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About to give up making kombucha

603 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  velcromom 
#1 ·
Ok, so my first batch I let sit for 14 days and it was so acidic, vinegar basically

my 2nd and 3rd batches were just OK, I let them sit for 5 days.....not acidic but slightly sweet, not bubbly at all

then I saw the 30 day thread and I let my bowl sit for 30 days. I just tasted it and it is absolutely horrible, vinegar.....so acidic and horrible....
I have 3 other bowls sitting because I wanted to have a batch a week and they all taste pretty vinegary too (except the most recent one but it's not that great either)

what's a girl to do?
 
#2 ·
I am not an expert, I'm just working on my first batch now. I'm sure there will be other, more experienced, responses.

But from what I understand--and this is what I'm doing--you can taste it as you go along. Just stick a straw in on the side, gentle with the scoby, hold your finger over the straw and pull some out.

I've been tasting mine as I go. So far it's been 8 days and it's still quite sweet. But I'm in Florida--hot weather--so I've been told 14 days is usually a maximum. I'm assuming that one day it'll turn from too sweet to perfect, and then I'll do the second ferment--which is what makes it good and bubbly. (Decant it to an air-tight bottle, and add a small amount of fruit and/or ginger). I'm planning on doing orange peel and ginger. Let sit for a few more days, then refrigerate.

I also understand that if you use black tea it is less bubbly than if you use green...

Hope that helps. Here's a Web site that was suggested here with lots of good answers: http://www.geocities.com/kombucha_balance/#Thin%20SCOBY .

Good luck!
 
#3 ·
I had a batch that was too vinegary and acidic for me to drink - it really burned! I was surprised that the taste really mellowed in the fridge after a week or so. And even though I didn't add extra fruit b/c I was planning to use it as salad dressing, it got bubbly.
 
#4 ·
Don't give up!

Couple of things:

--Make sure your ratios are right (1 qt. brewed tea, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. kombucha tea from a previous batch and the kombucha scoby).

--Temperature of the room matters to an extent. A very cold room will cause the brewing process to slow. A warm room will speed the process up (keep it out of direct sunlight).

--As the PP suggested, use a straw to start tasting after 5 days. Everyone's taste preferences are different so for some people a 5 day brewing time is enough. Personally I like mine after 2-3 weeks. Since your 5 day batches aren't bubbly, see below about adding juice and letting it sit for a few days.

--If it goes a little long, remove the scoby, add some juice, put a tight lid on and let it sit for a couple of days. The juice should significantly improve the sweetness and carbonation factors.

All that being said, not everyone likes Kombucha and that's okay
You might try water kefir if you want something sweeter tasting.
 
#5 ·
I've found that 8 days is usually about perfect for me, tart but not vinegar. It takes a little longer if the house has been cool, but for the most part my house stays between 65-80F. I'm too lazy to bother with a secondary fermentation, been making kombucha for about 6 years and I like it just fine without the fizz. Mine always fizzes up when poured from the fermentation jar, but I just store it in mason jars in the fridge and it doesn't stay bubbly.
 
#6 ·
I have my third batch brewing and I go by the time frame the lady I got the scoby from gave me - 10 to 14 days. Mine smells vinegary, but doesn't taste vinegary at all after that much time.

I use black tea and mine is pretty fizzy when I pour it off, but like the pp it doesn't stay that way.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the info!

Did any of you read the thread about letting is sit for 30 days? They said that it will pass from being super-acidic to being just right and bubbly.....I was hoping this would happen to me.

Does the 2nd ferment happen in the fridge?

I added fresh fruit to my last batch, how do you think that differs from fruit in the end product? I love the fizz! I want the fizz!

Maybe I'm just too used to the store-bought stuff, I can't get enough of it!
 
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