I made Kombucha vinegar out of a forgotten batch once, by feeding it additional sugar every two weeks three times to further increase the acetic acid concentration. Then I pasteurized the liquid to avoid further fermentation/ new pellicle growth. The vinegar is still on the milder side and hence great for a spritz or a not too tart vinaigrette. I know that pasteurizing kills the probiotics but the prebiotic benefits are retained, so it is still good for your gut.
I like my Kombucha the most after a fermentation period of 9 weeks. The last batch of Kombucha was sitting on my counter for almost 10 weeks (it was very cold where I live, therefore it took longer). And it's still drinkable. I like it when it is super tangy and strong! That's perfect for me! 😄 No joke, I mean it exactly as I said.
Thx...you've reminded me that I need to refresh (feed) my hotel. It looks really sad sitting on my countertop. 😔 My main reason for keeping it, is for future reasons, (like prepping). It's a great gut healer and would be very useful for potentially 😫 sick people in the family.
So enjoy your informative videos! This one was so timely as I realized with the holiday week my latest batch had an extra week of fermentation. Really appreciate all your contributions to the kombucha community!
I intentionally over ferment my komboocha. I have hypoglycemia which is a form of insulin resistance so kinda don't want sugar. I like sweet more than tart in my kombucha, so it has a lot of sugar. Letting it become vinegar eliminates that, but I don't drink it straight or as a second ferment. Instead I bottle to use for salad dressing, or add to drop bottles and add drops to cold unsweetened tea, or fruit infused/electrolyte water. I need the probiotic cultures, not the sugar. Also, kombucha vinegar makes a nice marinade or cooking vinegar too, though heat will kill tze cultures.
You might be interested in checking out Bread Beckers with Sue Becker since you mentioned hypoglycemia. Bread made from freshly-milled, whole-grains is highly nutritious and healing, and it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.
Great video as always. You provide so much excellent and valuable information to those of us that home brew kombucha. I do own a copy of your book and enjoy having it. Thank you!!!
I got a batch of what has unintentionally turned completely into Kombucha Vinegar, I just add 1fl oz of it to a 16oz water bottle before every meal, like how people do with ACV. Tomorrow though I'm making Kombucha BBQ Sauce and Scoby "Energy Balls"
All your videos are great!! Thank you. Two years ago I learned how to make kombucha from following your videos, webiste and book. I’m still making it and love the whole process. It’s a fun hobby with a delicious healthy benefit!! Question - how would you store kombucha vinegar? With a lid on or off?
Thank you so much, Tricia! I’m so glad you’ve found it all helpful! I’d recommend storing it with a breathable lid (like a cotton cloth or if you have a bottle with an airlock) - just so it doesn’t build carbonation as it continues to ferment. But if you’re keeping it in the fridge, you might be able to get away with a lid - maybe just don’t seal it all the way so any extra pressure has the opportunity to escape
Thank you for the extremely timely video. Life happened and I have a few jars of super acidic kombucha and just don't know what to do with them. This is perfect information!
Thank you! I "over-fermented" my kombucha for about 3 months or so. 1 jar was sealed shut & the other had air leakage. The sealed 1 smelled good like a hard cider & the other extremely vinegary. I used the hard cider one to start new batches & will find uses for the other. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to use it. Thanks to you, I can have fun finding ways to continue using my well aged kombucha!❤❤❤
@@hennesseyme9112 I believe they are supposed to breathe so there isnt any gas buildup. The metal mason lid with ring did bump up from the pressure, but didnt explode. i guess it sat long enough that the gas pressure was gone or escaped thru the bent lid. I would treat your scoby hotel same as you brew. place a cloth over the top & secure tightly to keep dirt & bugs out. Im sorry you haf trouble getting answers. Best of luck! I personally brew 7 separate quart jars for each day of the week so I have an exact 7 day brew each day. This also protects each individual scoby in case of bad mold contaminating a batch. It happened to me once & I thankfully had a spare scoby in fridge to start over. Otherwise, I would have had to buy more.
