Guide to Kombucha Second Fermentation Process Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make kombucha for the second time? ›

Second Ferment Process

- Pour your kombucha into the bottle through a muslin cloth lined funnel. - Seal the bottle tightly (a flip top cap is the easiest) and leave at room temperature for 2 -3 days to carbonate. - Taste test, if it is not as bubbly as you want, leave it out for another day or two.

If you want an "original" or plain flavored kombucha but still want the fizz, you can do a second ferment by adding 1/2-1 teaspoon of sugar, maple syrup, honey, or molasses to a 16 ounce bottle and fill with plain kombucha. For kombucha: second ferment for 5-10 days.

Only the finished Kombucha drink is therefore used for the second fermentation. Add fresh raspberries, strawberries, cherries, elderberry blossoms or raisins and other dried fruits to the finished fermented drink. Or fill a bottle of Kombucha two-thirds full with ready-to-drink fruit juices.

You will want to leave 1-2 inches of air space at the top of the bottle between the liquid and the cap. Close the bottles tightly and store in a warm dark place for 2-4 days. You can leave your kombucha for longer if you want more carbonation.

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

Too much and the yeasts will either a) “flush” and overrun the bacteria, or b) fall completely asleep and do nothing. It may be possible to use as little as ¾ cup or as much as 1.5 cups per gallon and have successful brews.

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.

Burping is essentially just opening your bottles ever so slightly during the second fermentation process to release air or “excess pressure” in the bottle. Many brewers recommend burping bottles every day, or every other day while your bottles are fermenting at room temperature.

Should you stir kombucha while brewing? ›

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.

Mango is our top choice when it comes to blending fruit purees for hard kombucha. We love mango because it is sweet and luscious. We use a special blend of mangoes that include two types of the tropical fruit. We use a blend of Tommy Atkins and Sugar Mangoes.

First Half: During the first half of the fermentation process, you can store your Kombucha in a glass mason jar. While our Pearl jars have excellent sealing closures, for this part, you will need to leave the lid open and instead cover the top of your glass mason jar with some cheesecloth or a breathable kitchen towel.

Although kombucha does not spoil in a traditional sense, unrefrigerated raw kombucha can continue to ferment if left out too long. This extra fermentation can result in kombucha that is more vinegary, more acidic, more carbonated, or even contains a little extra alcohol.

The beauty of it is that it can be reused endlessly! Once you've finished fermenting your kombucha, simply recuperate the scoby and store it to start a new kombucha recipe. The easiest way to store a kombucha scoby is to start a new fermentation just after bottling.

Yes! During each ferment, the mother scoby (the one you added) will produce a baby scoby. Every scoby can be used four times before it gets too old and needs to be discarded. With each batch of kombucha a baby scoby is produced and the process starts again, you will have a fridge full of scobys before you know it.

The duration of a secondary fermentation or conditioning phase can vary from as little as a week to over 6 months. Actual time will vary and you should let your taste buds and nose determine when a beer is ready for bottling. During extended secondaries, you should make sure your airlock does not dry out.

It is important to start with drinking small quantities to see how your body reacts to the beverage. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.