Kombucha 101 | Bottling and Flavoring Homemade Kombucha

In this series, Kombucha 101, I’m going to walk you through the process of making your own kombucha at home with ingredients you likely already have. Let’s get makin’.

Part 1: Growing Your Own Kombucha Scoby
Part 2: Brewing Your First Batch of Kombucha
Part 3: Bottling and Flavoring Homemade Kombucha

So you’ve made your own SCOBY. You popped said SCOBY into a fresh batch of sweet tea. And now, you’re staring at nearly a gallon of fresh kombucha just waiting to be bottled. The question is: how?

Realistically, you could drink your kombucha as-is. Kombucha is delicious even without a second fermentation, and if you’re impatient like me, you can set aside a glass to enjoy while you bottle the rest for a flavor infusion.

If you’re scratching your head about the second fermentation, I promise it’s much simpler than you think. Here’s all you need to know about flavoring and bottling your kombucha and why a second fermentation is important:

• Allowing your kombucha to ferment for a second time creates that iconic, fizzy effervescence typical of commercially-produced kombucha.

• In the second fermentation, you can add additional flavor infusions such as fruit, herbs, and new tea blends. 

• There is no exact science. Second fermentation allows you to get experimental with flavors and time. The speed in which your kombucha carbonates and infuses all depends on your environment.

• Only a few things can go wrong, but one of those things is an explosion, so you have to keep a close eye on your kombucha in the second fermentation. 

HOW TO BOTTLE AND FLAVOR YOUR KOMBUCHA

You’ll need:

Fresh, homemade kombucha.

A funnel - I use a set of plastic funnels I got for my wedding, but you’re welcome to use stainless steel food-grade funnels at this point. I like a variety of sizes since the mouths of my bottles can vary.

Bottles - The type of bottle you use is important here. I’ve had the best luck with brew-safe flip-top bottles and recycled GT’s bottles. If you’re using recycled bottles, clean those suckers out good. The key here is to use non-decorative, cylindrical vessels — any other type can shatter due to the fermentation activity.

Your flavoring components - these can be herbs, fruit, mixed flavors of tea; the choice is yours! I have a list of my favorite kombucha recipes for easy reference.

A waterproof bin or box - have I mentioned that your bottled kombucha can explode? Keeping your bottles contained in the second fermentation can save a lot of cleanup.

Sticky notes or masking tape - for denoting your brews with the date and flavors.

Pitcher - unless you like a mess.

Optional: a recycled plastic bottle for carbonation monitoring and a mesh strainer for pouring.

Assuming you want to keep this good thing going, you’ll also need all of the equipment for brewing another batch of kombucha. The process is the same as before. Repeating the cycle of fermentation after each brew is called continuous brewing, and it results in a healthy SCOBY and an abundant supply of kombucha week after week.  

STEP 1: PREP YOUR FLAVORS

There are a million and one ways to flavor your kombucha. I’ve tried whole fruit, jams, macerated herbs, and flavored teas. The preparation process for each flavoring component varies. 

Fresh fruit: What’s worked for me is thinly slicing the fruit, which makes it easier to penetrate for infusion. When it comes to whole berries, I recommend lightly macerating the fruit or creating a fruit syrup. 

Herbs: I always use fresh, not dried, herbs when creating infusions. Rosemary, mint, and sage are my go-to herb infusions. Just slip a three to four-inch stem right into the bottle, or cook the herbs down in your syrup.

Different teas: Second fermentation is where you can add flavored teas like Constant Comment and Earl Grey. Brew and sweeten the tea to your desired preferences and let cool. 

Fruit juice: Juice is perhaps the easiest infusion you can make or buy. Fruit juice provides additional sugars for accelerated carbonation, plus concentrated fruit flavoring. There are some in the kombucha community who will wag their fingers at using juice, but you do you! It’s going to taste just as good.

Honey: You’ll only ever want to use honey in the second fermentation. Honey is a sweetening agent, but it lacks the food that yeast and bacteria needs to convert tea into kombucha in the first fermentation.