You are great at explaining everything about kombucha. Loved the sour face you made, ha! I just hesitantly threw some leftover acidic kombucha, (after I took what was needed as a starter), down the drain. I suspected that it could be useful. Why didn’t think it would work in any way vinegar would? 😏 I’ve been wanting to ask you what the ratio of sugar in the tea is? I’m brewing in a smaller vessel since it’s just me who drinks it and I’ve just been guessing at how much I should use. I’ve been making just three second ferments and then have extra that from now on I’ll use! I should have measured the volume but it’s busy brewing now. Thanks for teaching us all things Kombucha! 🥰 Oh, real quick, I remember you talking about the teas that were your favorites and wondered what you think of Yorkshire Gold? Thanks!
Mine takes longer than everyone says it should take, I was told 10 days but it’s taking a lot longer intact it doesn’t even turn into vinegar at all What do I do? Add more sugar? Add more sugar and tea? Idk I guess it took over a month last time which was my first time
Angelica, I plan to look up if people do root beer or "cola" kombuchas, but do you personally have any recs? Should I look into brewing/steeping like, sarsparilla root or something? Any info is appreciated. Oh and I'm now making kombucha with pu'erh tea which I am loving due to its malty, creamy notes. Goes well with berries & hibiscus really well.
Your channel is such a wonderful source of all things Boucha. Thank you so much for putting in the time to teach and create this content. This is really helping reinforce the information I have gathered so far.
I did something stupid - I’ve never been a tea drinker, so working w tea is new to me. I took up your measurements of tbls for loose leaf tea, but my “loose” tea was granules & should have been measured in tsp. It’s been fermenting fine & growing scobies, but it’s not lightening up much. I’m assuming there’s still a LOT of tea & caffeine still in it. Should I just add (hot) fresh sugar water to refresh the sugar/tea ratio & dilute it & then let it ferment longer? Or just keep letting it ferment as is until the culture eats up more if the tea & lightens up? Can anybody answer this? Thank you!!!
I remember when I was younger would leave out a cup of brewed tea that I only took a few sips & then put it in fridge or something & forget about it.. I would try drinking it again a few days later & would notice it would start to ferment. I would toss it out after that first sip (I didn’t know about kombucha at this time). Do you think this was actually working process of a mini kombucha brew?
Hi! I have a big question. I am currently growing my first scoby from scratch, and I will of course use it to ferment some kombucha once it is fully grown. So basically what will happen to the liquid that my scoby is currently growing in? Will that automatically be kombucha, or will it be starter tea, or will it just become a scoby hotel, or should I just pour it out and use my first batch of kombucha as my starter tea?
I hope you've figured it out by now, but if not: overbred liquid becomes your new starter tea. A scobi hotel is when you have multiple scobis hanging out in the liquid.
Hi I have 2 incidents, my first Kombucha came out fine I think just on the secondo puting flavor it came out to acidity like vinegar the flavors I use was Jinger, apple and jalapeno but i use pieces of the flavor maybe it needed more sugar? second making my next bach of kombucha is been 3 days since of brewing, when I was checking I didnt like the film it was on top so I pulled out, it taste fine so put it back to keep it fermented do you think is going to affect the brewing?
hi have a question... im growing my first scobby .. its day 8 today.. and its not quiet yet a fully formed scobby . do i feed it or wait until its fully grown ?? and if i feed it now.. how do i do it ? thanks ,,, Also its like 7degrees here temp
Super helpful thank you! I was wondering about cleaning cause I use vinegar in my hair! And we are almost out so this will be great! Also so much easier than acv to make 😅 diluting it to make the second ferment sounds great too I just got bottles I am excited to try out! Im thinking of using juice and tea :)
If you dilute very strong Kombucha with sweet tea ..you will have a high sugar drink? Or does the acidity rapidly convert the sugar to something else. I hope to avoid most sugar...
Hey! I took a lot of knowledge from your videos already 😍 but I have a question… We received a scone that was raised on honey a few weeks ago and we live in the tropics. We started/continued making kombucha with honey and every single time it tastes SO much like beer… after a few days it gets to a point where we literally don’t want to drink it anymore. Which is why we are taking a break from brewing now. What can we do?
Sounds like you have too much yeast in relation to bacteria. Is your brewing place very warm (above 26C / 80F)? Try to brew in a cooler spot and read up on other ways to balance the yeast with bacteria. It can be fixed! Good luck!
