Homebrewers of kombucha will experience occasional bottles and recipes that are just TOO fizzy. Have you opened a bottle like mine? I’m happy to share some tips for reigning in extra-bold kombucha fizz.
Adjust Fruit and Sugar
Most too-fizzy kombuchas are the result of too much fruit and/or sugar in the flavoring process. Next attempt, cut your fruit flavor in half. I’ve found raspberries and mangoes to be the most fizz-producing fruit additions. Also re-consider how much sugar goes into your fresh sweetened tea.
Check Temperatures
If your kombucha is in too warm of an environment, it may accelerate fermentation. For me, it means that my summer kombuchas are typically fizzier than my winter brews. I adjust by reducing the amount of time during the second fermentation, or flavoring step. You may also physically re-locate your kombucha to a cooler area of your home.
Fermentation Time
Sometimes, high pressure in kombucha can build up very quickly. Ensure you aren’t flavoring kombucha for more than 7 days before refrigeration. Try reducing the days of your second fermentation to control fizz.
Remember to Burp
It is easy to forget how beneficial a good burp is. Read more about burping kombucha to control pressure in my blog post.
Bag & BoWl TRick
Have an ultra-fizzy kombucha that you just want to drink? Put your bottle in a bowl and cover with a plastic bag, as shown in this video.
Strapped for time? Feeling lazy? Brew cycle sneak up on your week? Need a kombucha flavor — quick?!! Read on for my quick, fast, cheap, and easy kombucha recipe, and use regular items stocked in your kitchen pantry.
My secret weapon?
A small can of Dole pineapple juice.
You know the small cans you can purchase in six-packs? Yup – those!
And, while I don’t make a habit of adding extra sugar like this to kombucha, the amount of juice used per bottle is really minimal. And plus, pineapple juice is a vibrant and satisfying source of Vitamin C.
You can also use orange juice, cranberry juice, cherry juice, etc… See what I mean? Super easy.
For each 12-16 oz bottle, add one (1) tbsp. juice during the flavoring process.
What else do you have on hand?
Of course, just a splash of pineapple juice in a kombucha bottle can be enough for a flavor. But, if you want to give yourself a deeper experience — and try something new — take a look at your spice rack for a few seconds.
Dried herbs, seasonings, and powders will compliment a pineapple kombucha while allowing you to still try something new quickly. And, maybe also get rid of stuff.
items you might have in your cupboard, too ????
Chili powder – use a tiny bit – ¼ tsp per bottle
Dried sage – one small leaf or ¼ tsp
Powdered ginger: ½ tsp
Whole, dried clove: just one clove per bottle, or ¼ tsp powdered clove
Star anise: one arm of the tiny star, or seed pod
Dried, ground turmeric: ½ tsp (add ½ tsp powdered ginger – inspired by my cheery friend Julie ????)
I was recently blessed with a large bag of fresh Florida oranges, direct from my loving parents. While I enjoy eating oranges fresh, the fruit is also one I really love to implement in kombucha flavoring.
Oranges are packed full of vitamin C, a nutrient we need year-round to stay healthy. Cut-up orange segments hold kombucha’s fizz in a fun way and taste quite good when paired with other fruits like cherries and mangoes.
This week, fresh whole pineapples were on sale at my local grocery store. I asked my dear husband to pick one up so I could share my special Porange recipe. Pineapples add a naturally sweet pizazz to kombucha — fresh, frozen, juice, dehydrated, etc… a little goes a long way ???? Plus, pineapples are fulllll of vitamin C.
Hibiscus is one of my very favorite things. A warm cup of hibiscus tea is a perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Plus, it is full of vitamin C, other antioxidants and helps lower blood pressure. Anyone who knows me knows I love throwing hibiscus petals in my booch. They bring out a tart sweetness to kombucha, which is nice when you want to balance out another strong flavor.
Porange Kombucha ????????
Flavoring for one (1) 16 ounce bottle of homemade kombucha
Fresh orange – peeled (3 sections cut into small bottle-size pieces, about 2 tbsp.)
Fresh pineapple – peeled and cut into matchsticks (1 tbsp.)
Hibiscus petals – dried (three petals, yes just 3)
Burping homemade kombucha bottles is essential to prevent excessive carbonation buildup, which could lead to exploding bottles or overly fizzy kombucha. During fermentation, the beneficial bacteria and yeast consume sugars and produce carbon dioxide as a byproduct. If this gas is trapped in the bottle without release, pressure builds up, potentially causing the bottle to burst.
Watch the Booch Witch’s step-by-step video for instructions on how to burp your home-brew kombucha.
