I do continuous batch brewing. I still 2F the entire pot, but just add sweet tea once a week without touching the scoby's. They've been going strong for a few months now.
I was taught to continuous brew but to take the scoby out each time, separate babies, and stir the kombucha before siphoning. Sounds like I was taught right 😊
Hi, thanks for this. I'm doing CB, and I stir every time before I do a large decant, but what about if I'm just drawing off a little at a time to drink straight from the crock? Do I need to stir every single time to avoid an imbalance, or just when I'm taking out large amounts? I haven't been able to find an answer to this question anywhere, so if anyone has a clue, I'd super appreciate it. :)
I'm not sure if you know this, but you only need 1/2 cup of Kombucha from the continuous brew per 16 OZ bottle. You then can fill the rest of the way with new sweet tea and flavor. Let it ferment the second time for close to 2 weeks. You don't need to fill the bottle 3/4 of the way like so many do from the continuous jar. So it doesn't matter so much how sour it is or etc. because your are using so much new tea per bottle. Try it. :)
I like coming to your videos b/c it’s mainly focused on Kombucha but I wish you would demonstrate more. I mainly hear you talking next to a batch of Kombucha. It would be very helpful if you’ve showed things you’ve tested yourself.
Thanks for watching! I'll definitely keep that in mind for future videos. For a lot of my initial ones, it was mainly focused around explaining the science behind why things work (except for my 1st and 2nd fermentation videos). And when I was doing the experiments at the time, I didn't know I was going to launch a channel yet, so I didn't film them. But now that I do have a channel, I'll definitely look for ways to incorporate more demonstration!
I love your vids. I can confirm this as I did continuous batch brewing and I noticed over time it does sour much faster. The Kombucha wound up having less fizz during the second ferment over time and end up having to add a tablespoon of sugar to try to feed the active cultures. The amount of starter tea wound up being very important as I used to fill my growlers then topped my brewing vessel off with fresh sweet tea, which may have had an imbalance in the brew. Regulating my starter tea and STIRRING when transferring to my second ferment vessels helped out so much. Such a small step made a huge difference. Thank You.
Esther alcala-hao Everyone’s got different methods, and it’s just up to personal preference. Depending on your process, either method has pros and cons, easier parts and harder parts. But really either way is good. Just up to what works best for your lifestyle. 😊
Esther alcala-hao That’s the main reason I like continuous is that tap! No heavy lifting, messy pouring into bottles. With a tap you can also taste it every day to see when it’s ready. The tap is not at the very bottom, so the yeast issue is not an issue. I now stir my continuous brew anyway prior to pouring into bottles for a 2nd ferment. I bottle the whole lot in one go (apart from leaving some starter tea), so I guess that’s batch brewing with a tap😄 Soooo much easier!
I totally agree and only do continuous brewing. For one thing the acidic environment means you don't have to sterilize everything every time you add tea which is a PIA big time. Secondly, I do secondary brewing in spring cap beer bottles Adding organic fruit juice till they carbonate. I run two 1 gallon jars simultaneously which keeps me and my wife drinking about 8 oz a day each. My kombucha does not get sour, I don't know what that is you're talkin about.
i've just bought 4 litre glass dispenser and try figuring out how things work best. I really appriciate it if you share your continuous brewing cycle/routine :)
I never thought about this but thank you for making these videos that help educate a green Kombrewer like me. I'm so excited to use these leftover pickle jars for Kombucha after wrestling mentally for weeks about which fermentation I should use these jars for first. You've given me so much inspiration ✨️ please keep these videos going.
depends sooo much on how big your family and how many of them are totally in love with kombucha, its just my boyfriend and i so i do batches, my boss loves makin it continuously at the kitchen where we work at, its very handy to just walk in the fridge & fill my drinking bottle right before my shift
You can still batch brew in a jar with a spigot just take out the scoby and use starter liquid every time it’s literally the same thing they’re not super different it’s just how easy it is to bottle.
Travis James Right! Lots of homebrewers think that they’re continuous brewing just because they use a vessel with a spigot. That’s actually just batch brewing (but in a vessel with a spigot). CB is characterized by the “take kombucha tea out, put fresh tea in” action that happens much more frequently than batch brews. And that’s really the main difference. But to your point, it’s not a huge huge difference in process or end product. It’s just personal preference. 😊
Angelica Johansson Sorry I misread your comment. However, I did have a master brewer also tell me to not use anything other than a stainless steel spigot.
I have been continuous brewing for a few months and am a massive fan! I have anew video up with a Christmas kombucha recipe, and another little treat i love to make with my booch :D
Yes I agree, tried it, continuous brew is a lot of work., was great at first as it took no time at all to ferment but after a while I couldn't keep up and it got sour quicker. Batch brewing suits me as well, also if you think you need kombucha all the time, just scale up your batch so in between brewing you don't run out.
