Simple Secrets of CarbonatedKombucha
February 23, 2011 by Dori
How do I make my homemade kombucha as fizzy as the store bought brands?
I pondered this question for years. Some of my batches bubbled over but others were relatively flat. Then I learned of a process called secondary fermentation (or bottle fermentation) that’s used when making sparkling wines. It is easily adapted for use with kombucha and yields a reliably carbonated brew.
A breathable cover is essential for brewing kombucha, but it allows the carbonation to escape. The solution is to culture the sweetened tea, but only allow it to partially ferment. The brew is then bottled and fermented for the remaining time. The natural yeasts become more active in the airless environment and the carbonation they produce is trapped. The result is a wonderfully fizzy kombucha tea.
Here’s what to do:
Brew the kombucha and store it to ferment as called for in the 5-Step Kombucha Recipe (go through step 3). Only allow the fermentation to continue until the new s.c.o.b.y. (also called a mushroom) becomes opaque, in 3-5 days, depending on room temperature. The kombucha should taste sweet, but should be entirely cultured. The fully formed new “baby” s.c.o.b.y. is a sign that the brew is ready to be bottled.
Remove the mother and baby s.c.o.b.y. from the brew. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the sedimentin the bottom of the jar. The sediment contains yeasts that are important for carbonation.
Use bottles with tightly fitting lids. Fill the bottles full – leaving only ¼-inch of head space. This creates a nearly airless environment. Place a layer of wax paper under the lid. The wax paper acts as a gasket to help trap the carbonation inside the bottle.
After the kombucha has been bottled the secondary fermentation process is already underway! Store the bottles in a warm (about 72 degree F) place. After 2-3 days test one bottle by unscrewing the cap. If there is a noticeable release of carbon as the lid is opened then move the bottles to the refrigerator. This may take up to 4 days depending on the room temperature.
Use caution and patience when opening bottle fermented kombucha. During warm weather (over 75 degrees F) the bottles are more likely to bubble over whenquicklyopened. This is especially true if the brew is allowed to warm to room temperature before opening, just like our favorite store brands!
Six Steps to Carbonated Kombucha
- Brew kombucha according to the 5-Step Kombucha Recipe (through step 3).
- Only allow the brew to ferment until an opaque “baby” s.c.o.b.y. forms.
- Remove mother and baby s.c.o.b.y. from the brew. Stir the sediment in the bottom until it is evenly distributed.
- Bottle the kombucha in jars with tightly fitting lids. Use a sheet of wax paper under the lid.
- Store in a warm place until noticeable carbon releases when the bottle is opened, in 2-4 days.
- Move into the refrigerator. Strain before serving.
This was shared on Real Food Wednesdayand the Probiotic Foods Challenge.
Posted in Articles | Tagged Beverages, Fermentation, food, Kombucha, Recipes, Whole Foods | 13 Comments
13 Responses
on June 20, 2011 at 6:48 pm | Reply
[…] Simple Secrets of Carbonated Kombucha […]
on June 29, 2011 at 11:20 am | Reply
Flavored Kombucha: How to Make Your Favorites at Home « Nourishing Foodways[…] fermentation) – which results in an especially fizzy brew. (I explain the details in Simple Secrets of Carbonated Kombucha.) The second is adding flavors. There’s no need to combine the two techniques. Adding your […]
on November 18, 2011 at 6:04 pm | Reply
Lisa ReedI need help. I made my first batch of Kombucha but it is not like any of the store bought kombucha I have had before. This was flat, super sweet yet slightly watery and kind of yeasty. I followed the brewing instructions, then I used apple juice to flavor it, which might have been my mistake (I don’t have a lot of juice choices) and finally I did the second fermentation for the carbonation. Some help would be appreciated!
on November 18, 2011 at 8:25 pm | Reply
DoriHi Lisa,
I have a couple of questions for you: Did your instructions include adding some previously brewed kombucha of ACV to the brew? How warm is the place where you stored the brew to ferment? How long did you let it ferment? Did a second SCOBY form before you bottled it?
