4 Advice to Choose a kombucha brewing equipment

If you&#;re in the market for a good kombucha brewing vessel

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for 1st fermentation, I can give you some tips on what to

look for.

But before we get started, just a quick refresher on what 1st

fermentation is. To brew kombucha, you have to go through

two phases: 1st fermentation and 2nd fermentation.

1st fermentation (F1): F1 typically takes around 7-12 days.

During that time, the sweet tea ferments and is transformed

into kombucha by the starter culture and a SCOBY. At the end

of first fermentation, you&#;ll have unflavored, largely

un-carbonated kombucha.

2nd fermentation (F2): This is when your kombucha tea is flavored (usually with fruit)

and bottled in a sealed container for around 3-4 days at room temperature to create

carbonation. You can read this post for info for choosing the right bottles for F2.

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Tips for F1 Kombucha Brew Vessels

• Glass is great. I like to use 1-gallon clear glass jars.

- You can use larger or smaller vessels, but just make sure you adjust the

proportion of your ingredients accordingly! Some brewers report that larger

vessels make the process take longer or throw off the final flavor of the brew.

- I like clear glass since you can monitor your brew without messing around with

the lid or moving it around.

• Ceramic is also great as long as it&#;s food-grade and not glazed with paint that could leach into your brew.

• Food-grade stainless steel is OK (grade 304 or higher).

• Do not use plastic or metal containers since they could leach when exposed to your kombucha for long periods of time.

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Covering Your Brew Vessel

While it&#;s fermenting, you&#;ll want to cover it with a clean, breathable cover that allows for good airflow but keeps dust and insects out of your brew. Secure your cover with a rubber band to make sure it doesn&#;t move around.  Here are some options:

• Clean cotton cloth.

  • I honestly use a clean t-shirt that I never wear anymore, which I&#;ve cut into pieces that fit my brew vessels. Bandanas work well!

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  Fine weave cheesecloth is OK as long as you make sure it has a very tight weave. Flies can burrow through cheesecloth that&#;s more open or loose. And if your cheesecloth sheds at all, that could be harmful to your brew if the cloth is treated with bleach or other chemicals.

• Coffee filters also work as long as they cover the whole opening.

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What about continuous brew (CB) vessels?

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The recommendations I outline above are for batch brew vessels. I personally do not continuous brew, and I don&#;t recommend it for folks who are just starting out or for people who want more control over their brew cycle. So I don&#;t have a whole ton of tips for CB here (sorry!).

If you want to read more about batch vs. continuous brew methods, you can go here.

But if you are in the market for a continuous brew vessel, make sure it&#;s food-grade glass, ceramic or stainless steel. And most importantly: make sure the spigot is made of food-grade material as well, since plastic or other metals can leach into your brew.

KOMBUCHA BREWING

JAR

Kombucha Supplies

:

What to Use

• Glass. Glass is the best option for brewing kombucha. Not only will it not react to the acidity of the brew, it doesn't scratch easily or contain chemicals such as BPA. Glass containers are also easy and inexpensive to obtain. Canning jars and storage jars in quart, half-gallon, and gallon sizes work well. For kombucha continuous brew systems a larger glass jar with spigot is a good choice. Be sure the spigot inside the jar is plastic, not metal, as metal can damage the kombucha SCOBY. This Kombucha Brewing Jar by Mortier Pilon is specially designed for continuous kombucha brewing and even includes a lid with a re-writable label to make it easy to keep track of your batches.
• Ceramic. If you would like to culture kombucha in a ceramic container, check to make sure the glaze is food-grade to prevent potential contact with lead.
• Porcelain.

   

  Porcelain is generally safe for brewing kombucha, as long as it is food-grade. Avoid porcelain pieces such as vases or decorative pottery that are not food-grade.

Material Options: What to Avoid

• Plastic.

   

  We do not recommend using plastic containers for brewing kombucha. Plastic is easily damaged, and scratches in the plastic can harbor foreign bacteria. Plastic, even food-grade, may contain undesirable chemicals that can be harmful to the kombucha SCOBY.
• Crystal.