@@TangiableArcthank you, yes indeed. I live in North Queensland, Australia and even now in winter it’s over 20 degrees during the day. In summer it’s unbearable haha.
Hey, I've never tried it but as far as I know, Caffeine is one of the main stuff bacteria in scoby consume. you might run into problems. tho I'm not sure
I'm intrigued by the color of your tea. Mine is always opaque, and turns too vinegary (like seriously tastes like ACV) after just a week. Maybe I'm brewing too strong.
i had always heard that you had to keep your kombucha in the dark during the brewing process .. but yet i have seen so many people here on you tube just sitting it on the counter .. and the SCOBY hotel is out on the counter being exposed to sunlight ( i dont mean IN the sunlight ) but definitely allowed to see daylight lol .. i am kinda confused
I am very new to the process of making kombucha. I am going to be away for three weeks. What is the best means of leaving my SCOBY so it will still be viable when I return? Thanks for any help.
Hi. Could you test your water PH ? I just want to know, because my water ( ph 6.3 ) makes my kombucha start at PH 3.1, thats too low for starting point? Because at day 4 it was PH 2.8, too fast while the sugar still not ferment well, it taste medium sweet. 😁
Hi. I was given a double scoby, and I left one in a little of the starter liquid and started brewing the other. It sat for 3 or 4 weeks. I assumed it was done for. How do I know if it is still safe?
I want to use the extra scoby to make bread or something else because I have too many scobies. I discovered the scobies hard to break down. Any suggestions on what to do with the many scobies please.
I tried re-using sour kombucha to start my fermentation again (after not doing it a long while), but for some reason 1) the first fermentation seems to take quite long and 2) second fermentation does not work anymore for some reason?? do you have any tips? the bottles just tasted like sweet, lightly sour tea, no bubbles whatsoever. and I've waited quite a while :(
I made Kombucha vinegar out of a forgotten batch once, by feeding it additional sugar every two weeks three times to further increase the acetic acid concentration. Then I pasteurized the liquid to avoid further fermentation/ new pellicle growth. The vinegar is still on the milder side and hence great for a spritz or a not too tart vinaigrette. I know that pasteurizing kills the probiotics but the prebiotic benefits are retained, so it is still good for your gut.
I actually did that. I couldn't waste it so I added fresh water and lots of strawberries. Poured it over ice and it was great !!!!
It makes great salad dressing.
I like my Kombucha the most after a fermentation period of 9 weeks. The last batch of Kombucha was sitting on my counter for almost 10 weeks (it was very cold where I live, therefore it took longer). And it's still drinkable. I like it when it is super tangy and strong! That's perfect for me! 😄 No joke, I mean it exactly as I said.
Thx...you've reminded me that I need to refresh (feed) my hotel. It looks really sad sitting on my countertop. 😔 My main reason for keeping it, is for future reasons, (like prepping). It's a great gut healer and would be very useful for potentially 😫 sick people in the family.
Hi fellow kombucha brewing prepper!👍😄
This answered the exact question I had. Thank you!
So enjoy your informative videos!
This one was so timely as I realized with the holiday week my latest batch had an extra week of fermentation.
Really appreciate all your contributions to the kombucha community!
We appreciate you🫰💕🌼
I let my Kombucha ferment for 9 weeks and longer, I like it when it is super tangy and acidic! 😃 No joke.
Could you do a video on how to prepare a scoby hotel from scratch? ( I mean another video showing us the steps)😊
You rock thank you for these short informative straight to the point videos!
I've been out of the kombucha making for 3+ years... Great to know I can take that 3+ yr old batch and put it to use.
Kombucha vinegar is a herbicide and kills weeds in your garden :)
I intentionally over ferment my komboocha. I have hypoglycemia which is a form of insulin resistance so kinda don't want sugar. I like sweet more than tart in my kombucha, so it has a lot of sugar. Letting it become vinegar eliminates that, but I don't drink it straight or as a second ferment. Instead I bottle to use for salad dressing, or add to drop bottles and add drops to cold unsweetened tea, or fruit infused/electrolyte water. I need the probiotic cultures, not the sugar. Also, kombucha vinegar makes a nice marinade or cooking vinegar too, though heat will kill tze cultures.
