How To Brew Kombucha
I love kombucha and go through it quite quickly. Have you seen my series of post about kombucha: “Everything You Need To Know About Kombucha!”
This course has 4 lessons.
- What is kombucha and why it is so good for you. {Part 1}
- Learn how to brew kombucha with an easy step by step tutorial. {Part 2}
- What to do with kombucha after it is done brewing & how to bottle kombucha. {Part 3}
- How To Make “Soda” Kombucha And A collection of 50 kombucha recipes. {Part 4}
Let me first start by saying start with these first four lessons when starting out with kombucha! After you have some time and experience with kombucha, you may be inclined to start a continuous brew kombucha.
I’d like to share my experience with a continuous brew kombucha method, but first let’s define what the batch brew and continuous brew kombucha methods are.
What is Batch Brew Kombucha
When first starting out, you most likely will start out with the batch brew system. This is simply brewing a batch of kombucha and then drinking the entire batch.
When you are finished you brew an entirely new batch and continue on brewing this way in batches.
My family loves kombucha, so I would do 2 batches at a time (instructions above in the 4 post series). I was running out quickly and couldn’t brew it fast enough, so I thought I would try the continuous brew kombucha method.
What is Continuous Brew Kombucha
The continuous brew kombucha method is when you brew kombucha and then you allow it to ferment and then you drink what you want (draw off 25% at first, but then you can draw off the desired amount ) and then you replace the kombucha with the same amount that you drink with sweet tea. You can continuously draw off kombucha as you want to drink it and then you just replace that same amount with sweet tea.
So if I pour myself a bottle of kombucha (pictured above), then I would replace the kombucha with a bottle of fresh sweet tea. Make sense?
This has been described as a simpler method and you consistently have kombucha to drink on a daily basis…never running out.
Sounded great to me…so I gave it a shot.
How I Brewed My Continuous Brew Kombucha
I bought a continuous brew container with a spigot (This Is The One I Bought). Oh, I could see it already…I was going to love this new continuous brew kombucha method!
I put it together and brewed 2 batches of kombucha and put it in with some starter and a healthy scoby. I waited for 7-10 days and it was finished! I was careful to draw off 25% and brewed up a batch of sweet tea in the kettle to replace the tea.
I allowed the tea to cool and replaced it. I failed to see how this was any easier then batch 
brew, I still had to brew fresh tea. Now my husband is from the south (Savannah, Georgia) and we always have sweet tea in the fridge, so I thought this might work.
Why Continuous Brew Kombucha Did Not Work
But it didn’t work. As time went on (I tried this method for several months), I had a very hard time getting a consistent brew. I had read that sometimes it was too sweet, but for me, it turned to vinegar or became a VERY strong brew in a matter of two days.
I removed the extra scobies and started from scratch but could not get the desired brew that I was looking for. And let me tell you, it was no simpler, in fact, took more time in my opinion, then batch brew.
Between my husband and I, we were flying through sweet tea and I felt I was brewing sweet tea all the time, compared to when I was just doing the batch brew method.
Why I Choose Batch Brew Kombucha
So after a good effort at trying the continuous brew kombucha method, I have come to the conclusion that batch brew is a better fit for me and my family.
Here is why:
- You are only brewing tea every 7-10 days, with continuous brew kombucha I was brewing it every few days.
- Batch brewing offers a more consistent brew and has a better flavor than continuous brew kombucha in my opinion.
- Batch brew kombucha has more fizz in the second ferment when making kombucha soda. Continuous brew seemed a bit flat to me.
- The batch brew tastes better and I could more easily control the strength of the brew.
- With Batch brew, you just fix it and forget it! I felt with a continuous brew I was tending to it all the time.
- I now use the Glass Jar with Plastic Spigot for my 2 batches of batch brew kombucha! I love that container. Simpler to pour into the flip top kombucha bottles and really is so much easier to use!
Maybe the continuous brew kombucha method wasn’t my favorite because I couldn’t get the desired brew I was wanting, but for me…it just wasn’t the right fit and took to much time.