I fixed the over souring of the continuous brew! I love the idea of the continuous brew. Just pour a little from the pour-spout every day as needed. But it was way too sour. So after I make my initial batch of kombucha I take the Scoby and discard it. (you could save it in a little jar with some kombucha, if you want to keep it ) As I use my kombucha and add more sweet tea, it grows a new Scoby every single day, which I remove daily to slow the fermentation process so that it never gets too sour.
Hi thank you so much for the informative videos. It is so useful to have a dedicated channel to kombucha brewing that is as thorough and informative as yours. I am beginning my first brew ever and was very drawn to using a jar with a spigot to easily fill bottles when doing the second fermentation. After seeing this video I was wondering if it is possible to use a jar with a spigot as a batch brewing device? For instance in batch brewing even if you have just harvested your first fermentation and taken your scoby out surely its possible you might then just put the scoby back into your batch brewing jar to prep for your next fermentation afterwards? I understand that 1st fermentation time speeds up the longer you leave your scoby in the starter tea. In my mind though surely I can get away with using the jar with the spigot somehow? I have planned it out so that I will be harvesting most of my 1st ferment- just leaving enough for my next starter- and surely I want the starter to be as strong as possible? So I am wondering if I can do a continuous brew until I get my second layer of scoby and from then on begin my scoby hotel and so on?
Fun fact, the rubbery thing at the top is actually called the Pellicle. While the pellicle CONTAINS some of the SCOBY it's actually the "starter tea" as it's often called that contains the majority of the SCOBY? that's part of why it's so important to have the proper amount of starter tea.
Fantastic, thanks! I'm new and was really not sure why people were doing batches instead of the continuous. It just seemed like the obvious thing to do (I haven't yet, I'm on my third batch ever, but I like it and I'm scaling this one up). This was a very good overview. Thank you :)
I still don’t see how batch brewing is different from continuous other than that you take the scoby out. Aren’t you supposed to add some tea from the previous batch to your new one when batch brewing?
That’s what I was going to say. From your video, it sounds like I do a combination batch/continuous, because I only have a single one-gallon container, so that is where my scoby lives with several cups of starter tea between brews. I have removed the excess yeast if I have to leave it too long between batches
Is it still considered batch brewing if you leave the pellicle in, give it a quick stir and then empty the jar using the spigot, leaving 2 cups in to use as a starter for the next batch and then pour in all new sweet tea? With this method, you are leaving the pellicle in the same jar, so it's similar to continuous brewing, but yet you are starting a whole new batch at once, so I would think this would fall more on the side of Batch Brewing.
This is a biased opinion. Second fermentation is not only possible but easier: You stir it, because you can do that once your SCOBY is formed, and you take most of it out and fill it back up. I make the same amounts I used to make when I did batch brewing, but I split the SCOBY once in a while so it stays thinner (=slower fermentation). I store excess SCOBY in a Hotel and I make SCOBY candy with it twice a year. If you want to stop brewing, just dump the whole scoby hotel in the brewing vessel and go about your business. I also have two lines in my vessel, one for the minimum amount it can have (starter liquid) and another line for the topping it up, this way I don't measure anything and my batches are consistent. PS: It's a been a good while and my spigot hasn't clogged up like I heard it would.
Do you have to remove the scoby(s) and clean the container every time with batch brewing, or would it be ok to leave a bit of the kombucha behind as starter liquid for the next batch along with the scoby, refreshing everything when you feel the need(say, every other batch)? I've never brewed kombucha before, still in the research stage. I'm planning to start with a gallon container with a spigot, which is apparently too small for cb, even if I wanted to do that.
Another question... My first brewing, I left plenty of room in the top of my gallon jar and the new scoby was the size of a man hole cover. Is there any harm in trimming the size of a scoby down and do I need to use something specific or will the metal in a knife not negatively impact the organisms of the scoby?
Derek Niehaus No harm in trimming the scoby and you can totally use scissors/a knife (as long as they’re clean and not rusty, of course!). Contact with metal/plastic for short periods of time won’t harm your scoby. Check out my video on scoby care for more details if you’re interested.
I'm playing around with a conical fermenter right now too, but it doesn't really solve the problem since yeast will still settle at the bottom, so you'd still have to stir the vessel to get even distribution of yeast throughout the liquid.
I have made a second batch of black tea...this may be a silly question or questions, do I need to add a cup of starter tea to each gallon I have along with a scoby in each or just add starter tea? Please help 😁
Question... To have many servings per day for your household, how many batches of kombucha do you have going at one time? I'm thinking about starting staggered batches as more scobies are produced.
Another Great Video honey.. Just the facts, and your opinions when you choose to state them.. Fantastic again and again, and again.. Thank you for your time in producing these videos.. Nice to have a pretty face to watch too.. Just that more pleasurable, but, would not change my opinion a bit.. Love the short and to the point videos.. Thank you again..
I felt you weren't very objective in the comparison, there is no reason why if you are using the continuous method, that you couldn't use a secondary vessel to flavour or what ever you would normally do in primary / batch brewing.
