Homemade Kombucha - anyone?

Making 3 new flavoring / 2nd ferment today: vanilla rose (womenses like it), lemon ginger, and fall blend (mulling spice, cinnamon, local NC granny smith apple, ginger). Fall blend is going to be really good, lemon ginger as well.
 
Gator said:
Making 3 new flavoring / 2nd ferment today: vanilla rose (womenses like it), lemon ginger, and fall blend (mulling spice, cinnamon, local NC granny smith apple, ginger). Fall blend is going to be really good, lemon ginger as well.
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Gator, could you explain your process for adding flavor/secondary ferment? I've always just used flavored tea, which works pretty well, but is a little limiting.
 
Lemon ginger is an excellent flavor! The batch I just made is plain green tea, can't wait to see how it tastes. It's currently bottled and being carbonated. :D
 
smellysell said:
Gator, could you explain your process for adding flavor/secondary ferment? I've always just used flavored tea, which works pretty well, but is a little limiting.
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They say flavored tea can damage the scoby long term, so what i do is pull the scoby when the kom taste is where i like it, put fruit/ ginger / etc in the ninja, with a little kom, blend it up medium to fine, then add back in kom, seal the top, let it sit for 24 hrs at room temp, strain, and done. Up until yday i only used fresh fruit, yday i used some spices. I brew in 1/2 gal mason jars.
 
Gator said:
They say flavored tea can damage the scoby long term, so what i do is pull the scoby when the kom taste is where i like it, put fruit/ ginger / etc in the ninja, with a little kom, blend it up medium to fine, then add back in kom, seal the top, let it sit for 24 hrs at room temp, strain, and done. Up until yday i only used fresh fruit, yday i used some spices. I brew in 1/2 gal mason jars.
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Doesn't get any more acetic with the added sugar fermenting? Guess only 24 hours probably doesn't give it much time.
 
No, if you add a touch more sugar in the tea when starting, it reproduces scoby quicker, without being too vinegary. I also add some starter kombucha and a little vinegar when starting, gets the ph in the sweet spot.
 
Gator said:
They say flavored tea can damage the scoby long term, so what i do is pull the scoby when the kom taste is where i like it, put fruit/ ginger / etc in the ninja, with a little kom, blend it up medium to fine, then add back in kom, seal the top, let it sit for 24 hrs at room temp, strain, and done. Up until yday i only used fresh fruit, yday i used some spices. I brew in 1/2 gal mason jars.
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How much fruit for a half gallon?
 
My first batch did not carbonate much, so this time I have let the bottles sit out for 1 week. I still don't think there is much carbonation in there yet. Should it be really carbonated by now? They are sitting out at room temperature.
 
Not much carbonation happens in first fermentation, unless the new scoby seals the top, but it will only be mild carbonation. 2nd fermentation is where it really carbonates, the added sugar source kicks it in, and the container should be sealed. I only leave mine at room temp, sealed w fruit, for a day, i dont want the alcohol. 2-3 days should add some carbonation. The commercial brewers add the carbonation “synthetically”
 
Oh, didn't know they carbonated it synthetically. That would explain the mild carbonation. Thanks! :)
 
Same way they carbonate cokes and such... it can be done naturally, but it likely will have alcohol, and well, some here may remember my non sober days, wasnt pretty
 
Gator said:
Same way they carbonate cokes and such... it can be done naturally, but it likely will have alcohol, and well, some here may remember my non sober days, wasnt pretty
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Well..... Maybe not at the time, but it's funny now. Those meltdowns were epic Frank! ;)
 
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