What has been your experience with batch brew versus continuous brew?
CB is the healthiest, safest & easiest way to brew Kombucha. Based on your experience it sounds like the vessel needed to be cleaned which is why it was souring so quickly. As yeast build up on the bottom, they will push the brew out of balance (we always take our starter from the top to encourage the bacteria, rather than the bottom where all the yeastie bits reside).
The advantage to getting a whole kit rather than piecing it together is making sure you have the right information to succeed – such as our support videos & Complete Handbook. They are also available a la carte for anyone who has supplies and needs addl info.
Also, we recommend making sweet tea in 1 gal batches so that when you pour off 25% (half a gallon), you already have the next batch of sweet tea ready to go. Simply pour it from the fridge on to your brew – easy peasy!
When decanting from the spigot right into the bottle, no additional funnels or pitchers are needed making it very streamline. Plus the cultures stay in a pH protected environment which reduces the risk of mold or contamination.
The healthy acids in Kombucha peak at the 15 day mark and again at the 30 day mark and recent evidence suggest that continuous may actually produce more glucuronic acid due to the reintroduction of sugar at different times in the brewing cycle. Glucuronic acid is made by the body and assists with healthy liver function.
Of course, everyone has to trust THEIR gut and select the method that makes the most sense for them.
I hope you will consider these suggestions and give it another try to see if it works for your family. Because while it may not “work” for everyone, it truly is the “Method of the Ancients” that yields the healthiest brew.
Thank you so much for your feedback Hannah! Yes indeed, I might have to give it another go, with your tips of course! 🙂
In batch brewing I’ve always added the Scoby back in at the end and then pour in the starter. With continuous brew it sounds like you are pouring the sweet tea in on top of the Scoby and starter. Is that correct?
Also, I saw a comment about the jar needing to be cleaned each time when batch brewing. Is this correct? If not, how often should it be cleaned?
I pour the tea on top of the SCOBY. It has worked just fine. The starter tea is on the bottom, of course, to begin with. I do not clean my jars often—probably when the SCOBY gets really thick and needs peaking away, but I do not like to touch my SCOBY often. I want to keep it safe from outside baddies as much as possible!
I pour the tea on top of the SCOBY. It has worked just fine. The starter tea is on the bottom, of course, to begin with. I do not clean my jars often—probably when the SCOBY gets really thick and needs to be shared! I want to keep it safe from outside baddies as much as possible!
For a continuous brew with a spigot….would a metal spigot be bad? How do I determine which material is safe for the bacteria in a spigot? Thanks so much!
I purchased stainless steel spigot from amazon that I have used for almost 3 years and no problems so far. I heard stainless can also rust so next time might try a wooden spigot. So yeah good idea to replace the one it comes with, because most likely it will be some cheap plastic or cheap metal that might leech in the brew, The spigot that came with mine, the gasket actually started deteriorating in the brew so thats when I switched to stainless.
I have had the same experiences as you with continuous. Batch brewing works so much better for me and my family. It’s niceto hear that I’m not the only one! 😉
In continuous brew, how often do you need to empty out the vessel and clean it?
Hello,
Did you have to get new scobies from someone else when going back to ‘batch brew’? I’ve read that once a scoby goes too vinegary from continuous brew, it never turns back.
Hey Frankie,
I did have to order a new scoby, I just couldn’t get the brew right until I started over. Hope that helps!
I make my kombucha in a hybrid batch/continuous style. I have two 2 gallon glass vessels with stainless steel spigots. I fill bottles for second fermentation when it gets right to my preferred taste (tangy, but before it gets too vinegary). I will retain 0.5-1 gallon and refill with sweet tea. Saving a larger amount of started fluid is similar to the continuous brew. I think this method just makes my brew go a little faster. my first fermentation uses most of the sugar (due to my preferred taste) and doesn’t get bubbly in the second ferment unless I add sugar or fruit that supplies sugar to drive the 2F.