Like I said, it's really more a lifestyle/personal preference decision you need to make based on your preferences. Lots of people like CB. And yes, you totally could use a secondary vessel to flavor -- but that's basically a batch brew/CB hybrid. For me, I find it simpler to do batch brews, but that's my preference.
So it saves me everything but feeding and trimming once a year, and it speeds up the nice sour, and if taken at the right time it' fine, the extra yeast is in the first two bottles . One of these sounds faster and easier tho
I continuous brew because it’s easier and less fuss. Your cons are ill informed. Continuous brew is batch brewing on a routine basis. The spigot allows you to bottle directly to your bottles.
thank you for your very informative info out of the hundreds of video's your the best. This is my first time. I have a question since kombucha is effected by metal will it harm me I have metal knee's? I don't know who to ask this question to?
Diane Albano Hi there! I can’t speak from a medical standpoint (you should always check with your doctor), but I don’t think so. Kombucha isn’t different from other acidic foods/drinks like lemons/lemonade, tomatoes, vinegar, pickles, citrus, etc. So if you’ve been eating acidic food in the past, this shouldn’t affect the metal in your knees since it’s just going through your digestive system. Metal is only not recommended for the brewing vessel itself.
My friend who has been making bucha for years recommended only brewing in glass as it's non corrosive and non porous. As long as your not pouring bucha over the metal it should be fine because of the digestive system. Some people do warn not to drink to much otherwise the yeast might be to much and over balence the other healthy gut bacteria
Generally I buy from whole foods and Krogers, one day I bought from local brewer but I was surprised that it did not have the same taste, it was not strong and was more sweet so I stopped buying from local brewers. can you explain why that happens. what is the difference between the process that these brewers use.
actually its really simple I've done both batch and CB brewing method, from my experience CB is much better, Its really a matter of maintaining the vessel every 3-6 months (cutting the scoby down and removing excess yeast as well as cleaning the vessel) other than that I use a 2 1/2 gallon brewer and I bottle 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon when its ready. If I don't want the next batch in the next 5-7 days I bottle more and leave only about 30% of starter tea in the vessel then top it off with sweet tea depending on how big your scoby is the brew time could be 5-12 days. Best thing about CB is that its a one and done thing its your hotel and brewer. If your going out of town leave the mature kombucha it acts as a hotel then top it with sweet tea whenever you want. No excessive cleaning no removal of scoby and no using excess dishes to help with bottling. I still do secondary fermentation with CB. Even though I love her videos it honestly doesn't appear she's had a lot of experience with CB. I would never switch to batch brewing at this point due to the ease of CB
I had actually been considering getting a CB system because I drink a -lot- of kombucha, but I think you've changed my mind! I don't like plain or extremely sour kombucha.
Seth McDainiels, don't let this video scare you off. I really like youbrewkombucha on most topics... but this is not one of them. Check out this FAQ and see if you feel the same. www.kombuchakamp.com/continuous-brew-kombucha-faq-frequently-asked-questions
Diane Albano you can find a link to the strips I recommend here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/kombucha-ph Just scroll down to the last section of the page. 🙂
Although I'm quite new to Kombucha brewing, it doesn't make sense to me how the two processes are any different. In batch brewing, you remove all the finished Kombucha from your fermentation vessel, bottle most of it, and then pour the remainder back into your fermentation vessel as a starter for the next batch. In continuous brewing, you bottle most of the finished Kombucha by draining it through a spigot, with the remainder in the fermentation vessel acting as the starter tea for the next batch. Ultimately, the two methods seem to have the same ending to the first story and the same beginning to the second story? Adding a spigot doesn't change much either. If your fermenter doesn't have a spigot it doesn't mean that you have to completely empty out the fermentation vessel when you're ready to bottle. You can just pour out the amount you want to bottle and use whatever remains in the vessel as starter tea for the next batch. Oh, but now aren't you doing the CB method in a vessel without a spigot simply because you didn't empty out the entire vessel before bottling the Kombucha? Why would the kombucha scoby in the CB method get stronger than the scoby in the BB method just because the starter tea in the CB method doesn't first get poured out along with the liquid to be bottled upon completion of each fermentation?
@@Twobirdsbreakingfree I think it’s because there’s less of an inclination to trim/remove the scoby when you’d otherwise transfer it to a new vessel in Batch Brewing
I don't understand all of the differences between brewing.. For me at the moment i pour a new mixture into my "scoby hotel" and pour it out when it smells ready, or within a week.. I figure it puts more of a strain on a scoby to take it out of its hotel and dump it into a new tea/mixture.. Also, differemt scobys can maybe enhamce each other's production of a new kombucha/jun/ginger bug/apple cider batch.. The hotel is the home in my opinion.
I'm also a first time brewer but I think so! My scoby came from a family member who just snipped a bit out of her layered scoby and my first batch seems to be going great. It might depend on how big a batch you're hoping to make - I'm only making a litre right now and the little scoby works for that. Do you have a new scoby forming on your batch?
