Whether it’s batch brewing or continuous brewing I love the process of making kombucha. Batch brewing involves a SCOBY, a starter and sweetened tea. Brew for 7-10 days or so, then strain and enjoy. With continuous brewing, there is no straining. Drink 25 -50% of the container and then refill. It’s as simple as that!
Why Continuous Brew?
For those just beginning this venture, I suggest going straight to continuous brewing. I find it MUCH easier and equally delicious.
Curious about kombucha? You’re not alone. Many are discovering the benefits of probiotic beverages such as kefir, kvass, and kombucha.
What is kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented, probiotic, naturally carbonated tea, combining sweetened tea with a “mushroom” consisting of active cultures of yeast and bacteria. This mushroom is better known as a SCOBY or Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast.
Can kombucha be harmful? Unlikely, but possible. The trick is proper preparation and careful monitoring of the culture. As with any fermented food, beneficial microbes are given favorable conditions to “win out” over the harmful ones. Kombucha utilizes a starter along with the SCOBY to ensure your beverage goes in the right direction. If the mushroom turns black or the drink smells “off,” discard and begin again.
It’s possible to mistake a healing reaction for a harmful one. When beneficial microbes are introduced into the digestive system, the “good guys” can kill off the “bad guys.” This may result in a Herxheimer Reaction. If this occurs, back off of the ferment and try again with a small amount.
In addition, some people may be sensitive to the acetaldehydes present in kombucha. It’s always best to start small when consuming any fermented food.
Where can I find a SCOBY? Most batches will produce an extra SCOBY. If you have a friend who is brewing kombucha, ask them for their next “baby.” Be sure to ask for some of their finished beverage to add as a starter.
You can make your own SCOBY if you have access to store-bought kombucha. See How to Grow Your Own SCOBY.
Starter kits that include a SCOBY are available online. Sources include:
What type of sugar and what type of tea? Any refined organic white sugar will work. Unlike water kefir which thrives on the minerals contained in unrefined sugar, kombucha does better with refined sugar. All fermented foods need a substrate, and white sugar works great for kombucha. As for tea? Black or green tea works well, but herbal teas can hinder the process. I like Pure Puer Tea.
What type of container is best? When brewing with the batch method, any glass jar will work. For continuous brewing, glass, lead-free porcelain, or stainless steel work well. I purchased my large glass dispenser from Costco last summer. I love it because the spout is stainless steel. Most of the inexpensive dispensers utilize plastic spouts, which may work fine for you depending on your budget and preference.
With continuous brew, do I need to clean out the container? Once or twice a year is often enough to put the SCOBY aside and clean the container thoroughly. I recommend cleaning with white vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar because it cleans with no trace of chemicals. I use Vinegar of the Four Thieves.
What if my kombucha gets “off”? Because you’re dealing with live organisms, the balance can veer off rather easily. It’s not hard to get it back on course by making a few minor adjustments. This article titled Kombucha, the Balancing Act is an excellent resource for this.
You can do a second ferment by filling a glass container, tightening the lid, and letting it sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Add lemon, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, or any other favorite ingredient for enhanced flavor. The second ferment will add more fizz!
When brewing continuous batch kombucha, be sure to check the sweetness before dispensing. When you add new sweetened tea it can take a couple of days to ferment. The bigger my SCOBY, the faster it ferments. If I let the kombucha level drop to 25% or less, it takes several days at least to ferment.
Can a SCOBY get too big?
I find myself thinning my SCOBY every few weeks. I remove it with tongs and gently peel away some of the SCOBY with clean hands. I even use scissors to cut the SCOBY and it has done fine. These SCOBYs are quite resilient! I even make Band-aids with dried SCOBY! (See Incredible Edible Band-Aids.)
Since kombucha is room temperature, I keep kombucha ice cubes on hand to make the drink even more refreshing on a hot summer day!
Ready to try continuous brew kombucha? Go for it!
For more creative ways to use kombucha (especially sour kombucha), see 10 Alternative Uses for Kombucha.
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Hi Andrea,
Thank you for this article!
I’m wondering if you can use rooibis tea, as it is caffeine-free.