I do not just draw a glass when I want some kombucha (usually!!!)
I looking to step up from a 2 gallon vessel to a 5 gallon vessel. While it tends to not always be as fizzy, I like doing my 2F in beer growlers to flavor a gallon at a time, which I find saves me time. There is also something about have growlers full of kombucha in my fridge that’s kinda nice… only fill bottles when I want to take some with me or give away. I’m personally over all the cleaning time I spend with my snap top bottles…..
PS: my flavorites to make 2F are orangevanilla, lime/ginger is a new one in my rotation, and strawberry/watermelon ended up being a hit. just started experimenting with cucumber and lime, but up next for experimentation is watermelon/cucumber
This is not how I understand continuous brew kombucha to work. It makes sense it would be more vinegar flavored when you are having it continue to ferment what should be considered finished brew. I’ve always known continuous brew to be a full container, then when it is ready you fill your 16 oz jars for the second ferment and at the same time refill your now empty (save the SCOBY and reserved small amount of brew) container to start a new batch. After you get this system going, you should always have a first ferment and second ferment going at the same time, and some to drink in the refrigerator. I’ve never heard of taking a glass at a time and refilling it a glass at the same time.
I have a family of four that wants kombucha most days, so we do about 4 gallons at a time. I imagine as the kids get older, we’ll have to step it up to a little larger.
What you are describing Casey is called batch brewing. That is my preferred method because you stop the fermentation process as you mention.
It has taken 30 days brewing with my 5 litre continous brew jar, with my second brew, to get it to the vinegary taste I like, which may be more vinegary than some like. The 2F tasted fruity but not very fizzy after 7 days. Would like it fizzier, any suggestions?
Thx
I add a couple of raisins to my 2nd ferment to increase the carbonation. It’s just a tad more sugar and I love how the raisins in the brew plump up and the sugar is gone. It really works. Be careful not to add too many raisins, especially in brews like peach and strawberry that like to volcano.
I was taught that any brewing method where the scoby remains undisturbed in the same vessel and where you never harvest less than 25% or more than 75% of the brew is continuous brewing. As the previous comments illustrate, there is a wide spectrum of quantities/frequencies within that range. If, like me, you prefer a less vinegary brew and only have spare time at weekends, then you would harvest 75% once a week. If you prefer something more “tart”, then harvest 25% every 48 hours. You would adjust the size of your brewing vessel/quantity of brew to match the quantity your household drinks every week (or every 48 hours). You can also adjust how fast your brew ferments by removing the mother and leaving the baby when it is still quite young (slower/sweeter brew) or waiting until the mother is of ripe old age 🙂 and the “baby” is no longer a baby (i.e. at least 3/4 inch thick), which gives a faster/sharper brew. Most of the detailed studies which I have read state that batch brewing will never give you the complex range of acids and enzymes which continuous brewing will (apparently, some take as long as 4 weeks to develop). However, harvesting from your continuous brew too little and too often plus letting your scoby + baby grow too big for your volume of brew creates the increasing acetic acid problem which some people have described.
I have a crock but no spiget. Will that work ok for batch brew?
My experience was the same as yours. Been batch brewing kombucha for over 15 years. Then 2 years ago tried the continuous method.
Result—- flat and sour.
Went back to batch brewing. Magic!
I find that better flavours develop with batch brewing. Also I can deal with it one day of the week and never even have to look at it for 7 days.
My brew box stays a pretty consistent 72 degrees except for “booch day”.
I make 9 quarts a week with any tea, flavoured or not so long as it has enough tannins.
I never do a second ferment. For me that’s too much fuss. It’s already delightfully fizzy when I pour it out of the primary fermenting jar.
I never refrigerate my finished kombucha. I like it at room temperature.
I used to make a lot of Kombucha with the continuous brew, but at the end I stopped because of the high alcohol content. I used to clean the big jars rarely and the yeast was accumulating and producing too much alcohol. I plan to start again brewing but this time will be using the batch method and clean the jar between batches.