Re: Do you test your Kombucha PH?

November 30, 2011

Yes, I've got special pH paper (in increments of .5). Mine usually comes

out at around 2.5 - 3.5 pH.

Pangie

-- Do you test your Kombucha PH?

Just wondering if others test the PH of the tea before drinking.

------------------------------------

November 30, 2011

What is a good PH for KT?

Sent from my iPhone

> Yes, I've got special pH paper (in increments of .5). Mine usually comes

> out at around 2.5 - 3.5 pH.

>

> Pangie

>

> -- Do you test your Kombucha PH?

>

> Just wondering if others test the PH of the tea before drinking.

>

> ------------------------------------

>

November 30, 2011

Yes, with the wonderful tastebuds on my tongue.

CHeap and reliable! :-)

Margret UK :-)

--

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December 4, 2011

Hi

I have been brewing KT for now close to 5 years . I don't test PH but will after

reading this article. Not that I think my KT is missing in anyway, simply that I

would have liked some consistency in my brewing.Â

One thing I am now certain is that the amount of starter and the quality of the

starter has a large impact on the final quality of the brewed KT.

Let me share my experiences with you.

Most people know that you have to keep a certain amount of brewed KT of the next

batch and that is true. The amount recommended varies between 10 and 20%... This

is a good rule of thumb but it does not guaranteeÂ consistency.Simply because

the degree of acidity, the PH, will vary for the same amount of liquid/starter.

KTs brewed during the same amount of time will vary in acidity: Two cups of

different KT brewed using the exact same ingredients and brewing time may vary

in degree of acidity.. It depends on many things that are difficult to control,

one of them the amount of airborne micro-organism is exceedingly difficult, I

would say quasi-impossible, another is temperature .. There are others ...

If you go by PH then you are certain that the level of acidity of the KT

solution is correct, you eliminate one variable. A step toward more consistency.

On this I have taken the habit lately to have a SCOBY hotel and use its solution

as starter. Contrary to what is often told here, I add sweetened tea to my SCOBY

hotel, fo course because of the presence of large numbers of SCOBYs and

solution, it gets back to very sour in a very short time. I use 20% of starter

and that pesky problem that I have had for a long time...that of inordinately

long brewing time has been eliminated. Must say that my starter is extremely

sour... 15% as starter gives me drinkable KT in about 7 days and to my taste

(rather sour), in 10 days.

My starter /SCOBY hotel is simply a 2-Gallon vessel where I put the nicest

SCOBYs... I make sure of always having it filled to the top with sweetened Tea.

For that I simply re-use the tea bags. I usually throw them away after one

brewing, now I re-use them for the starter. I don't have any particular recipe

if I am brewing 2 gallons and there are 20 teabags left I re-use these for my

starter with whatever amount of liquid needed to top it off. I add 1/3Â cup of

sugar to the liquid.

I will try the PH method and report to you but it does make sense ...