Re: Intro and a couple questions

March 27, 2012

Hi Sharon, welcome to the list. Don't worry too much about having a sanitary

facility. Ordinary kitchen environment is perfect. Keeping KT for weeks

unrefrigerated may be risky. It continues to ferment and co2 pressure can build

up to the point of exploding bottles. It is worse if the KT is sweet when you

bottle it or when adding fruit or juice for flavoring (the sugar fuels the

continued fermentation). Also higher temperatures in summer will add to the

equation. Even if bottles don't explode you're liable to have kombucha bubble

out and make a mess when you open them. You should move them to the refrigerator

a lot sooner. I let them set for 2-4 days. You'll probably get warnings from

others on the list who have had bottles explode who advise even quicker

refrigeration. If i get any KT baths when i open a bottle i'll shorten the time.

- Woody

Subject: Intro and a couple questions

To: original_kombucha

Date: Monday, March 26, 2012, 6:07 PM

Â

Hey there,

I'm new to the group and just wanted to say hello and I had a couple questions

for the experienced brewers.

I'm on my third batch of kombucha and it seems to be going well. I've read a

lot on various websites about brewing and have found a lot of contradictory

information. Is it necessary to sanitize all the kitchen items and bottles

needed to brew KT? I've heard that it was but I've also heard that regular

kitchen cleanliness is only necessary.

I'm also wondering when there is a danger of glass bottles exploding. I have

only kept my KT bottled for a few weeks at most in my kitchen cabinet before I

transfer it to the fridge. Is this safe? Should I move it to the basement?

What do you all do?

Thanks for any feedback you have!

Be well,

Sharon

March 27, 2012

I have a question.... if bottling Kombucha is really unsafe, how do

they bottle it for sale? I've bought it from Whole Foods and, although

they keep it in the " refrigerated " section, it's open to the store (no

door to keep the cool in). Someone wrote that a bottle exploded in

their refrigerator.

I'm just curious newbie.

Thanks!

Patra Meadows Philips | LEED® AP | Project Coordinator

P | F

5310 Harvest Hill Rd. | Suite 136 | LB 161 | Dallas | Texas

75230 | www.obrienarch.com <http://www.obrienarch.com/>

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

***

March 27, 2012

Yup, what he said! :-)

I just wanted to add that in terms of sanitizing bottles, some folks may come to

kombucha from the experience of homebrewed beer, or canning

preserves/fruits/veggies. In both those instances, sanitizing is essential!

For beer, sterilization prevents the batch being contaminated (which spoils the

taste). For canning, sterilized jars are important to avoid pathogens (which

you cannot taste).

When you make fermented beverages -- whether kombucha, kefir, etc. -- the pH

levels essentially create an anti-pathogenic environment. (That's why it's

especially helpful to pour your " starter " -- or mature kombucha -- on top of a

new batch.)

Good luck!

Vicki in Orlando

>

> Subject: Intro and a couple questions

> To: original_kombucha

> Date: Monday, March 26, 2012, 6:07 PM

>

> Â

>

> Hey there,

>

> I'm new to the group and just wanted to say hello and I had a couple questions

for the experienced brewers.

>

> I'm on my third batch of kombucha and it seems to be going well. I've read a

lot on various websites about brewing and have found a lot of contradictory

information. Is it necessary to sanitize all the kitchen items and bottles

needed to brew KT? I've heard that it was but I've also heard that regular

kitchen cleanliness is only necessary.

>

> I'm also wondering when there is a danger of glass bottles exploding. I have

only kept my KT bottled for a few weeks at most in my kitchen cabinet before I

transfer it to the fridge. Is this safe? Should I move it to the basement?

What do you all do?

>

> Thanks for any feedback you have!

>

> Be well,

>

> Sharon

>

March 27, 2012

The major difference between our booch and the stuff in the store (from what i

understand) is that they pasteurize it. This kills the probiotic organisms and

stops fermentation. I guess since i routinely do a second ferment i'm not gonna

lecture you too strictly about it. My stuff doesn't have much sugar left (so

additional fermentation is limited), and if i put fruit in (more sugar) i put it

in the fridge sooner. I figure i'll know i'm getting too much pressure when the

bottles bubble over when i open them. I do understand the strong opinions of

those who have had bottles explode and can appreciate their advice however. -

Woody

Subject: RE: Intro and a couple questions

To: original_kombucha

Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 8:53 AM

Â

I have a question.... if bottling Kombucha is really unsafe, how do

they bottle it for sale? I've bought it from Whole Foods and, although

they keep it in the " refrigerated " section, it's open to the store (no

door to keep the cool in). Someone wrote that a bottle exploded in

their refrigerator.