These things can be just a little tricky at first, but keep trying. Let me know some more about what you did, and we’ll send you in the right direction!
on November 19, 2011 at 2:08 am | Reply
Lisa ReedDori,
Yes, I put in the kombucha that the scoby came in. OH! This is my first time to brew it. I keep it in the pantry, so I would say no more than 72 degrees. The first 2 bottles I left ferment for 5 days before I put in another bottle with juice. Yes, another scoby formed. Actually another one formed after I bottled it too, it was in the bottle when I opened it to see if it had carbonated after about 5 days. Then I put it in the frig.on November 19, 2011 at 11:24 am | Reply
DoriHi Lisa,
Thanks for your reply. I think it simply may be little cold in your pantry. Too sweet kombucha is a very good sign, and we just need to alter the environment a little to encourage the organisms to eat up that sugar! Since it’s warm enough to reproduce the SCOBY, it’s not too cold, but there are a few ways remedy the situation you described:
Option 1 is to let the brew ferment longer before bottling. We’ve had a cold November here in Oregon and my kombucha is taking about 10 days to brew, before bottling/flavoring. If you decide to do this, start tasting the brew at around day 5-7. It should taste like kombucha, just a little sweeter than GT’s, when you decide to bottle/flavor it.
Option 2 is to find a warmer place. When we lived in Alaska (brrr…), I stored kombucha on the top of the refrigerator (This worked out in the tiny kitchen as there weren’t many warm out of the way places to set the brew).
Option 3 is to add more finished kombucha to the brew when you start. (After hearing your situation, this may be what I would try first.) Add about 1 cup of finished (or store bought raw) kombucha instead of the 1/4 cup called for in most recipes. This extra ‘buch gives the brew a real kick start, but I still recommend tasting it daily before bottling. In the cooler months this can shorten the brew time considerably (in the summer it can speed up the process too much, resulting in sour vinegar kombucha!)Fermentation sometimes seems like a cross between cooking, gardening, and keeping animals. It does indeed require some whacky and uncommon knowledge. I encourage you to stick with it, pay attention, and even (dare I say it) love your cultures. Soon you’ll become acquainted with their ways!
Please let me know how this turns out!
Best wishes-See AlsoThe BEST Dinner Rolls
on November 19, 2011 at 2:29 pm | Reply
robertahi
thanks for the great article. One question, what do you do with the mushroom after you’ve removed it from the batch? Also can i add ginger tea to my kombucha? And does the kombucha have to be fed fresh sugar tea solution like a sourdough starte has to be fed more flour?on November 19, 2011 at 5:46 pm | Reply
DoriHi Roberta,
The mother can be used to make additional batches or you can compost it!
I like to add fresh ginger juice after I brew, ginger has its own microbiotic community that could possibly alter the composition of the mother culture. To keep the culture pure I add ginger after the mother is removed. See for more details.
You can keep the mother in the refrigerator, covered with sweetened tea or kombucha for about a month. Otherwise yes, it islike a sourdough starter, it needs a little nourishment every once in a while!
on February 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm | Reply
SharonHI Dori,
My kombucha has formed a baby scoby and i want to bottle it so I can create a more carbonated kombucha. Here is my dilemma- I want it to be carbonated and flavored. Should I flavor it and let it sit out for 2-3 days and then when I open the jar and see alot of fizzy, then refrigerate it?
OR Should I flavor it and just refrigerate it? I am wanting the flavoring and the fizzy and dont want to mess it up. Thanks so much for having such a great blog and being a source of inspiration to all of us newbies.
Sharon
on February 9, 2012 at 2:51 pm | Reply
DoriHi Sharon,
If you want fizzy flavored kombucha, just go ahead and add the fruit, cap tightly, and let the bottles sit at room temperature for a few days. Just be sure to send some love to your brew and you’ll be sure “not to mess up”!
Best-
Dori
on March 28, 2012 at 7:02 am | Reply
Upcoming Class: Flavored Kombucha « Nourishing Foodways[…] Simple Secrets of Carbonated Kombucha […]
on April 3, 2012 at 10:30 am | Reply
Reminder for Next Week’s Class: Flavored Kombucha « Nourishing Foodways[…] Simple Secrets of Carbonated Kombucha […]
on October 21, 2017 at 3:13 pm | Reply
JanIs there a technique to open a bottle of refrigerated overly-carbonated kombacha, so that half of it doesn’t overflow? I’ve tried to release the cap slowly, pause, then unscrew it more but, it still gives forth volcanic eruptions!
Lisa Reed
Sharon
JanComments RSS