   

  Because crystal contains lead we do not advise using crystal to brew kombucha.
• Metal. Metal is generally detrimental to kombucha. The only possible exception is stainless steel. Because it is relatively inert, some brewers feel it is a reasonable alternative to glass. While we do not recommend using it, some people do have success doing so.
  
  

What Size Container to Use

You can brew kombucha in any size container, provided it is large enough to hold all the kombucha ingredients while maintaining the correct ingredient ratios. (When activating a dehydrated kombucha SCOBY, be sure to follow the ingredient amounts included in the instructions.)

When choosing a container size, consider that kombucha brewing time is 7 to 30 days. The batch size should be large enough to provide kombucha for drinking plus starter tea needed for the next batch.

For instance, if you are making kombucha in a quart-sized canning jar, that holds about 4 cups of liquid. You will need to use at least a 1/2 cup of that kombucha as starter tea for your next batch. So you will have about 3 1/2 cups of finished kombucha left to drink until your next batch is finished culturing.

Be Aware of Surface Area

Since the surface area at the top of the liquid will influence the rate at which kombucha brews, keep in mind the size of the surface area when choosing a container.

A brew with a 9-inch diameter surface will culture significantly faster than a brew with a 3-inch diameter surface. While it may be tempting to speed up the fermentation process by using a container with a larger surface area, faster isn&#;t necessarily better.

If your kombucha gets fermenting too quickly, the batch may become quite vinegary in flavor. In short, be aware that the size of the surface area may affect how fast your kombucha ferments, and be ready to adjust you fermentation time accordingly. Learn more by reading How Surface Area Affects Kombucha Brewing Time.

COVERING THE KOMBUCHA BREWING CONTAINER

Fermenting kombucha tea can tend to attract fruit flies and other critters. To keep these out, you'll want to cover your brewing container to protect your kombucha and SCOBY. Keep in mind the following when choosing a cover:

• A

   

  coffee filter

   

  or

   

  tight-weave dish towel, secured with a rubber band, is an excellent choice.
• Butter muslin is another good option. It can be cut and layered to fit the top of a container.
• Canning jar rings

   

  that come with mason jars work well to secure fabric over the top of the jar.
• Avoid loose-weave fabric or screens, as these will not keep out tiny bugs like ants and fruit flies.
• Do not use a tight lid. In order for your kombucha to ferment effectively, it needs

   

  sufficient airflow. A tight lid will inhibit this airflow and prevent your kombucha from fermenting properly.
  
  

OPTIONAL SUPPLIES

While by no means required, a few additional supplies that can be helpful while brewing kombucha.

1. Mesh Tea Ball

Mesh tea balls come in handy when using loose tea to brew kombucha. Metal tea balls are fine to use, as they will be removed before the SCOBY and starter tea are added.

2. Re-Usable Tea Bags

Re-usable cotton tea bags are great for any size batch of kombucha. These also work well for steeping loose leaf tea.

3. Plastic Strainer

A plastic strainer, while not necessary, can certainly be useful for making homemade kombucha. Use it to strain yeast strings from finished kombucha or scoop out the SCOBY. We carry BPA-free plastic strainers in two sizes which are great for other culturing projects too, like making milk kefir and water kefir. They are available individually or as part of our flavored kombucha kits.

4. Bottles

Bottles with a tight seal such as our Grolsch-Style Flip-Top Bottles work well for making a fizzy finished kombucha flavors for tea. If you're looking to make flavored kombucha, but not sure if you want to invest in a full 12-bottle case, our flavor kombucha kits offer a great solution! In addition to a SCOBY and flavorings they include two flip-top bottles to get you started bottling!

5. Funnel

If you choose to bottle your finished kombucha for extra fizz, having a funnel can make the process a lot easier. We carry silicone funnels that work well. The best part is that they are collapsible and easy to store when not in use.

6. Stick-On Thermometer

Temperature plays an important role in home-brewed kombucha. Kombucha starter cultures work best at a cozy room temperature - too cold and they're sluggish, too warm and you'll be left with vinegar instead of sweet tea. Stick-on thermometers are an easy, hassle-free way to keep an eye on the temperature of your culturing kombucha without having to constantly test the temperature of your culturing area. They are available individually or as part of the Kombucha Tea Starter Kit.

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