@@charliewhite9777 Hurray! I hope it turns out delicious. :) Mine is still in the first fermentation but it's definitely turning into kombucha. I want it to be quite tangy so I'm going to give it another couple of weeks I think
It really doesn't seem like you fully understand the merits of CB. Many/most of the negatives mentioned are the near opposite of the truth... In CB, one is decanting and adding on a 24hr cycle.
Hey there, thanks for your comment. If you can explain/point me to a good resource that changes my mind about CB, I’m all ears. I’m always looking to learn more, but these are the most frequent issues/complaints I hear from CB-ers about their frustration with the process. But like I mention, there are so many variables that it really just depends on personal preference/lifestyle.
You Brew Kombucha ... I see a lot of people do CB all wrong. Where they are kind of doing a cross between CB and Batch Method. Essentially; I see them doing BM, but with a larger starter amount... In my experience; if one regulates temp, and keeps the height and width of brew close to square (height & width), once the brew has matured one can decant around 1/5th to 1/4th of brew daily and replace amount... it creates a very consistent taste... and easily tweaked by adding slightly less or more, daily 👍😄
David H That’s great insight, and thanks for sharing it! I think so much of it is so dependent on what type/style of kombucha people prefer and what their lifestyle is - whether they’re ok with decanting/replacing frequently or less often. And for me personally, that’s the biggest drawback of a continuous brewing methodology - I prefer a more “set it and forget it” (at least for a little bit of time) kind of model. But I definitely love hearing from homebrewers on different styles, methods and best practices. The more I learn about them, the better. And I’ll keep updating the site and creating more videos that cover different kombucha topics thanks to perspectives like yours! 😊
You Brew Kombucha ... Totally understand! 👍 I found it easier to just incorporate it into my morning routine. I first started doing the batch method. But found I was checking on it almost daily, anyways 😂
What an obnoxious way to leave feedback to a person you don't know who's just trying to give free information out to people. Thanks for the feedback, but no thanks. No one's making you watch this video though if you find it insufferable. Hugs! Bye!
I do continuous batch brewing. I still 2F the entire pot, but just add sweet tea once a week without touching the scoby's. They've been going strong for a few months now.
2F?
@@tapefilms 2nd ferment
Is it still going strong? Do you flavor the pot?
I was taught to continuous brew but to take the scoby out each time, separate babies, and stir the kombucha before siphoning. Sounds like I was taught right 😊
Do you have pointers?
@@lalbiakzualachhakchhuak9958 those were the pointers XD
Trista Ferencik You were. You need to make a video. Please?
Hi, thanks for this. I'm doing CB, and I stir every time before I do a large decant, but what about if I'm just drawing off a little at a time to drink straight from the crock? Do I need to stir every single time to avoid an imbalance, or just when I'm taking out large amounts? I haven't been able to find an answer to this question anywhere, so if anyone has a clue, I'd super appreciate it. :)
I'm not sure if you know this, but you only need 1/2 cup of Kombucha from the continuous brew per 16 OZ bottle. You then can fill the rest of the way with new sweet tea and flavor. Let it ferment the second time for close to 2 weeks. You don't need to fill the bottle 3/4 of the way like so many do from the continuous jar. So it doesn't matter so much how sour it is or etc. because your are using so much new tea per bottle.
Try it. :)
I like coming to your videos b/c it’s mainly focused on Kombucha but I wish you would demonstrate more. I mainly hear you talking next to a batch of Kombucha. It would be very helpful if you’ve showed things you’ve tested yourself.
Thanks for watching! I'll definitely keep that in mind for future videos. For a lot of my initial ones, it was mainly focused around explaining the science behind why things work (except for my 1st and 2nd fermentation videos). And when I was doing the experiments at the time, I didn't know I was going to launch a channel yet, so I didn't film them. But now that I do have a channel, I'll definitely look for ways to incorporate more demonstration!
Keep that in ur mind but please keep me in ur bed@YouBrewKombucha
I love your vids. I can confirm this as I did continuous batch brewing and I noticed over time it does sour much faster. The Kombucha wound up having less fizz during the second ferment over time and end up having to add a tablespoon of sugar to try to feed the active cultures. The amount of starter tea wound up being very important as I used to fill my growlers then topped my brewing vessel off with fresh sweet tea, which may have had an imbalance in the brew. Regulating my starter tea and STIRRING when transferring to my second ferment vessels helped out so much. Such a small step made a huge difference. Thank You.
you can bottle your continuous batch all at once too. it just a lot easier to harvest because it has spigot
Esther alcala-hao Everyone’s got different methods, and it’s just up to personal preference. Depending on your process, either method has pros and cons, easier parts and harder parts. But really either way is good. Just up to what works best for your lifestyle. 😊
Esther alcala-hao That’s the main reason I like continuous is that tap! No heavy lifting, messy pouring into bottles. With a tap you can also taste it every day to see when it’s ready. The tap is not at the very bottom, so the yeast issue is not an issue. I now stir my continuous brew anyway prior to pouring into bottles for a 2nd ferment. I bottle the whole lot in one go (apart from leaving some starter tea), so I guess that’s batch brewing with a tap😄 Soooo much easier!
