Our Kombucha Series
We are half way through our kombucha series! In a few days, you will be enjoying some delicious and healthy kombucha.
Here is a list of our full kombucha series:
- What is kombucha and why is it so healthy for you? {Part 1}
- Learn how to brew kombucha with this easy step by step tutorial. {Part 2}
- My kombucha is done, now what?…And how to bottle kombucha tea {Part 3}
- A collection of kombucha recipes {Part 4}
Where To Purchase A Kombucha Starter Kit
If you are just getting started, make sure that you buy your kombucha starter kit from a reliable source.
- I got one of my starter kits here.
So let’s dive into today’s lesson, my kombucha is done, now what…and how to bottle your kombucha tea.
Your Brew Is Finally Done Fermenting, Now What?
Yes, your brew has FINALLY finished fermenting and you have the desired taste that you are looking for…now what? There are several simple steps to follow and in a few short days, you will be enjoying your first homemade kombucha!
There are several things to note:
- Do not use anything metal from this point on. Use plastic utensils and a plastic funnel. Metal will react with the kombucha.
- Before you remove your SCOBY, sanitize your hands with white vinegar. Do NOT use soap, you could kill your SCOBY.
- Sanitize your bottle with hot water or white vinegar. I ran mine through the dishwasher with no soap, just hot water.
- Clear glass ONLY! You can buy clear bottles here. These bottles are the exact bottles that I use, and I love them!
Ok, now that we have the basics covered, let’s start bottling some kombucha!
Removing the SCOBY
The first thing you want to do is remove the SCOBY from your kombucha.
Note that I have the “mother” SCOBY and a “baby” SCOBY. The original SCOBY that you used has created a baby. You need to remove both of these. Simply reach in with your clean hands and remove the two SCOBY cultures.
Your mother and baby might still be attached, like this one. You can either leave them attached or pull them apart.
Here is what your SCOBY will look like after you have removed it from the kombucha tea.
Simply put it in a clean jar with 1/2-2/3 cups of tea from this batch cover with a lid and store in your pantry until you are ready to brew your next batch of tea. This is called a SCOBY hotel.
I just take my SCOBY and 2/3 cups starter (tea from this batch) and place it into a clean jar and start the process all over again and start brewing a new batch.
What’s That Stuff Floating In My Kombucha?
When you are adding starter tea to your SCOBIES, you might notice some sediment in your jar of tea or some stingy like substances hanging off your ladle…This is NORMAL and is harmless!
If this bothers you, simply run your kombucha through a sieve or sifter and this will remove all of your floating objects from you kombucha. I leave mine in the tea. You get used to it the more you drink the kombucha! 🙂
Bottling Your Kombucha
Now place a funnel into your clean bottle and pour your kombucha right into the bottle. Fill the bottle almost to the top, leaving a maximum headspace of 1″ or less. The less you have the more carbonation that you will have.
Please note, NEVER shake kombucha, as it can explode. The higher you fill the bottle, the more likely you are going to need to burp your kombucha to relieve the gas bubbles a bit.
Once you have filled your kombucha bottles, place the lid on your kombucha. You have three options from this point.
- You can drink the kombucha as is and put in the refrigerator. It will have less fizz with this method but still taste amazing.
- You can cap the kombucha and store in a warm, dark place and allow it to sit for 2-3 days. This will create a really fizzy kombucha.
- You can make kombucha soda (recipe coming in the final post in this series).
If you decide to ferment your kombucha to get it a bit fizzier, simply place the cap on the kombucha and store in a warm, dark place for 2-3 days. I stored mine in the pantry.
Where Do I Store My Kombucha?
After 2-3 days remove your kombucha from the pantry (or your dark warm place) and place in the refrigerator. If your kombucha developed a baby SCOBY in the bottle, remove and toss and then drink.
Do not leave your kombucha in the pantry past the 2-3 day period. It is very important to move it to the refrigerator. This will stop the fermentation process completely.
That is it! You now know how to make your own kombucha! Not hard at all, was it?!!
Later this week we will dive into making kombucha “soda” (so easy to make) and I will also have a great list of amazing kombucha recipes for you all to try.
Share Your Thoughts
As always, let me know if you should have any questions!
How about it, are you ready to tackle brewing your first kombucha?
I JUST used a metal ladle BEFORE I read this!! Did I destroy my batch of Kombucha? 🙁
It’s best not to use metal, but you should be fine. Just make sure next time not to use again.
Thank you! I does seem fine, but I sure won’t do that again! 🙂
No problem. The “metal reacts with kombucha” line is silly and false. I wouldn’t use a metal fermenting vessel, or metal cans/bottles, but a metal funnel or ladle will have zero impact.