You might be interested in checking out Bread Beckers with Sue Becker since you mentioned hypoglycemia. Bread made from freshly-milled, whole-grains is highly nutritious and healing, and it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.
Great video as always. You provide so much excellent and valuable information to those of us that home brew kombucha. I do own a copy of your book and enjoy having it. Thank you!!!
thanks. You explain so simply, but thoroughly
I got a batch of what has unintentionally turned completely into Kombucha Vinegar, I just add 1fl oz of it to a 16oz water bottle before every meal, like how people do with ACV.
Tomorrow though I'm making Kombucha BBQ Sauce and Scoby "Energy Balls"
All your videos are great!! Thank you. Two years ago I learned how to make kombucha from following your videos, webiste and book. I’m still making it and love the whole process. It’s a fun hobby with a delicious healthy benefit!! Question - how would you store kombucha vinegar? With a lid on or off?
Thank you so much, Tricia! I’m so glad you’ve found it all helpful! I’d recommend storing it with a breathable lid (like a cotton cloth or if you have a bottle with an airlock) - just so it doesn’t build carbonation as it continues to ferment. But if you’re keeping it in the fridge, you might be able to get away with a lid - maybe just don’t seal it all the way so any extra pressure has the opportunity to escape
Thank you for the extremely timely video. Life happened and I have a few jars of super acidic kombucha and just don't know what to do with them. This is perfect information!
Thank you! I "over-fermented" my kombucha for about 3 months or so. 1 jar was sealed shut & the other had air leakage. The sealed 1 smelled good like a hard cider & the other extremely vinegary. I used the hard cider one to start new batches & will find uses for the other. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to use it. Thanks to you, I can have fun finding ways to continue using my well aged kombucha!❤❤❤
The one you covered didn't suffer? I have been asking if a scoby hotel should be covered or not and people don't like to answer.
@@hennesseyme9112 I believe they are supposed to breathe so there isnt any gas buildup. The metal mason lid with ring did bump up from the pressure, but didnt explode. i guess it sat long enough that the gas pressure was gone or escaped thru the bent lid. I would treat your scoby hotel same as you brew. place a cloth over the top & secure tightly to keep dirt & bugs out. Im sorry you haf trouble getting answers. Best of luck! I personally brew 7 separate quart jars for each day of the week so I have an exact 7 day brew each day. This also protects each individual scoby in case of bad mold contaminating a batch. It happened to me once & I thankfully had a spare scoby in fridge to start over. Otherwise, I would have had to buy more.
@@Hick-A-BillyLLC Thanks for replying. I see some people open theirs others close them. I think in this case, a jar with an airlock would be perfect.
@@hennesseyme9112 I think you're right!😁
You are great at explaining everything about kombucha. Loved the sour face you made, ha!
I just hesitantly threw some leftover acidic kombucha, (after I took what was needed as a starter), down the drain.
I suspected that it could be useful.
Why didn’t think it would work in any way vinegar would? 😏
I’ve been wanting to ask you what the ratio of sugar in the tea is?
I’m brewing in a smaller vessel since it’s just me who drinks it and I’ve just been guessing at how much I should use.
I’ve been making just three second ferments and then have extra that from now on I’ll use!
I should have measured the volume but it’s busy brewing now.
Thanks for teaching us all things Kombucha! 🥰
Oh, real quick, I remember you talking about the teas that were your favorites and
wondered what you think of Yorkshire Gold? Thanks!
Is it weird that I prefer the taste of overfermented Kombucha? The extra tang makes it really tasty for my pallet.
Amazing advice is to use it as a starter tea, I hope my second batch will be just fine :)
Very helpful. I already had thought to use one of my scobies to start brewing vinegar. Thanks❤
Mine takes longer than everyone says it should take, I was told 10 days but it’s taking a lot longer intact it doesn’t even turn into vinegar at all
What do I do? Add more sugar? Add more sugar and tea?