OMG! You have to try continuous brewing! I love it and now do it exclusively because batch is too much cleaning, work, measuring...etc.
Matt Barnes I’m playing around with a 5-gal fermenter to give it a try! 😊
Do you have any videos? I'd love to see it / them! I am doing a CB with a 7 gallon carboy :D
I totally agree and only do continuous brewing. For one thing the acidic environment means you don't have to sterilize everything every time you add tea which is a PIA big time. Secondly, I do secondary brewing in spring cap beer bottles
Adding organic fruit juice till they carbonate. I run two 1 gallon jars simultaneously which keeps me and my wife drinking about 8 oz a day each. My kombucha does not get sour, I don't know what that is you're talkin about.
i've just bought 4 litre glass dispenser and try figuring out how things work best. I really appriciate it if you share your continuous brewing cycle/routine :)
What if you do a continuous brew but split the scoby each time you pull a batch but just don't empty the old tea and leave a scoby in there
I never thought about this but thank you for making these videos that help educate a green Kombrewer like me. I'm so excited to use these leftover pickle jars for Kombucha after wrestling mentally for weeks about which fermentation I should use these jars for first. You've given me so much inspiration ✨️ please keep these videos going.
You're incredibly succinct and professional. Thank you so much, this avoids me so much confusion!
depends sooo much on how big your family and how many of them are totally in love with kombucha, its just my boyfriend and i so i do batches, my boss loves makin it continuously at the kitchen where we work at, its very handy to just walk in the fridge & fill my drinking bottle right before my shift
Totally!
What a great boss!
You can still batch brew in a jar with a spigot just take out the scoby and use starter liquid every time it’s literally the same thing they’re not super different it’s just how easy it is to bottle.
Travis James Right! Lots of homebrewers think that they’re continuous brewing just because they use a vessel with a spigot. That’s actually just batch brewing (but in a vessel with a spigot). CB is characterized by the “take kombucha tea out, put fresh tea in” action that happens much more frequently than batch brews. And that’s really the main difference. But to your point, it’s not a huge huge difference in process or end product. It’s just personal preference. 😊
I’m just starting today and I have one with a spigot made of plastic, do you think that could interfere with the process?
Angelica Johansson I think it is highly recommended to only use glass. Bacteria can grow from using plastic that can be harmful to the SCOBY
Angelica Johansson Sorry I misread your comment. However, I did have a master brewer also tell me to not use anything other than a stainless steel spigot.
I have been continuous brewing for a few months and am a massive fan! I have anew video up with a Christmas kombucha recipe, and another little treat i love to make with my booch :D
Why hello there from sunny Otaki! I'll head on over and check that out. Friends can;t believe that I'm only just jumping on the booch wagon :)
I do my fermentation in a continuous brewing container, but I do it batch by batch. It's just easier to take the kombucha out straight to the bottle.
Yes I agree, tried it, continuous brew is a lot of work., was great at first as it took no time at all to ferment but after a while I couldn't keep up and it got sour quicker. Batch brewing suits me as well, also if you think you need kombucha all the time, just scale up your batch so in between brewing you don't run out.
I think that's what I will do....I do like to drink it all the time... good suggestion.
I fixed the over souring of the continuous brew!
I love the idea of the continuous brew. Just pour a little from the pour-spout every day as needed.
But it was way too sour.
So after I make my initial batch of kombucha I take the Scoby and discard it. (you could save it in a little jar with some kombucha, if you want to keep it )
As I use my kombucha and add more sweet tea, it grows a new Scoby every single day, which I remove daily to slow the fermentation process so that it never gets too sour.
Hi thank you so much for the informative videos. It is so useful to have a dedicated channel to kombucha brewing that is as thorough and informative as yours. I am beginning my first brew ever and was very drawn to using a jar with a spigot to easily fill bottles when doing the second fermentation.
After seeing this video I was wondering if it is possible to use a jar with a spigot as a batch brewing device? For instance in batch brewing even if you have just harvested your first fermentation and taken your scoby out surely its possible you might then just put the scoby back into your batch brewing jar to prep for your next fermentation afterwards? I understand that 1st fermentation time speeds up the longer you leave your scoby in the starter tea. In my mind though surely I can get away with using the jar with the spigot somehow? I have planned it out so that I will be harvesting most of my 1st ferment- just leaving enough for my next starter- and surely I want the starter to be as strong as possible? So I am wondering if I can do a continuous brew until I get my second layer of scoby and from then on begin my scoby hotel and so on?
Fun fact, the rubbery thing at the top is actually called the Pellicle. While the pellicle CONTAINS some of the SCOBY it's actually the "starter tea" as it's often called that contains the majority of the SCOBY? that's part of why it's so important to have the proper amount of starter tea.