By burping the bottles, you release some of the built-up carbon dioxide, regulating the pressure inside.
I use this technique on brews known to me as fizzier (mango, raspberry). This process helps control the level of carbonation in kombucha, ensuring it’s safe to drink and doesn’t pose a risk of explosion.
Burping also allows you to monitor the fermentation progress and adjust the flavor and carbonation level to your preference.
It is VERY important to fill bottles of kombucha correctly.
Kombucha bottle fill levels
The perfect fill level is illustrated in the photo above, marked by the purple notes that look like the number 7. I instruct homebrewers to use recycled Grolsch bottles.
Another tip: right below the lip ????
Fill your bottles nearly to the top, into the neck of any bottle. Ensure there’s no more than an inch of headspace.
Why does it matter?
Trust me on this, the level you fill your bottle matters. When given too much space, your brew will produce excessive levels of carbonation. If not given enough, the kombucha may turn out flat.
Early in my brewing days, I was finishing a flavoring process. I didn’t have enough brew to fill one of my bottles all the way – only about half-full.
So, I continued my process and left the half-full bottle with my others for the full cycle. I remember the flavor was my FAVORITE: raspberry ginger.
When it was ready, I excitedly grabbed the half-bottle from my fridge first. I opened it over my sink, like any other. It was a good thing I wasn’t looking down because as soon as I started to flip the hinge, the top BLEW off with the force of a heavy-duty pressure washer. Like, one I’d have to rent! ????
There’s still raspberry on my ceiling if you don’t believe me. The biggest thing, though: if I would have been looking at the bottle directly when I opened it, I know it would have injured my eye. Bless my husband for our conversation ????
If I have the guts to re-create this scenario in the future, I’ll post a video.
Tl;dr If you don’t fill your bottles correctly, you risk potentially harmful explosions.
Here’s a poor fill-level example, from free stock footage if you’d believe it! There is way too much room in these bottles.
So… what ARE the real health benefits of kombucha? Many kombucha devotees like me give personal claims to the drink’s health benefits. Today, we discuss three vital benefits of regular consumption.
But, before you read on, it is important for me to be crystal clear:
I am the Booch Witch, not the Booch Doctor.
I do not provide medical advice. Please speak to your doctor about the possible benefits or side effects of adding kombucha to your diet, especially if you plan to drink it a couple of times a week.
1. Improves Gut Health
What is “gut health”? Gut health is the balance of bacteria in parts of your gastrointestinal tract. This area includes our intestines, which are vital for us to digest food with comfort. Basically, better gut health promotes better digestion.
Furthermore, according to gut health experts like OmniBiotic, the benefits of ingesting foods with probiotics contributes to better gut health and digestion. First signs of this positive effect can include:
a reduction in bloating and gas
more regular bowel movements
Kombucha is full of probiotics because it contains lactic acid bacteria. With healthy kombucha brews, come the healthy bacterias needed to keep that optimal gut bacteria balance in check.
2. Full of Antioxidants
When made at home, kombucha can be full of antioxidants. One of the reasons I suggest, and teach, using green tea in kombucha is for the antioxidants found in plain, organic green tea.
This tea is full of polyphenols, also known as antioxidants. Polyphenols are micronutrients we can benefit from by ingestion from certain plant-based foods. It’s thought, and it is my personal experience, that polyphenols help treat digestion and weight management issues.
Fruits in the flavoring process add a multitude of nutrients, as well. Being thoughtful about the natural fruits you use in flavoring can play a fun and healthy role in antioxidant consumption.
3. Promotes better mental health
When you make kombucha for yourself, you begin a new ritual. This new practice is a powerful example of self-care. By investing in the energy of the new hobby, you not only reap the financial reward, but you also have a deliciously fulfilling creative outlet.
The flavor process of kombucha is fun and never gets old. Seasonal brew flavors help any home-brewer welcome in the change of season. When we take the time for ourselves, we promote a more positive and spacious mindset. And that can lead to things that make us happy ????
Oh no. It is something every kombucha home-brewer fears: Mold.
Scobys can get moldy for several reasons. This post discusses how your kombucha scoby can get infested with mold, what to do if you see mold, and how to avoid mold in the first place.
Mold is Rare, Really
In my years of brewing kombucha at home, I have encountered two instances of mold on my scoby.
First: Kombucha fermentation area is too close to the dog food bag.
Both instances were completely my fault and totally avoidable. When a healthy brewing routine is kept and the fermentation area clean is clean, kombucha brewers shouldn’t experience mold.
