[mayrag658]

I am on my second fermentation of my homemade batch of Kombucha. I started the first step and created the “scoby”. Now I’m on the second fermentation step and have found many different recipes and ways to go about the process. I’m interested in adding flavors and as I understand the second ferment is the time to do so.

I have found this process to be very fun and interesting. I’m also curious on how you recommend this for clients? Who benefits and should they purchase or attempt their own brew? I read that the benefits are endless.


Much appreciated
Mayra

[anasuya]

My favorite was adding ginger in the second ferment.

First I invite my clients to sample kombucha from the store, and to start with 1/2 cup a day to see how it goes. Once in a while people have a negative response so starting small is a good idea.

Personally I find it a challenge to get my kombucha to taste quite as good as that because I don't have good temperature control. But some people love to experiment and I've offered clients a scoby and they ended up making wonderful tasting brews.

Good luck! Let us know how yours comes out and I'd love to see the recipes here.

[Marlina E]

Here is a great post on flavoring Kombucha:
http://www.baumancollege.org/forum/index.php/topic,11827.msg32048.html#msg32048

[donnak649]

hi mayra,
its true that your clients should be aware that kombucha is not for everyone so trying it in small 1/2 to 1 cup doses is smart to be sure there are no adverse reactions.

as far as the second fermentation step goes; I love to add fresh fruits to the bottle of kombucha after you have strained the kombucha into individual bottles. note: the scoby does not like to compete with other materials (such as fruit) while its fermenting. after you have strained the first batch of kombucha and put your scoby in a new batch of sweet tea. use this second stage to add fruits and/or fresh herbs to give the kombucha a nice bold flavor. adding fruit actually gives the kombucha a second round of fructose to ferment and will make your kombucha fizzy!

adding 1-2 tsp of blueberries to a 16oz bottle of kombucha will impart a fruity flavor and give the kombucha added fizz if you let it sit for about 7 days. be aware that the added fizz will create pressure so make sure your bottle and top can handle that and when you take the cap off make sure you're ready!

have fun experimenting with different flavors that are in season and from your own garden; the possibilities are endless!

--donna

[megank353]

Mayra,

Brewing Kombucha at home is so fun! I hope you are enjoying the process...

I love experimenting with different teas after the first three fermentations. I typically use at least one black tea bag in my recipe because it keeps the scoby healthy. After a couple uses though, you can begin to mix black tea with different tea blends: green, oolong, red tea, etc. They each add their own flavor. *Avoid using teas with added flavoring and oils because this can disrupt the process.

One of my favorite kombucha ingredients is hibiscus flower. I usually add the flowers with the tea and then strain out before letting the kombucha rest. They add a nice tart flavor, and a beautiful red/pink color!

Good luck and have fun,
Megan

[carlab535]

I've been making it at home for a couple of months.
I use a 1 gallon mason jar and ferment (w/ organic black tea) for 7-9 days, and usually get a second SCOBY in that time.  Then I start a new batch & reserve about 2 cups for the new batch (w/scoby(s))
I pour the Kombucha into four 1-quart mason jars with just a small amount of fruit,etc.

I really recommend fruit because it gets fizzy in only a couple days!  My favorite is strawberries, & I also like orange pieces, halved grapes, apples, & Ginger.  I too eat the fruit.  It's perfect because I can drink 1/2 a quart everyday with this schedule, and it's still good when you dilute it with a little water.  That way the first quart does the 2nd fermentation for 2-3 days, and the 4th quart ferments for about 7, and I usually don't refrigerate until the day of or day before I drink it.

Like I said, I think sweeter fruit is the best if you want fizz.  I'm gonna try blueberries and other berries and mangoes too;  I'll bet they're yummy too! 

[meganbachmann]

I started out with 1 gallon batches and recently upgraded to a 2 gallon jar because of how much I was giving away to friends and family that really enjoyed it. For me it's a great substitute for traditional carbonated beverages. I have been experimenting with tons of different flavors. My husbands favorite so far has been honeydew, cucumber, and peppermint. It's not too sweet and very minty and refreshing. One of the more off the wall flavors I tried was pumpkin pie. Surprisingly, it actually turned out to be really tasty! After I flavor it during the second fermentation, I usually let it sit for a few days to get the flavors extracted and build carbonation. Then when I feel like it's ready I'll strain out all the chunks of fruit or whatever else and put it in the refrigerator which slows the fermentation process down considerably.  The only issue I've personally heard of one of my friends having is that she is very sensitive to caffeine and it doesn't seem to sit well with her. Because of the caffeine levels, I usually try to drink it no later than in the early afternoon so as to not affect my sleep. But other than that, I feel like I have definitely seen some beneficial changes in my gut health overall. Check out "The Big Book of Kombucha" by Alex LaGory and Hannah Crum. It's been really helpful to me in terms of troubleshooting and getting different flavoring ideas. Good luck on your 'booch journey!