Fantastic, thanks!
I'm new and was really not sure why people were doing batches instead of the continuous. It just seemed like the obvious thing to do (I haven't yet, I'm on my third batch ever, but I like it and I'm scaling this one up).
This was a very good overview.
Thank you :)
If it gets too sour you can just add simple syrup to taste
The background "music" is very distracting. Please adjust the volume down so that it does not compete with your voice.
I might do batch brewing in a continuous jar. It seems less messy.
I have more than I can drink. Going to a larger container. Are other than clear container ok for kombucha continuous brewing?
I still don’t see how batch brewing is different from continuous other than that you take the scoby out. Aren’t you supposed to add some tea from the previous batch to your new one when batch brewing?
William Bentley exactly. They’re really not that much different at all but people tend to over exaggerate the differences.
That’s what I was going to say. From your video, it sounds like I do a combination batch/continuous, because I only have a single one-gallon container, so that is where my scoby lives with several cups of starter tea between brews. I have removed the excess yeast if I have to leave it too long between batches
Thank you 🌷
I wish the music was more subtle
Is it still considered batch brewing if you leave the pellicle in, give it a quick stir and then empty the jar using the spigot, leaving 2 cups in to use as a starter for the next batch and then pour in all new sweet tea? With this method, you are leaving the pellicle in the same jar, so it's similar to continuous brewing, but yet you are starting a whole new batch at once, so I would think this would fall more on the side of Batch Brewing.
This is a biased opinion. Second fermentation is not only possible but easier: You stir it, because you can do that once your SCOBY is formed, and you take most of it out and fill it back up.
I make the same amounts I used to make when I did batch brewing, but I split the SCOBY once in a while so it stays thinner (=slower fermentation).
I store excess SCOBY in a Hotel and I make SCOBY candy with it twice a year. If you want to stop brewing, just dump the whole scoby hotel in the brewing vessel and go about your business.
I also have two lines in my vessel, one for the minimum amount it can have (starter liquid) and another line for the topping it up, this way I don't measure anything and my batches are consistent.
PS: It's a been a good while and my spigot hasn't clogged up like I heard it would.
What should I do if my Scoby is getting thinner with each batch?
I do continuous brewing but I like it to taste sour . I do split mine up when it gets too big and give them to friends.
Marvellous Melie That’s awesome. 😊
Do you have to remove the scoby(s) and clean the container every time with batch brewing, or would it be ok to leave a bit of the kombucha behind as starter liquid for the next batch along with the scoby, refreshing everything when you feel the need(say, every other batch)? I've never brewed kombucha before, still in the research stage. I'm planning to start with a gallon container with a spigot, which is apparently too small for cb, even if I wanted to do that.
When CB, why bottle and not just always drink out of the big jar by pouring into a glass out of the spigot?
I agree.. curious how this could work for me. Trying continuous soon.
I tried continuous brewing method. I didn’t like it. The spigot got clogged. I like batch brewing better.
love your vids they are so informative and easy to watch Thank you !
Another question... My first brewing, I left plenty of room in the top of my gallon jar and the new scoby was the size of a man hole cover. Is there any harm in trimming the size of a scoby down and do I need to use something specific or will the metal in a knife not negatively impact the organisms of the scoby?
Derek Niehaus No harm in trimming the scoby and you can totally use scissors/a knife (as long as they’re clean and not rusty, of course!). Contact with metal/plastic for short periods of time won’t harm your scoby. Check out my video on scoby care for more details if you’re interested.
I havent tried this yet but tanks the have a cone shape at the bottom will solve the yeast problem for continious brewing. (Brewer's tank set up)
I'm playing around with a conical fermenter right now too, but it doesn't really solve the problem since yeast will still settle at the bottom, so you'd still have to stir the vessel to get even distribution of yeast throughout the liquid.
I have made a second batch of black tea...this may be a silly question or questions, do I need to add a cup of starter tea to each gallon I have along with a scoby in each or just add starter tea? Please help 😁
Thank you.
Question... To have many servings per day for your household, how many batches of kombucha do you have going at one time? I'm thinking about starting staggered batches as more scobies are produced.
I usually brew around 4 gallons at a time every other week or so. You can totally stagger your brews depending on your schedule, though. :)
Thank you for the comparisons. I also prefer doing one batch at a time.
this fully convinced me into batch brewing, especially for the second fermentation
Another Great Video honey.. Just the facts, and your opinions when you choose to state them.. Fantastic again and again, and again.. Thank you for your time in producing these videos.. Nice to have a pretty face to watch too.. Just that more pleasurable, but, would not change my opinion a bit.. Love the short and to the point videos.. Thank you again..
Can you slice the kombucha in half if gets to big ?
Yep!
I've even blended a scoby up in a Vitamix and it was fine.
Hi. How many days might a pleasantly sweet-tangy-fizzy CB kombucha take if the SCOBY is a healthy size?