Idk I guess it took over a month last time which was my first time
Thanks for explaining very clearly. It is very useful for me
It was helpful. Thank you. I actually learnt how to brew from you since 2020 or 21. Thanks alot.
Angelica, I plan to look up if people do root beer or "cola" kombuchas, but do you personally have any recs? Should I look into brewing/steeping like, sarsparilla root or something? Any info is appreciated. Oh and I'm now making kombucha with pu'erh tea which I am loving due to its malty, creamy notes. Goes well with berries & hibiscus really well.
Yes I make rootbeer kombucha I just use the happy gut blend.
@@everythingallin4905 Thanks so much for your reply. I am not familiar with the happy gut blend. What is this?
@@ginal2643 it's a kombucha flavoring brand that you can buy. Amazon has it.
Ooh! Thanks! Hadn't heard of them. Just found it. *enthusiastically adds to cart*
Seen body sugar quite high, can continue taking kombucha everyday??
Thanks. Hopefully for reply 🙏🙏🙏
Your channel is such a wonderful source of all things Boucha. Thank you so much for putting in the time to teach and create this content. This is really helping reinforce the information I have gathered so far.
Your videos are the best! I learned so much thanks to you! ❤ I wonder if we could ferment veggies in kombucha, like pickle them with an acidic batch…
Great info, thought you were going to say an extra receptacle for the pelicles :) cheers
Your channel is amazing, thank you for the the great content you share!!
I did something stupid - I’ve never been a tea drinker, so working w tea is new to me. I took up your measurements of tbls for loose leaf tea, but my “loose” tea was granules & should have been measured in tsp. It’s been fermenting fine & growing scobies, but it’s not lightening up much. I’m assuming there’s still a LOT of tea & caffeine still in it. Should I just add (hot) fresh sugar water to refresh the sugar/tea ratio & dilute it & then let it ferment longer? Or just keep letting it ferment as is until the culture eats up more if the tea & lightens up? Can anybody answer this? Thank you!!!
Life have gotten so far !
I own a Kombucha company now !
Nice! Congratulations!
Has anyone ever told you that you sound a lot like Michelle Phan??? (P.S. made my first batch of kombucha thanks to your vids!)
I remember when I was younger would leave out a cup of brewed tea that I only took a few sips & then put it in fridge or something & forget about it.. I would try drinking it again a few days later & would notice it would start to ferment. I would toss it out after that first sip (I didn’t know about kombucha at this time). Do you think this was actually working process of a mini kombucha brew?
Hi! I have a big question. I am currently growing my first scoby from scratch, and I will of course use it to ferment some kombucha once it is fully grown. So basically what will happen to the liquid that my scoby is currently growing in? Will that automatically be kombucha, or will it be starter tea, or will it just become a scoby hotel, or should I just pour it out and use my first batch of kombucha as my starter tea?
I hope you've figured it out by now, but if not: overbred liquid becomes your new starter tea. A scobi hotel is when you have multiple scobis hanging out in the liquid.
Do I have to use a scobi or can I just use over fermented kombucha
Great insight, this is totally inspiring to my channel. Never heard of black tea kombucha. Completely watched & enjoyed. Keep up the great work. Hibb
99% of the kombucha is made using black tea. What kind of teas have you heard about people using to make kombucha?
Hi I have 2 incidents, my first Kombucha came out fine I think just on the secondo puting flavor it came out to acidity like vinegar the flavors I use was Jinger, apple and jalapeno but i use pieces of the flavor maybe it needed more sugar? second making my next bach of kombucha is been 3 days since of brewing, when I was checking I didnt like the film it was on top so I pulled out, it taste fine so put it back to keep it fermented do you think is going to affect the brewing?
Super helpful! Thanks a lot!
hi have a question... im growing my first scobby .. its day 8 today.. and its not quiet yet a fully formed scobby . do i feed it or wait until its fully grown ?? and if i feed it now.. how do i do it ? thanks ,,, Also its like 7degrees here temp
Super helpful thank you! I was wondering about cleaning cause I use vinegar in my hair! And we are almost out so this will be great! Also so much easier than acv to make 😅 diluting it to make the second ferment sounds great too I just got bottles I am excited to try out! Im thinking of using juice and tea :)
If you dilute very strong Kombucha with sweet tea ..you will have a high sugar drink? Or does the acidity rapidly convert the sugar to something else.
