Guide to Kombucha Second Fermentation Process Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio for kombucha second fermentation? ›

Ratios for Kombucha Flavoring

If flavoring with fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, start with 10-30% fruit and 70-90% Kombucha. If flavoring with juice, start with 10-20% juice and 80-90% Kombucha.

The secondary fermentation is where most of the carbonation magic happens. So if you are a fan of fizz, this is where it's at! You can use fresh fruit, dried fruit, juice, herbs, spices, or extracts to flavor your kombucha.

After this, you are ready to add another batch to the container! Pour in your cooled sweet tea (room temperature). Gently add your SCOBY(s) and starter tea from the glass container you stored them in. Cover the vessel and store it away to begin the primary fermentation process once again!

If you're not getting good fizz, it may just be because you're cleaning too much yeast out of your brew.

The usual amount of sugar is about 4 or 5 grams, or a level teaspoon, of brewing sugar per pint or 500 ml bottle. When scaling this measurement up for a 5-gallon barrel, you will need 160g-200g of dextrose for secondary fermentation.

1. Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup of pureed/juiced fruit into each 16 oz. bottle*.

Add sugars – If you find that your alcohol content is a little lower than you'd like, you can add additional sugars when putting your beer into secondary fermentation. It can be corn sugar, brown sugar, honey, or dried malt extract… any fermentable ingredient can be used to boost gravity.

If you've been able to produce a successful batch of first fermented kombucha and you've gone over a week without any mold in your brew vessel, it's very unlikely that you'll develop mold during second fermentation in the bottle.

When working with your scoby, make sure you have thoroughly washed your hands prior to touching the scoby. You can wash with natural, unscented dish soap like this one, or use food-grade gloves.

This is fine if they're getting too large or if you'd like to split them up to move some to a SCOBY hotel/share with a friend. You can't hurt your SCOBY by ripping it or cutting it. Its shape doesn't matter since new ones will always take the shape of the surface of whatever container you place it in.

Does new SCOBY grow on top or bottom? ›

A new SCOBY should always grow on floating top of your brew, but the location of the Mother SCOBY could be at the top or on the bottom, or somewhere in between. The starter liquid acts as your protective barrier the first couple days while a new SCOBY baby grows.

Does non carbonated Kombucha Have Fewer Benefits? Kombucha does not need to be carbonated to be safe or delicious to drink. And flat Kombucha has the same nutritional components, carbonated is not healthier. Some people don't like their Kombucha too fizzy, finding that the carbon dioxide bothers their system.

If you leave your jar alone throughout the fermentation, the baby SCOBY should be happily grown in across the top of the jar after your 7-21 day fermentation. If it sinks while you are “test-tasting” your kombucha, you need not worry.

Yeast has this habit of settling down at the bottom of our brew vessels during first fermentation. So if you don't stir your kombucha liquid before you bottle, that yeast won't be evenly distributed throughout your liquid or throughout your bottles.

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.

The ideal temperature range for kombucha fermentation is between 60°F and 85°F (16°C and 29°C). For best results and flavors, aim for a range of 75°F–80°F (24°C–26°C), especially during the first three to seven days of the fermentation process.

The equation for understanding fermentation is C6H12O6 (glucose) → 2 C2H5OH (ethanol) + 2 CO2 (carbon dioxide). And lastly, the alcohol is converted into acetic acid by the bacteria. In the process of fermentation, the pH and temperature of the solution control the rate of the entire process.