How can I get my kombucha to taste more like GT's??

[yippiehippie]

What am I doing wrong? The kombucha I make is usually either too sweet or too sour, much of the time I can't tell which, it's just "strong" tasting, if that makes sense. I use a large glass jar, about 5 black tea bags and a cup and a half of sugar to almost a gallon of water. I keep it in the oven w/the light on and therm (it's usually around 80deg).  It seems ready after 5dys, but don't know if i've bottled it before 6 (trying 5 today). Then it sits in glass bottles w/ginger, sometimes fruit for a few days (I put one at a time in the fridge, experimenting w/how long).

It's also not too fizzy and I like A LOT of carbonation.

Does it get carbonated in the fridge or just sitting out? I haven't tried beer bottles yet but want to buy them soon.

How long should I be letting it go for the first and for the second fermentation to taste like GT's? Sometimes it's so bad I don't want to drink it and I'm sick of wasting it, help, please!

[mamalex23]

I think you need to let the 'bouch ferment longer. Interesting idea about using the oven...

We live in NE and in the summer we let a batch (same size) go ~2 weeks, in the winter, 3 before we harvest. We then bottle it with fresh pressed apple/ginger juice that we make with an electric juicer. This sits out for ~1 week with trial bottles getting chilled and tasted after 5-6 days.

My guess is that your oven brew is probably similar to our summer brew, may even be a bit quicker, so I would let it go at least a week, maybe a week in a half. Wait till it taste pretty good, less sweet and a hint of bubbly, before you bottle. We also use 6 tea bags/gallon and only 1 cup sugar.

[deditus]

Well, I think my 'bucha tastes better than GT's. Have you tried a different tea? I tried making kombucha in the past and I was just using cheap black tea and I never liked it so I composted my scobies. I decided to try it again and went to my co-op and asked the lady in charge of the bulk dept what the most mild black tea was and she said Nilgiri tea was the most popular. So I tried that and loved it! I actually brew my tea very strong, like double strength, and I use less sugar (1/2 c. sugar per 1/2 gallon of tea). I ferment mine for 10-14 days right now, just in the cupboard (and I live in MN so it's not particularly warm in there). In the summer, my brew was good after around 7-10 days. I do second ferment for about 5-7 days. I think the best way to do it is to taste your tea as it ferments, and when it is a little sweeter than you like it, do your second ferment. Then I store it in the fridge so it doesn't ferment as much.

[yippiehippie]

Well, I tried organic at first and have since switched to generic tea and haven't really noticed a difference, but it's worth a shot starting over if I can't get these right.

I thought that the longer it ferments, the more sour/vinegery it tastes bc it eats the sugar up? Maybe I'll let the batch I started yesterday go longer...

[deditus]

Yes, the longer you ferment it the more vinegary it will be. Just taste it and stop fermentation when you like the taste! Just remember that if you do a second ferment then it will eat up more of the sugars. I like mine a little sweeter than GT's, but with how cold it is now it takes longer to ferment.

[goldenwillow]

We use a organic pekoe black tea for ours and think ours taste better than GT's, no doubt.  I personally find GT's to be completely watered down and way too sweet.  We are sticklers on our ingredients and how we brew.  Tried less expensive, poorer quality ingredients and ended up composting our batches and mothers.

Interesting on the oven idea. 

We ferment in our darkest, coldest closet that doesn't get opened hardly at all.  Dark and slow ferment is the key, at least for us. 

We test often to find the taste we prefer.  Mainly due to temperature during seasons.

[mamalex23]

I read your post again and you said you can't tell if it's too sweet or sour, that it's just "strong" tasting.

Is it possible that the mothers has gone sour? I have found that a SCOBY can go bad if a batch goes too long and gets really sour. The subsequent batches may carry the over-fermented flavor. I don't know if this may have happened to your SCOBY, just thought I would share.

We got a new SCOBY, but with my kefir grains I flush them out with a couple of quick batches and this seems to filter them and help them restore/maintain their ideal balance of bacteria/yeast. I imagine you could do the same thing with the kombucha mother, make a few quick brews reusing the baby each batch. I believe this could sweeten her back up again.

