Kombucha Q&A

[TanksHill]

So can anyone tell me if there is truth to the kombucha containing alcohol? It seems the last couple times I have drank it I get very tired.

It most reminds me of when I am on a low carb diet and eat carbs. That carb coma feeling.

I know it fermented, grew a new scooby, even tickled my nose while I drank it.

Just wondering.

G

Becca, my kids low the tea but its not that tart and taste not like tea.

 

[Emerald]

Yes Kombucha does have alcohol in it very small amounts. Like .o5 to .1 proof. I can tell it is in there... the older it gets it tends to shift from alcohol to more vinegar.

 

[valmom]

Yes, it does have a very low amount of alcohol in it. I didn't think of that since the kombucha I buy in the store says it in very very small letters on a crowded label. But it makes sense that anything fermented would have some in it.

 

[chicken stalker]

 

[Emerald]

Just noticed that our local big box store now has kombucha in the juice aisle Wonder drink brand.. anyone ever have that kind? while I have my SCOBY in the kitchen right now.. they had a pear and ginger that looked yummy....
My favorite fruit for the second ferment(to make it super fizzy) is fresh pineapple and ginger. But watch out.. for some reason that combo will make it spurt like a volcano if you don't open carefully.

 

[Boogity]

Just noticed that our local big box store now has kombucha in the juice aisle Wonder drink brand.. anyone ever have that kind? while I have my SCOBY in the kitchen right now.. they had a pear and ginger that looked yummy....
My favorite fruit for the second ferment (to make it super fizzy) is fresh pineapple and ginger. But watch out.. for some reason that combo will make it spurt like a volcano if you don't open carefully.

Would you please take the time to explain the "second ferment" and how you add fruit and ginger? I'm new to this stuff and I'm only on my second batch of kombucha and all I have used so far is black Earl Gray tea for my first batch and 50% Earl Gray and 50% green tea for my second batch. I think that 7 days is perfect and 8 days is too vinegary. But now that we're getting into seasonal change the different temperatures might change that.

The only way I can handle drinking it is to dilute it 50% with grape juice. But maybe if I learn how to use fruit and ginger, and make it good and fizzy I could drink it straight. I have been drinking 4 oz. of the mix each morning.

 

[valmom]

I'm still figuring this out, too, but when I decant the kombucha into bottles, I add a little bit more sugar (especially if it is too vinegar-y) and sliced ginger root and a dash of lemon juice and then cap it tightly so the fizz can't escape and let it sit at room temp for another 2 or 3 days, then refrigerate it. I have variable results in fizziness and sweetness- this last batch was way too sweet (I almost prefer it on the vinegar side of taste). I haven't figured out how to make anything come out consistantly yet. Some batches are better than others.

 

[Emerald]

I usually make my kombucha up for the second ferment at about the 5 or 6th day and I want it to be a tad sweet(that way I am not adding more sugar) and I just bottle it into my old root beer and beer bottles that are the swing top type. 16oz bottles that my hubby bought me for making root beer years ago... I did buy some more rubber rings for them tho just to make sure they were ok.

I put about 1/2 a "ring" of pineapple in (I use fresh and have a little thingy that cuts and cores it for me)and about 2 thin slices of ginger..(all this is slivered to make it easier to come out of the bottle) pour the kombucha in and then leave them in a warm spot for about 3 days. then they go right in the fridge.
I have done them with the 100% fruit juice frozen concentrate before and they do turn out well and very fizzy... about 2 tablespoons of the concentrate per bottle.. of course the kid's favorite was the concord grape and raspberry/apple.
I did try some with apple cider when it was in season and the second ferment seemed to taste more "alcoholy" then normal.. Not sure what happened there.
We tried it with extra sugar and root beer extract and thought it was the most revolting stuff that ever passed the lips!

It tends to be an off and on again love affair with kombucha.. we drink it for months and then ignore it for months.
If you let your kombucha get too sour we use it like vinegar.. it was great in a vinegrette for salads with a bit of lemon juice and good olive oil and a little mustard and garlic.
It seems that on Motheringdotcom the ladies there even used it to pickle veggies but I can not remember the title of that thread.

I have had my second ferments get tooo lively and spurt all over the kitchen like a volcano so be careful how you open it. I also bought these small nylon strainers at the dollar store to strain the kombucha as I don't like to drink the little brown tendrils.. creeps me out a bit.

 

[Boogity]

. . . I don't like to drink the little brown tendrils.. creeps me out a bit.

Yeah, me too. I just close my eyes and swallow.