Help? Is this mold?
A kombucha scoby can turn different colors depending on the tea you feed it. Brewers will notice yeasty tentacles when a healthy scoby has been established.
Look at these yeasty tentacles!
*New brewers, take note. When your scoby is establishing, it may look strange. Please send a picture to me before throwing anything out that you may consider mold. I’m happy to do my best to e-verify scoby growth for customers.
Examples of mold forming on top of a scoby:
Mold can grow on the top of a scoby for various reasons, most of them involving a lack of specific cleanliness in the fermentation area.
Sometimes, mold can happen if a brewing space gets too chilly. Other causes for mold include cross-pollination from house plants or other ferments (like kimchi), cigarette/other smoke, excessive humidity, and cold temperatures (this is why it is key to keep starter scobys at room temperature until use).
Are you sure this isn’t mold?
Sometimes, especially if brewing with loose-leaf, our tea leaves will end up in the fermented tea. Sometimes, these tea leaves make their way to the top of our scoby. This is normal and oftentimes can be confused with mold.
If you have a tea leaf on your scoby, take a clean stainless steel utensil (spoon, tongs…) and slosh the scoby around in your fermenting tea brew to dislodge the leaf.
It is Mold! What do I do?
If you see anything like the above, throw out your scoby and entire batch. Sanitize all of the instruments you use to make kombucha. Time to get another scoby set and start over. Heartbreaking, I know.
It is important to throw out moldy, contaminated kombucha products. This type of mold is typically what we find on decaying bread or fruits. When mold is introduced to fermented tea, the kombucha will be dangerous to consume.
Let’s Avoid Mold in the First Place
If you’ve taken one of my classes, you’ve heard me repeatedly state the importance of a clean, undisturbed area.
#1 Ensure your Space is Clean. Ensure your brewing, fermentation, and prep areas are always clean. Use a tight filter (coffee filters, two-ply) during the fermentation process – avoid muslin fabrics.
#2 Do Not Disturb. Make sure the brewing area is left alone, undisturbed, and free of occasional air debris (like opening up a dog/cat food bag regularly).
#3 Too Cold? If your area runs cold or experiences drafts, use extra carpet squares and towels to warm up the area’s walls and floor.
Sticking to plain green and black teas is the best to brew kombucha. While delicious and tasty, flavored and herbal teas are better for sipping, not booching.
It sounds so plain and boring, but it’s true! And, this is good news for your pocketbook.
Kombucha is made with four simple, yet key ingredients:
A healthy scoby set (including plenty of starter liquid)
Sugar
Water
Tea
Why is plain, organic green or black tea best?
In order to keep your scoby as healthy as possible, kombucha needs simple, plain, unflavored tea for the proper brewing process. Soooo picky, huh? ????
Real, true tea comes from the camellia sinesis plant, which when processed makes either black, green, white, oolong, and pu-erh tea from it’s dried leaves.
When steeped, these leaves produce compounds. The yeasts and bacteria included in our scoby set and sweet tea love to feast on these compounds during the brewing process.
Why flavored teas don’t work in kombucha.
Flavored teas and herbs contain oils that are harmful to your scoby and brewing process. When oils enter your sweet tea and fermentation cycle, they choke off your scoby’s life by blocking vital nutrients for the brewing culture and cycle.
This can result in mold growing on top of your scoby and in your brew.
Plain organic green tea is the only tea pictured above acceptable for kombucha brewing.
So, this is why I recommend loose-leaf organic green or black tea from home-brew kombucha. Clean and pure plant leaves give your brew the nutrients needed to survive and no oily residue to damage your brew.
Always Room for Exceptions!
Kombucha can be cautiously made with jasmine tea, hibiscus tea, and unflavored white teas.
I rotate a few jasmine balls into my normal green tea mixture a few times a year. Admittedly, I have a bag of white tea ready to try; I just haven’t gotten to it yet ????
My hibiscus experiments have ended up too sour for my taste. Some brewers have also had success with chamomile, rooibos, rosehip teas for producing kombucha.
However, for the strongest and healthiest home-brew, I only recommend black or green tea.
Want to Experiment?
If you are regularly producing strong and regularly fizzy brews, and are looking for something on the side ????, you could be ready to experiment with some of the exceptions listed above.
Make sure you have back-up scobys if things go south (i.e. moldy).
You will also be wise to ensure you start fresh with a healthy scoby in a separate and clean jar, covered with plenty of filters to mitigate pesky fruit flies.
Don’t feel like jumping in head-first? Try an experimental blend with an added bag of black tea.