I'm just curious newbie.

Thanks!

Patra Meadows Philips | LEED® AP | Project Coordinator

P | F

5310 Harvest Hill Rd. | Suite 136 | LB 161 | Dallas | Texas

75230 | www.obrienarch.com <http://www.obrienarch.com/>

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

***

March 28, 2012

--- " Vicki " wrote:

> I just wanted to add that in terms of sanitizing bottles

....

> In both those instances, sanitizing is essential!

....

> For beer, sterilization prevents the batch being contaminated

....

> For canning, sterilized jars are important

Are you mixing your " S " words? I don't want to be nit-picky but sanitizing is

not sterilization. And sterilization in a home environment (and keeping it

sterile) is next to impossible. For KT and home brewing, sanitizing is enough.

Again, not to be nit-picky but this is going into the archives.

Now for canning I remember my mom boiling the jars and lids and all the work

that she put into it. So does canning require sterilization? I guess it does

b/c if the jar contains a contaminate then samonila and all sorts of evil

badness comes into play.

April 5, 2012

My question to you is " what is normal kitchen cleanliness?? "

Everyone has there own level of what is OK.

I have friends that have their kitty litter box, dog and cat food and water 2

feet away from their kitchen cutting board. Yuck in my mind and I am not a

germaphobe by a long shot!! ( my best friend is though, so she always reminds me

)

Here are my 2 cents...

I use the sanitize cycle on my dishwasher with the heated dry option to clean

and totally dry bottles I am using to do anything that I put a closed cap on.

Even though I live in a desert climate, I don't trust letting bottles air-dry. I

like to bottle my KT with various herbs and fruits. When I bottle I use a

capper. When you do that it creates an anaerobic environment (aka-no oxygen or

air) This is the environment that certain pathogens will reek havoc in. So, if

your KT is in an open vessel, is always exposed to airflow, never capped and is

a very healthy culture in a healthy home maybe you do not need to use hot water

and peroxide or chlorine to sanitize your brewing and bottling vessels. I do

know that bacteria, molds and fungi are all opportunistic, meaning they will

make a home almost anywhere as long as they have food (sugars) and warmth (your

basic house temp). You will hear people say they developed some sort of off

taste or a weird color on the scoby. Those are things we can not always avoid,

but I personally, would much rather err on the side of safety and clean my

kitchen, brewing vessels, bottles and utensils with some really hot water and

bleach and use the sanitize and hot dry cycle on my dishwasher than worry about

it. It is certainly a personal choice.

(As a side note if I did not have a dishwasher, I would do it the " old fashioned

way and use boiling water with a bit of bleach in it and while the things were

still smokin' hot I would hang them up side down on bottle stands-they sell them

at brew shops)

Brew Happy! Stay Curious! Ferment Furiously!!

>

> Hey there,

>

> I'm new to the group and just wanted to say hello and I had a couple questions

for the experienced brewers.

>

> I'm on my third batch of kombucha and it seems to be going well. I've read a

lot on various websites about brewing and have found a lot of contradictory

information. Is it necessary to sanitize all the kitchen items and bottles

needed to brew KT? I've heard that it was but I've also heard that regular

kitchen cleanliness is only necessary.

>

> I'm also wondering when there is a danger of glass bottles exploding. I have

only kept my KT bottled for a few weeks at most in my kitchen cabinet before I

transfer it to the fridge. Is this safe? Should I move it to the basement?

What do you all do?

>

> Thanks for any feedback you have!

>

> Be well,

>

> Sharon

>

April 5, 2012

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I have been dishwashing my mason jars but

then they sit in the cupboard until I'm ready to bottle again. I would usually

do a quick rinse before bottling but I think I'll start maybe rewashing them or

rinsing them with boiling water next time.

This forum is great, I've learned so much! Thank you!

sharon

To: original_kombucha

From: kombuchapassion@...

Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 07:59:14 +0000

Subject: Re: Intro and a couple questions