How to Flavor, Bottle, and Second Ferment Kombucha

Brewing Kombucha at home is an extremely fulfilling hobby. Not only do you save money, but you have complete control over what goes into your ‘booch. Some think that home-brewing Kombucha is scary, but it shouldn’t be! This part of the guide, I’ll be going over my methods to Flavor, Bottle, and Second Ferment Kombucha at home.

Just in case you missed any of the other steps, be sure to check out:

The main complaint I hear about brewing Kombucha at home is the fear of the process. With an overwhelming amount on information out there, blog readers become confused, not knowing where to start. Not cool!

Kombucha brewing is an extremely straightforward processes, I would hate anyone to be scared out of it because of misinformation!

Finally!

After a month of waiting, I bottled up the first batch of Kombucha from my Continuous Brew Kombucha System! After a few hiccups (one involving mold!!), the process was smooth sailing!

If you’re reading this, chances are you have already grown/acquired a SCOBY and fermented a full-gallon of tea. Once your batch is sufficiently tangy, you’re ready to bottle and flavor your ‘booch! Fantastic! The waiting is almost over, you’ll be sipping on the sparkly beverage in no time!

Speaking of, it’s time to make a decision. Technically, your Kombucha is ready to drink. It’s up to you what to do with your kombucha. You can either:

Bottle and refrigerate now, hauling the fermentation process. This produces a very light, slightly carbonated tea.

Add a tiiiiiny bit of sugar (by means of whole fruit and/or juice) to second ferment kombucha into a masterpiece of carbonation and fizz. (This is how the big guys do it!)

Fizzy Kombucha for All!

The secret to a deliciously tangy and fizzy kombucha lies within the mystical “Second Fermentation”. While it sounds über complicated, it basically just means you get to wait longer until drinking your batch! No matter how impossible it seems, this results in jaw-dropping fizz and flavor.

I choose to use a combination of whole fruits and juices to flavor my Kombucha, but the options are virtually limitless! Here are some recipes to get your ideas flowing:

Don’t Forget Any Equipment You May Need to Pull Off This Recipe:

Nick @ ServingRealness.com Serves 5-6 Bottles of Flavored 'Booch 1 How to Flavor, Bottle, and Second Ferment Kombucha In less than a week, you can have tangy, fizzy, and slightly sweetened Kombucha from home! It may seem daunting to wait any longer, but the delicious infusion of flavors is impossible to resist. 15 minPrep Time 15 minTotal Time Save Recipe Save Recipe Print Recipe My Recipes My Lists My Calendar Ingredients Fresh batch of Kombucha (fermented to taste (ready to bottle))

Glass jars with air-tight lid (not mason-jars (they allow air to escape))

1-2 Tablespoons of any fruit (fresh (frozen, juiced or dried))

Simple Flavor Ideas 10 small watermelon cubes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

Wedge of lemon

1 inch ginger (peeled and pierced)

1 peach, cut into small pieces

2 Tbsp blueberries (pierced with fork)

1 inch ginger (peeled and pierced)

1 Tbsp blackberries (pierced with fork)

1.5 Tbsp mango (cubed) Instructions Add whole fruit or 1/4-1/3 pureed/juiced fruit to each bottle Remove your SCOBY and 2 cups of kombucha to use as a starter for your next batch Stir the remaining kombucha to evenly distribute the yeast and bacteria, making your second fermentation more consistent Fill the container, leaving 1/2-1 inch of head-space at the top Seal tightly and allow to ferment for 2-3 days Once completed, move to the fridge before tasting. The cold will help prevent the bottles from spraying everywhere once opened If it's still not fizzy enough, remove from fridge and repeat the 2-day process, cool, and taste again Notes Whole fruit works for me, but if you aren't cautious in making sure the kombucha covers the fruit completely, you may grow mold. Some prefer juices for this reason. Be careful about not letting the pressure build to a point of shattering the glass This can be prevented by avoiding temperatures of 80º+ and not going any longer than 5-ish days. Nutrition Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info 7.8.1.2 44 Nick Abell

What’s your favorite flavor of Kombucha? What flavor would you want to try? I’m always looking for new, fun flavors.. let me know in the comments below!

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