Other: Ginger, turmeric, and even jalapeños are ingredients I’ve used in the second fermentation. Again, you’re the mad scientist here! Experiment with all different types of flavors to find the concoction you like the most.

STEP 2: FLAVOR AND BOTTLE

Make sure your bottles are thoroughly washed to prevent any mold growth or unwanted flavors, then add your flavoring components directly to the bottle. I recommend filling your bottles at least one-third with your fruit, tea, or other flavoring components for the best infusion. If using a syrup or fruit juice, use less  — the sugars in these mixtures can cause an explosion if left unmonitored.

The easiest way to get your kombucha from the fermentation vessel to the bottle is by first pouring the kombucha into a pitcher. This will allow for a controlled pour and a lot less mess. Set aside two cups of tea for your next batch of kombucha and let your SCOBY hang out in the vessel.

Using the funnel, pour the kombucha into your bottles, leaving roughly an inch of “head space” in the bottles to minimize your chance of explosions. You can use a mesh strainer here to discard any extra globs of by-product from the first fermentation, but that’s an extra step I don’t have time for.

Cap your bottles. If using a screw-top bottle, it’s important to not overly-tighten the bottle. Use masking tape or sticky notes to mark the bottling date and flavor of your kombucha. Store your bottles in a waterproof bin (in case of explosions) out of direct sunlight.

STEP 3: START YOUR NEXT KOMBUCHA BATCH

Begin the process of brewing your next batch of kombucha by following the same process as before. You can even start your sweet tea before bottling to save some time.

STEP 4: MONITOR AND WAIT

If you want to easily monitor the carbonation of your brew, repeat Step 2 using a recycled plastic bottle. A plastic bottle will expand when the kombucha has become carbonated, so if you want an idea of how your kombucha is carbonating within your glass containers, give the plastic bottle a squeeze. The harder the bottle, the more carbonation.

Either way, you’ll want to monitor your kombucha daily in the second fermentation. Depending on the temperature, carbonation can happen quickly. I’ve had second fermentations range from one to seven days, all depending on my ingredients and the temp of my home. 

Once your kombucha has reached your desired carbonation, pop your bottles into the fridge to slow fermentation. 

STEP 5: TRY IT OUT!

Once your kombucha is flavored and carbonated, it’s time to finally try it. Open a bottle (preferably over a sink) and pour the kombucha into a glass or just drink straight from the bottle, you savage. If you used whole flavoring compounds, you may want to use that mesh strainer here.

Take notes about how the brew tastes, the fizziness, and the overall tanginess. Don’t overlook the power of taking notes! Recording the fermentation time, ingredients, and taste will help you tweak and troubleshoot your brews in the future.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Don’t get discouraged if your brew does not come out exactly as you expected. Here are some common problems with brewing kombucha:

There’s little to no fizz! Bummer! This happened to me quite often during my first few brews. A lack of carbonation in kombucha can be due to several factors: Too much head space in the bottle, not enough sugar for the yeast to turn into carbonation, and not enough time. Tweak these factors one by one until you reach your desired fizziness.

Wow, this tastes like vinegar. While your brew should be tangy and slightly sour, the taste should never be overwhelmingly vinegary. Try shaving off a few days in the first fermentation.

My bottles grew a mini-SCOBY? Excellent! That means your environment is conducive to a healthy and productive brew. However, if the presence of yeast and pellicles in your final brew makes your stomach turn, use a mesh strainer before pouring your kombucha.

A bottle exploded! Yikes, time to refrigerate the other bottles before they meet the same fate. Explosions happen when carbonation builds up inside the kombucha bottle, causing the vessel to shatter or, in most cases, spray kombucha up towards the ceiling and all over your kitchen. You can prevent this by occasionally “burping” your bottles in the second fermentation, or using less sugary flavoring components when bottling.

What have you used to flavor your kombucha? Leave a note in the comments!

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