[yippiehippie]

Good suggestions. I let this last batch go longer for the first ferment and I'm letting them sit longer for the second too. I'm staggering them and so far brought one out after a 2d second ferment, no good, no carb and have 3 in the fridge after a 3 d, so we'll see. I'm going to get some beer bottles (ger-whateverthey'recalled) and see if that helps w/fizziness-I like a lot!

If this batch is still no good I might just start over with a new SCOBY, I didn't know that they could go sour, but, come to think of it, their doesn't seem to be any babies forming so maybe it's bad or I just need to let it go longer still?

So frustrating, but interesting kinda;)

[yippiehippie]

Originally Posted by Xantho 

We use a organic pekoe black tea for ours and think ours taste better than GT's, no doubt.  I personally find GT's to be completely watered down and way too sweet.  We are sticklers on our ingredients and how we brew.  Tried less expensive, poorer quality ingredients and ended up composting our batches and mothers.

Interesting on the oven idea. 

We ferment in our darkest, coldest closet that doesn't get opened hardly at all.  Dark and slow ferment is the key, at least for us. 

We test often to find the taste we prefer.  Mainly due to temperature during seasons.

 Where do you get your tea?

Anyone know where to buy in bulk for not too expensive?

[ambersrose]

For lots of carbonation I have found that adding 100% juice to the secondary fermentaion really makes it bubbly and adds yummy flavor.  We use an organic peach/mango 100% juice blend.  We add 1/2 cup to a 1 liter bottle.  The kids LOVE it!

[lauraabbe]

I buy teas and herbs from : http://mountainroseherbs.com/   They arre high quality, and reasonable!

[annethcz]

I agree that it sounds like you're not fermenting long enough.  And like a PPer, I've found that I like to add a small amount of 100% juice to my kombucha for the taste and to add carbonation/fizziness. 

[yippiehippie]

Originally Posted by lauraabbe 

I buy teas and herbs from : http://mountainroseherbs.com/   They arre high quality, and reasonable!

I was wondering about them, I really love this site, so I'll check into it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We just moved across country and got rid of our mother. I'm gonna start over, using organic tea, better bottles, I'll ferment longer, use better bottles, and juice. I think juice must be a key now that you all mention it, the only ones that fizzed from my last batch were the ones we added OJ too, and it was not good quality juice. Oh, I'm excited now, I'm determined to get it right! Does anyone have any suggestions for bottles (ie where to get them)?
 

[goldenwillow]

 Where do you get your tea?

Anyone know where to buy in bulk for not too expensive?

I just buy our tea bulk at our co op.  Black pekoe cut (orange). 

[joybird]

I posted this question a long time ago and I was told that GT uses green tea.  I tried it and it was much much better.  More mild and pleasing and similar to GTs.  Yes to all the other suggestions as well.  Fruit and ginger will help the fizz factor.  Make sure you're doing a longer ferment and second ferment.  

[velcromom]

Adding  a source of sugar like juice for the second ferment really helps with the fizziness and keeps it from getting vinegary. But if you do let it go too far, it's not lost! It can still be used. When I have a bottle that gets really sour, I find I can still drink it by adding small amounts to juice or tea or even water. Or, you can let it go completely to vinegar and use it in a vinaigrette. If you have extra, use it for soaking grains.

I agree with using green tea, I like it that way too.

I noticed that the Kombucha Wonder Drink brand adds carbonation to theirs.... cheaters! lol

[joybird]

I'm pretty sure Kombucha Wonder Drink is actually pasteurized.  What is the point at all, I ask?

[velcromom]

Ugh, really? Well that's a waste of $3!!

[jake87]

you mention never having SCOBY babies. when you first get your SCOBY it should come with a starter tea. you mix this tea to the batch you make then place SCOBY on top. after every batch you save about 10% to add to the new batch, this allows the SCOBY to grow and make babies. this may also be a result of your bad tasting tea. you got to have the starter tea!

Good luck!!

[gabbyraja]

Can anyone tell me what the babies look like? I have a good tea going, with an inch thick mother on the top (I'm doing continuous brew), but nothing I would think of as a baby? Not really sure what I'm looking for. I did end up taking the mother off this weekend and putting it in the fridge with enough tea to cover it, and a new mother is growing on top of the tea in the jar. Is that how you do it?