Also, does the healthy bacteria and yeast eat up all of the sugar or will there still be a sugar content to the drink?
Do you have a link for the bottles above and are they able to be washed in the dishwasher? Also, will they overflow if you fill then to the top?
By the way, the ginger variety sounds great! 🙂
-ma
Rooibos may work. It’s best if no flavorings are added to any tea so that nothing interferes with the culture. You can let it go as long as you like in terms of sugar. Usually after 10 days there is no sugar left (that’s a rough time frame.) I use a PH test strip to make sure it’s at a 4 acidity. The bottles are safe for the dishwasher. They are designed not to overflow. Check amazon using the search term “swing top bottle.”
Hi Andrea,
Continuous brew…a very intriguing concept! Thanks for sharing this info with all of us!
Beth in PA
ma,
Cultures for Health has an excellent article on the types of tea needed. If caffeine is an issue they suggest steeping the tea in boiling water for 30-60 seconds and then straining. When you pour boiling water again, most of the caffeine will be gone. They also talk about the sugar issue.
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kombucha-ingredients
Hi Andrea,
Thank you so much for the replies. I found the bottles on Amazon and they look great! Thank you also for the link to Cultures for Health’s article. I actually just found their site a couple weeks ago, but this article is just what I needed!
I haven’t started any fermenting yet, due to fear of mold growth, but your article and the one you mentioned in your comment above helped me understand that with proper procedures and monitoring, I can do this!
Also, my husband & I are recovering from mold exposure (a. niger) and I’m leary of fermenting in our current environment (new environment with none of our prior belongings) It ranked as a 1.7 on the ERMI test with both a.fumigatus and a.niger appearing with a value of “3” each. I’ve just been worried about any of those molds growing in my ferments. We’ve been on a “sugar-free”, fruit-free, low-grain diet (only brown rice, quinoa, and millet) along with natural antifungals and have already went through quite a bit of die-off. (4 months on the diet) I feel it would be good timing to start adding ferments, but I don’t want any mold from this environment multiplying in them. Hope this makes sense.
Thank you so much for the info you’ve been sharing – you have no idea how much it has helped my husband & I in our recovery process.
-ma
ma,
This makes a great deal of sense. If your starter is strong my guess it will overcome anything in the surrounding air. You will know right away if the ferment becomes moldy. You might consider doing a vegetable ferment in a pickl-it jar – there is no interaction with outside air with a vegetable ferment.
Water kefir grains are quite strong. I might start with that honestly. But my guess is you’ll do well with any ferment. I would start with 1 tsp when you do try it.
I have lots of extra water kefir grains. I would be more than happy to send some along. Honestly. Just let me know.
Andrea,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on my environment/air and how it would affect my fermenting. I’ve been looking forward to trying a pickle-it style jar for your sauerkraut recipe, as it seems relatively easy. 🙂 I was looking at the jars on Cultures for Health.
Also, thank you so much for offering me some of your water kefir grains! I will definitely take you up on the offer!
I looked at your water kefir recipe and it looks very simple. Currently I don’t have any sugar in my home (I gave it away when we started the antifungal diet). I found “Wholesome” brand organic evaporated cane juice and organic dark brown sugar online. I believe my local grocery store carries these – would these be the correct sugars to use for the water kefir? Also, do I need ph strips for the water kefir?
I’ll email you with my info as soon as I gather the supplies. 🙂
I’m so excited about this – just recently my husband and I have noticed that we are regaining some of our organizational abilities and I’m so encouraged that we’re making progress by God’s grace. I’m sure that the probiotic boost will be very instrumental in moving forward further.
Also, do you take any vitamins/herbs for liver support that you find helpful? (We take Milk Thistle daily). We’ve had waves of die-off and I have to remind myself to go easy on our livers.
-ma
you don’t need the PH strips. especially with WK – it really does ferment in 48 hours. Kombucha is a bit slower so easier to drink too soon in my opinion.
Milk thistle is number one for liver for sure. Coffee enemas have been helpful for me. I’m sure there are other herbs for liver. I eat raw liver from grassfed cows and give my kids dessicated liver from Radiant Life. (I put in capsules).
