby to float on the top, bottom, or sideways in the jar. It is also normal for brown strings to form below the scoby or to collect on the bottom. If your scoby develops a hole, bumps, dried patches, darker brown patches, or clear jelly-like patches, it is still fine to use. Usually these are all indicative of changes in the environment of your kitchen and not a problem with the scoby itself. To prolong the life and maintain the health of your scoby, stick to the ratio of sugar, tea, starter tea, and water outlined in the recipe. Periodically, you may notice your kombucha tea changing flavor in a way you don’t like. When that happens, try adding a bottle of Organic Raw Kombucha into my fermenting sweetened tea to restore the balance to the yeast and bacteria.