I felt you weren't very objective in the comparison, there is no reason why if you are using the continuous method, that you couldn't use a secondary vessel to flavour or what ever you would normally do in primary / batch brewing.
Like I said, it's really more a lifestyle/personal preference decision you need to make based on your preferences. Lots of people like CB. And yes, you totally could use a secondary vessel to flavor -- but that's basically a batch brew/CB hybrid. For me, I find it simpler to do batch brews, but that's my preference.
fantastic video; thank you!
In batch brewing, how many batches can you make with one scoby?
So it saves me everything but feeding and trimming once a year, and it speeds up the nice sour, and if taken at the right time it' fine, the extra yeast is in the first two bottles . One of these sounds faster and easier tho
WOW! you make it look so easy. thank you!
I continuous brew because it’s easier and less fuss. Your cons are ill informed. Continuous brew is batch brewing on a routine basis. The spigot allows you to bottle directly to your bottles.
Why do you even need to keep the pellicle? The SCOBY is the liquid.
Great information. I'll stick to batch brewing. Your videos are great!
thank you for your very informative info out of the hundreds of video's your the best. This is my first time. I have a question since kombucha is effected by metal will it harm me I have metal knee's? I don't know who to ask this question to?
Diane Albano Hi there! I can’t speak from a medical standpoint (you should always check with your doctor), but I don’t think so. Kombucha isn’t different from other acidic foods/drinks like lemons/lemonade, tomatoes, vinegar, pickles, citrus, etc. So if you’ve been eating acidic food in the past, this shouldn’t affect the metal in your knees since it’s just going through your digestive system. Metal is only not recommended for the brewing vessel itself.
@@YouBrewKombucha metal is bad for the scoby!
Stainless steel is ok though as it is non-corrosive
My friend who has been making bucha for years recommended only brewing in glass as it's non corrosive and non porous. As long as your not pouring bucha over the metal it should be fine because of the digestive system. Some people do warn not to drink to much otherwise the yeast might be to much and over balence the other healthy gut bacteria
Generally I buy from whole foods and Krogers, one day I bought from local brewer but I was surprised that it did not have the same taste, it was not strong and was more sweet so I stopped buying from local brewers. can you explain why that happens. what is the difference between the process that these brewers use.
The longer you ferment kombucha. The stronger it tastes.
I am going to do both ways...There,that settles that... 😋
I like the way you think 🤣
Thank you talking about this, continuous brewing sounds like a pain!
actually its really simple I've done both batch and CB brewing method, from my experience CB is much better, Its really a matter of maintaining the vessel every 3-6 months (cutting the scoby down and removing excess yeast as well as cleaning the vessel) other than that I use a 2 1/2 gallon brewer and I bottle 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon when its ready. If I don't want the next batch in the next 5-7 days I bottle more and leave only about 30% of starter tea in the vessel then top it off with sweet tea depending on how big your scoby is the brew time could be 5-12 days. Best thing about CB is that its a one and done thing its your hotel and brewer. If your going out of town leave the mature kombucha it acts as a hotel then top it with sweet tea whenever you want. No excessive cleaning no removal of scoby and no using excess dishes to help with bottling. I still do secondary fermentation with CB. Even though I love her videos it honestly doesn't appear she's had a lot of experience with CB. I would never switch to batch brewing at this point due to the ease of CB
What do you do with your scoby between batches?
Let the kids play Frisbee with it.
I had actually been considering getting a CB system because I drink a -lot- of kombucha, but I think you've changed my mind! I don't like plain or extremely sour kombucha.
Seth McDainiels, don't let this video scare you off. I really like youbrewkombucha on most topics... but this is not one of them. Check out this FAQ and see if you feel the same. www.kombuchakamp.com/continuous-brew-kombucha-faq-frequently-asked-questions
How the frist/aboriginal Kombucha brew without scoby or starter tea??!
With wild yeast or nothing ?!?
1 second ago
What would you recommend for "Test Strips"
Diane Albano you can find a link to the strips I recommend here: www.youbrewkombucha.com/kombucha-ph
Just scroll down to the last section of the page. 🙂
continous brewing is good for people on keto. use liquid flavored stevia 👌
I think you give some wrong impressions. CB is no different.
Although I'm quite new to Kombucha brewing, it doesn't make sense to me how the two processes are any different.
In batch brewing, you remove all the finished Kombucha from your fermentation vessel, bottle most of it, and then pour the remainder back into your fermentation vessel as a starter for the next batch.
In continuous brewing, you bottle most of the finished Kombucha by draining it through a spigot, with the remainder in the fermentation vessel acting as the starter tea for the next batch.
Ultimately, the two methods seem to have the same ending to the first story and the same beginning to the second story?
Adding a spigot doesn't change much either. If your fermenter doesn't have a spigot it doesn't mean that you have to completely empty out the fermentation vessel when you're ready to bottle. You can just pour out the amount you want to bottle and use whatever remains in the vessel as starter tea for the next batch. Oh, but now aren't you doing the CB method in a vessel without a spigot simply because you didn't empty out the entire vessel before bottling the Kombucha?
