Thursday, February 16, 2012

Kombucha Troubleshooting

Its exciting to see other people have fun with microorganisms.  It makes them change their opinion on how weird I might be sometimes with my own bug fun.  However, whenever starting a new hobby there are always questions that need answering.  There is by no mean quantifiable evidence to support these answers but they work for me and hopefully they will work for you too!

Does Kombucha tea have alcohol in it?
-Sorta.  It usually has under 0.5% so it can be considered "non-alcoholic."  If you brew your kombucha tea at home and cover it with a cloth verses an air tight seal, you should have less than 0.5% of alcohol in your tea.  The SCOBY does produce alcohol, but it then changes that alcohol to a healthy acid.  A while ago, there an issue with some commercial bottles exceeding 0.5% and had to be taken off the shelf. 

What do I do if my Kombucha grows mold?
-THROW IT OUT! I'm sorry. I know that is not what you wanted to hear; the truth hurts.

How do I prevent mold?
-Clean everything with distilled white vinegar (not the dishwasher).  Ferment kombucha tea between 70-85 degrees F.  Add a little extra distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your batch (I do about a 1/2 cup for 4 gallon batch).

Stay tuned on how to flavor your Kombucha tea!

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