I am wondering if our scoby needs to be tossed, or not.
We ordered a scoby off of Amazon and it was sent to the wrong address. We contacted the sender and he said that the scoby should be okay once it arrived at the correct location. When we received the scoby, it had been in transit for maybe 2-3 weeks. The scoby itself looked fine and was still in liquid, not punctured, etc.
I brewed the started tea with half green and half black and added the vinegar, sugar, etc. (followed very strict instructions to make sure I didn’t mess up!)
I had a friend who brewed K and everything smells good like his did and it seems that there is a baby scoby forming, but the top scoby looks like there’s a big air pocket and it is a bit bumpy. I’ll upload pictures. Any help would be SO GREATLY appreciated! Thank you!!
I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING!
ALTHOUGH it looks like there may be mold in the picture, it does not look like there is any mold when I look at it myself in “person”.
Thank you!
(:
The SCOBY looks fine to me…looks like there is a new one forming on top, which is normal. Why did you add vinegar to the tea? Did your SCOBY not come in a liquid?
If you contacted the seller about the 2-3 week delay in delivery and they informed you that it would be ok, then you need to decide how reputable this company is. I am not saying they aren’t reputable, but I personally would have had them ship me another one at their expense. You are dealing with a live culture and 2-3 weeks at the wrong temperatures could affect that.
Keep in mind, I am always super overly cautious, and I do not know who your source was for the SCOBY.
Hi! Not sure if this was already asked or not but is there an “expiration time” for keeping homemade kombucha in the fridge after brewing? Thanks so much!
yes. Drink within 3-4 weeks. Never after a month.
Maybe you already covered this, but I am curious why you say to use clear glass only? Amber glass is pretty standard and reduces light degradation of the product.
I moved the gallon jar I’m using to brew my komboucha, so I disturbed it somewhat. Will this affect it? There are a few bubbles, but no real film on top. Also, it’s only been 4 days and it smells like apple cider vinegar already. That seems fast for this time of year. We keep our heat set at 68, so I know it’s not that hot in here. I do have it above the fridge in the cupboard. It has greenish grey stuff floating on top. Looks like the stuff you skim off a pot of boiled meat or almost like loose tea. I used green tea and none of the bags were broken when I removed them. Do you think it’s ok?
It is hard to say with your description. I wouldn’t put it in a cupboard. Kombucha needs the open space to grow the beneficial bacteria. As far as the substance you are describing, that sounds like it is a new scoby forming. If you want to take a picture and upload it into these comments (there is a button below the comments that you can submit a picture) I can take a look at it for you.
Hi,
I wanted to play with adding flavors to the kombucha. Any recommendation on how and when in the process we should do that?
Sarah
Look at part 4 of this series to learn how to make flavored kombucha.
Thanks Halle!
Here is a photo of my komboucha brew. It smells vinegary, but it’s still sweet.
I’m not sure why the photos didn’t show up Cindy, but I can see them in the back end of my website. I’ll have my tech team look at fixing this so that the image shows up here. There is a lot going on with your kombucha. It is hard to tell from your photos if there is mold growing or not. It could just be part of the kombucha floating to the top and is sitting right below the new scoby. Keep an eye on it to see if any fuzzy mold grows on the surface, but I’d keep on fermenting it.
Here’s one more photo.
Hi. Thank you for your response. The top looks nasty, but I don’t see any powdery mold on it like on bread. Thanks for taking the time to help me. Is there another way to tell if it would be harmful to drink?
I was also wondering can you use any type of black organic tea? I was thinking of using earl grey but not sure if that would be gross. Also what about chamomile rather than the green tea? or does it have to have caffeine in both types of tea?
No chamomile for sure. Black works best. Green and White work as well.
I have about 2 gallons of Kombucha Tea that has just completed the Fermentation process. Normally, I would go ahead with a 2nd Ferment in a variety of different flavors. However, for various reasons, I am not able to and have to wait about 2-3 days before I can begin the 2nd Fermentation.
During these 2-3 days (or more), what method and for how long should I store the Kombucha Tea (without the SCOBY)? I’m not sure if I should store it in a lidded glass jar in my Kombucha Closet or put it in the refrigerator… I don’t want it to get more of a vinegary taste to it, but I’m not sure if putting it the refrigerator is a good idea if I am going to be taking it out again for 3 days during the 2nd Fermentation. Any information anyone can provide would be most helpful. Thanks!
I am looking for a small refrigerator to store my finished product. I am using the glass flip top bottles like those you have pictured. Can I lay them flat in a refrigerator or do I need to keep them standing up? Im not sure what contact with the flip top might do
Thanks