Continuous Kombucha Brewing: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2024)

FAQs

How do you make continuous kombucha? ›

To set up a continuous brew system, you need a brew vessel with a spigot, a kombucha SCOBY, and starter liquid. Fill your brew vessel with sweet tea, then add the SCOBY and starter liquid. Cover the vessel with a cloth and secure with a band. Allow it to ferment at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Continuous brewing is (once again, as the name suggests) more continuous in that you're doing more continuous work and continuously “harvesting” first fermented kombucha. In this case, most CB brewers use a larger vessel (often 2-gallons or more) with a spigot, which they use to “harvest” kombucha from their CB vessel.

Once you have a healthy SCOBY, you can use it to start multiple batches of kombucha by transferring some of it along with some starter tea to each new batch. So, you typically only need one SCOBY for multiple batches.

while the normal brewing time for a batch of kombucha is 7-30 days, it is possible to allow a batch of kombucha to brew for up to 6 weeks, as long as the culturing area is not too warm.

Continuous fermentation is an open operation system with continuous addition and discharge of the solution in the system. Microorganisms and sterile nutrient solution are added hom*ogeneously to the bioreactor, continuously, while nutrient solution and microorganisms are transformed equivalently in the system.

There are three main methods for brewing: Extract, partial mash and all-grain. As the naming would suggest, the methods mainly differ in how the base of the beer is created, among other aspects.

The brewing process

Beer production involves malting, milling, mashing, extract separation, hop addition and boiling, removal of hops and precipitates, cooling and aeration, fermentation, separation of yeast from young beer, aging, maturing, and packaging.

Producers of acidified/fermented foods or beverages will be approved only if testing results for equilibrium pH show that their products fall within safe ranges of pH 4.6 or below. However, producers of unpasteurized bottled kombucha or any other fermented beverage should aim for a pH level of 4.2 or below.

You will only need to replace your SCOBY if it has developed mold or if it is continuously struggling to ferment. Often with struggling SCOBYs, things can be done to help bring balance to your culture depending on the situation, and you won't need to start over completely.

What temperature kills SCOBY? ›

You don't really have to worry about killing your SCOBY unless the liquid reaches above 100 degrees F. If this happens, you could: Move your vessel to the coolest, darkest spot in your home. It's OK to keep it in a closet and just take it out at night when it's less hot.

This is fine if they're getting too large or if you'd like to split them up to move some to a SCOBY hotel/share with a friend. You can't hurt your SCOBY by ripping it or cutting it. Its shape doesn't matter since new ones will always take the shape of the surface of whatever container you place it in.

-Make sure your secondary fermentation is at room temp (68 degrees or above). Move your secondary fermentation to the fridge when you are ready to stop the fermentation. -Use long necked swing top bottles.

Instructions: Dissolve sugar in water, steep tea, let it cool, remove tea bags, add vinegar or starter tea, and SCOBY, cover, and culture for 7-30 days at room temperature (68-85°F) out of direct sunlight. Retain tea and SCOBY for the next batch. Repeat.

Once the SCOBYs are dehydrated, place them in a sealable plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator (not the freezer). Dehydrated SCOBYs will generally survive in the refrigerator for at least 3 months. Once you are ready to begin making kombucha again, follow our instructions on how to rehydrate the SCOBY.

Second Ferment Process

- Add 1.5 tsp of white sugar into your clean sterile 750mL glass bottle. - 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.