Email me when you’re ready. I totally understand what you’re saying about organization!!! I was thinking this morning how much better that is for me.
andrea@momsaware.org
I love the second ferment I make with my air-tight “swing-top” bottles – donated by an old friend who used to drink Grolsh Beer.
But, with painful arthritis, I have a really tough time opening these. And when I do finally get them open, I lose at least half of the brew down the sink & often up on the ceiling! SO ANNOYING!!!
Does anyone have any ideas about how I might solve this challenge?
How long is your second ferment? Maybe try putting them in the fridge a day earlier so they don’t get explosively fizzy. Also, I’d open over a clean bowl in the sink with a plastic sandwich bag opened over the top to cover any upward spray, and re-direct it down into the bowl, which could then be poured into your glass. 😉
I also use Grolsh bottle. When opening let a little air out at a time keeping your hand on the cap. It may take several minutes to release the air .Some fizz will run down the side of the bottle but it won’t explode on you or the ceiling.
Happy brewing!
Hmmmm…is it possible that your swing-top is especially tight? Ours seem to get looser and easier to open as we use them. Sorry to hear of this problem.
This is interesting. I have only had kombucha once, but I really liked it. But it was store bought and expensive. I may try to give up coffee pretty soon so maybe I will try this. Plus it would give me an excuse to get a drink dispenser which I have always wanted!
Yes, I love these drink dispensers!!!
Does the fizz disappear if you have it in a dispenser and I was told I need to keep it in the fridge so it doesn’t get over vinegar taste.if I take a break do you store the scobe in the fridge with part of the tea before you add the fruit?
Refrigeration does slow down the fermentation process. So that’s not a bad idea once you get it to the place you like it. I do store my SCOBYs in the fridge as well.
I love kombucha!! the only issue is what do you do with all those extra scobys? I am running out of room to store them in the fridge!
Heather,
Kombucha Kamp has lots of ideas for this. They deyhydrate them, share them, use them for garden, eat them….I generally save them in a bowl in the pantry and give them away. I haven’t experimented with anything beyond that. Kombucha Kamp says they can be stored at room temperature and so far so good. Maybe that will help free up your fridge.
My second batch of Kumbucha is finished, and now I added ginger and capped tightly. How many days until it becomes carbonated? Do I need to add any more sugar to make this happen?
It should be done in about 48 hours. No need to add any more sugar.
I have read that Kombucha Tea should not be exposed to metal for an extended period of time. I boil half the filtered water to make the tea base in a stainless steel pot and afterwards help cool off the solution with the additional cold filtered water to minimize the amount of time in the pot. I have a dispenser as shown in the photo however I avoided using it because of the metal spigot that will come in contact with the tea. What do you think about that?
I agree that metal should not be a major part of the production, but the contact with the metal strainer is so brief I’ve not noticed any problems. I prefer it over plastic or silicone, but you can certainly use whatever you’re comfortable with, Dede.
Hi Andrea,
I was able to successful grow a SCOBY from store bought Kombucha…thanks! I’m going to try tackling the continuous brew method. Question though…what do I refill the container with?? Just sweet tea? Sorry, I’m a first timer 😉
Yes, sweet tea! So glad to hear about growing the SCOBY successfully. You’ll love the continuous brew method.
Need to be sure about storing extra scobys. Do they need to be in air tight container or stored in jar with just a cloth and covered with tea?
I keep them covered container in the fridge. Best covered with kombucha or tea.
Question: do you get PH sticks?
Yes, I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Macherey-Nagel-92110-0-14-Indicator-Strips/dp/B001T77WW2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1511120887&sr=8-14&keywords=ph+Strips
There are lots of them 0-13
I grew a beautiful SCOBY …. I want to start a continuous. My question is do I use the tea it was grown in for my “starter tea”? Thanks. I ordered a stainless steel spigot for my jug hope that works??
Yes, you can use that as a starter. Hope it all works well for you, Sally.
My store bought scabby came with ph strips. No instructions re their use. What use them> Whtt is proper ph? After my initial batch I plan to use the continuous plan.
Thanks
Michael
You would want the pH to be between 2 and 4. The closer to 2 the better.