I hope to avoid most sugar...
Does this apply to Jun Tea too?
Hey!
I took a lot of knowledge from your videos already 😍 but I have a question…
We received a scone that was raised on honey a few weeks ago and we live in the tropics.
We started/continued making kombucha with honey and every single time it tastes SO much like beer… after a few days it gets to a point where we literally don’t want to drink it anymore.
Which is why we are taking a break from brewing now.
What can we do?
Sounds like you have too much yeast in relation to bacteria. Is your brewing place very warm (above 26C / 80F)? Try to brew in a cooler spot and read up on other ways to balance the yeast with bacteria. It can be fixed! Good luck!
@@TangiableArcthank you, yes indeed. I live in North Queensland, Australia and even now in winter it’s over 20 degrees during the day. In summer it’s unbearable haha.
Have you ever tried brewing with decaf black tea? Thank you so much for your informative content!
Hey, I've never tried it but as far as I know, Caffeine is one of the main stuff bacteria in scoby consume. you might run into problems. tho I'm not sure
Please help, I got Kahm yeast in my kombucha hotel. Everything was going great until now. Can I save my kombucha hotel?
Very helpful. Thanks
I'm intrigued by the color of your tea. Mine is always opaque, and turns too vinegary (like seriously tastes like ACV) after just a week. Maybe I'm brewing too strong.
Can I come back after my kombucha has set in fridge for 2 months and add more fruit for fresh flavor
i had always heard that you had to keep your kombucha in the dark during the brewing process .. but yet i have seen so many people here on you tube just sitting it on the counter .. and the SCOBY hotel is out on the counter being exposed to sunlight ( i dont mean IN the sunlight ) but definitely allowed to see daylight lol .. i am kinda confused
I was just thinking the same thing!
It wont dehydrate as fast ifnyou put in dark but you may firget about it lol
Its supose to be a Vinigar? Mine is 5% ABV alcohol
Thanks for sharing! 🥰👍
Thanks so much. I was gone a month and my kombucha got really vinegary. I thought all was lost.
Do you keep the hotel in the fridge??
Can you use the vinegar for pickling?
How long can I keep it in a bottle after the secondary fermentation
i think water kefir is better since it is not so sour
I am very new to the process of making kombucha. I am going to be away for three weeks. What is the best means of leaving my SCOBY so it will still be viable when I return? Thanks for any help.
I cover that topic in this video: th-cam.com/video/xlJcTX4byjY/w-d-xo.html 😊 check it out!
Thx for the video. Sometimes i forget
Hi. Could you test your water PH ? I just want to know, because my water ( ph 6.3 ) makes my kombucha start at PH 3.1, thats too low for starting point? Because at day 4 it was PH 2.8, too fast while the sugar still not ferment well, it taste medium sweet. 😁
Maybe you could use some bottled water? I use purified from Sprouts, & it works great!
Awesome 🤩
I had some bad luck with apricot nectar. Not a good one.
Hi. I was given a double scoby, and I left one in a little of the starter liquid and started brewing the other. It sat for 3 or 4 weeks. I assumed it was done for. How do I know if it is still safe?
The tea might be too acid for drinking, but you can use it and the scobi as starter for your next batch.
I have like 3 scoby hotels, so I’m here watching because I need to actually get brewing again LOL
Haha
Mine brew is WAY darker than yours...why?
Theybhave lots ofnlighrs so will lookna lot lighter..but likely the type of tea you used
Can we use plastic container as a scoby hotel?
Absolutely not
Scoby Doo! 😁
I want to use the extra scoby to make bread or something else because I have too many scobies. I discovered the scobies hard to break down. Any suggestions on what to do with the many scobies please.
I tried re-using sour kombucha to start my fermentation again (after not doing it a long while), but for some reason 1) the first fermentation seems to take quite long and 2) second fermentation does not work anymore for some reason?? do you have any tips? the bottles just tasted like sweet, lightly sour tea, no bubbles whatsoever. and I've waited quite a while :(
I have exactly the same problem 😢
Are you still single ?