Why would the kombucha scoby in the CB method get stronger than the scoby in the BB method just because the starter tea in the CB method doesn't first get poured out along with the liquid to be bottled upon completion of each fermentation?
@@Twobirdsbreakingfree I think it’s because there’s less of an inclination to trim/remove the scoby when you’d otherwise transfer it to a new vessel in Batch Brewing
agreed, i find CB way easier
With continuous brewing my spigot is metal and I heard that you shouldn't use metal utensils when making kombucha. Is this true?
Stainless steel is fine -- esp. if you're only using it to stir for brief amounts of time.
I don't understand all of the differences between brewing.. For me at the moment i pour a new mixture into my "scoby hotel" and pour it out when it smells ready, or within a week.. I figure it puts more of a strain on a scoby to take it out of its hotel and dump it into a new tea/mixture.. Also, differemt scobys can maybe enhamce each other's production of a new kombucha/jun/ginger bug/apple cider batch.. The hotel is the home in my opinion.
"Welcome to Uber Kombucha"
Thank you for your videos, may God bless you and reveal His love to you each and every day =)
is it posible to make 1 hour kombucha? you can put stir plate underneath as for stiring problem
Can i cut my scoby after in 2 after my first batch to start doing 2 batches at a time .. my first batch will be @7 days very soon
I'm also a first time brewer but I think so! My scoby came from a family member who just snipped a bit out of her layered scoby and my first batch seems to be going great. It might depend on how big a batch you're hoping to make - I'm only making a litre right now and the little scoby works for that. Do you have a new scoby forming on your batch?
@@vanguardiris3232 yes i do. It's a 1 gallon batch that is now on day 9 of first fermentation. There is a whitish grey scoby growing on top
@@charliewhite9777 Congrats! I hope your kombucha is great
I'm adding fruit this morning.. dragon fruit and blueberry... thank's for the support !
@@charliewhite9777 Hurray! I hope it turns out delicious. :) Mine is still in the first fermentation but it's definitely turning into kombucha. I want it to be quite tangy so I'm going to give it another couple of weeks I think
It really doesn't seem like you fully understand the merits of CB. Many/most of the negatives mentioned are the near opposite of the truth... In CB, one is decanting and adding on a 24hr cycle.
Hey there, thanks for your comment. If you can explain/point me to a good resource that changes my mind about CB, I’m all ears. I’m always looking to learn more, but these are the most frequent issues/complaints I hear from CB-ers about their frustration with the process. But like I mention, there are so many variables that it really just depends on personal preference/lifestyle.
You Brew Kombucha ... I see a lot of people do CB all wrong. Where they are kind of doing a cross between CB and Batch Method. Essentially; I see them doing BM, but with a larger starter amount... In my experience; if one regulates temp, and keeps the height and width of brew close to square (height & width), once the brew has matured one can decant around 1/5th to 1/4th of brew daily and replace amount... it creates a very consistent taste... and easily tweaked by adding slightly less or more, daily 👍😄
David H That’s great insight, and thanks for sharing it! I think so much of it is so dependent on what type/style of kombucha people prefer and what their lifestyle is - whether they’re ok with decanting/replacing frequently or less often. And for me personally, that’s the biggest drawback of a continuous brewing methodology - I prefer a more “set it and forget it” (at least for a little bit of time) kind of model. But I definitely love hearing from homebrewers on different styles, methods and best practices. The more I learn about them, the better. And I’ll keep updating the site and creating more videos that cover different kombucha topics thanks to perspectives like yours! 😊
You Brew Kombucha ... Totally understand! 👍 I found it easier to just incorporate it into my morning routine. I first started doing the batch method. But found I was checking on it almost daily, anyways 😂
Do you use all your scoby every time you start a new batch or save scoby in a hotel for future batches?
❤❤❤❤❤
LOVE you videos except the annoying music!
VOCAL FRY IS NOT SEXY!!!!! LORD HELP US ALL
Don Barzini Hahahahahaha. Noted. I’ll make sure to make that my #1 tip on my You Brew Kombucha offshoot instructional series: You Talk Sexy. 😂
omg SO CUTE ALL AROUND YEAH
thank you my assian queen.
damn you sexy
Does she have a boyfriend? 😉
You so cute
So wrong
Lose that obnoxious music
What an obnoxious way to leave feedback to a person you don't know who's just trying to give free information out to people. Thanks for the feedback, but no thanks. No one's making you watch this video though if you find it insufferable. Hugs! Bye!
This girl talks rubbish don’t believe a word she says
Alistair Price Why say that and not back yourself up with at least one reason why? Or you're just being mean. I myself think she is doing a great job
Your logic doesnt make sense, its less work for continuous brewing
your post is more like an opinion than a general VS video ... not very enlightening sorry to say