Guest guest Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Hi Carol and EveryOne, Perhaps if you harvested your brew a day earlier and /or added more sugar, it would not be as sour. I usually let mine sit on the counter and drink it every day. It ferment a bit in the bottle and does form a new colony sort off, but I harvest at 7 days and I use 1 1/2 to 1/ 3/4 cups of sugar per gallon so it stays sweet-sour for a week in the fermentation jar and another week on the counter. Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev Manna International: Kombucha Information and Resources Kombucha Drops - Convenient, Safe, Effective, Easy to use. http://KMI.mannainternational.com Manna Green & White Tea Extract - Liquid Green & White Tea Extract http://GTE.mannainternational.com All products made with 100% Certified Organic Ingredients Made and packaged in glass, not plastic! -- In original_kombucha , " bunnysnugglee " wrote: > > Does anyone agree with me on this - when i very first bottle my brew > it is GREAT - at room temp = right from the vessel - but once > refridgerated it gets sour - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Cori , The best way to keep your brew tasting fresh is to bottle it in small quantities. Fill the bottles absolutely to the top before capping the bottles or sealing them in your preferred way. Sealing the bottle will cause the carbonization to increase to the point that the yeast cannot turn any more of the sugar into CO2. So, the fermentation stops. I bottle mine in 2 liter plastic soda pop bottles. I use soda pop bottles because I haven't had any of them explode. Glass bottles would have to be as strong as champagne bottles or they would explode like green beer. I have saved some bottles for three months and they were the same as when I bottled them. Once the bottle is opened the fermenting process resumes and the brew slowly sours each day but it is still acceptable. I do not refrigerate the Kombucha once the bottle has been unsealed. I recap the bottle each time after I pour out my daily ration. I uncap the bottles for the first time in the sink because like with opening a warm bottle of coke, the Kombucha will foam until you pour out your first serving. After that, the effervescence decreases each day. It would be better if I had a few dozen 12 oz. bottles instead of the 2 liter bottles. _____ From: original_kombucha [mailto:original_kombucha ] On Behalf Of bunnysnugglee Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 12:52 PM To: original_kombucha Subject: SOUR Brew Does anyone agree with me on this - when i very first bottle my brew it is GREAT - at room temp = right from the vessel - but once refridgerated it gets sour - A friend of mine whom i gave a starter to said mine tastes vinegary compared to hers - and i gave her the culture and starter tea - as well as my directions - so what am i doing wrong - i have even thought about just leaving it outta the fridge - at room temp - but it starts growing. I get huge healthy babies every brew - and i get the energy kick - so i know the brew is " right " but how can i eliminate the sourness? Even maybe some tea blend recommendations. Thanks Cori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 , just to clarify ... You fill the bottles until the 'booch actually touches the top? And you do NOT keep it in the 'fridge after bottling? wrote: >The best way to keep your brew tasting fresh is to bottle it in small >quantities. Fill the bottles absolutely to the top before capping the >bottles or sealing them in your preferred way. Sealing the bottle will >cause the carbonization to increase to the point that the yeast cannot turn >any more of the sugar into CO2. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Hi Bev Oh, the friend helping me to correct my tea had me increase it from 1/2 to 1 cup, and is sour. Thanks for you input. -Audrey > > Hi EveryOne, > > Perhaps if you harvested your brew a day earlier and /or added more > sugar, it would not be as sour. I usually let mine sit on the counter > and drink it every day. It ferment a bit in the bottle and does form a > new colony sort off, but I harvest at 7 days and I use 1 1/2 to 1/ 3/4 > cups of sugar per gallon... > Bev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Hi , I invested in a box of 1 liter glass clear swingtop bottles from a beer/cheese store, so I hope that is safe from exploding? I think I will try soon to also get some regular serving size bottles though. When you use the plastic bottles what do you cap them with? Are they like 1 liter diet coke plastic bottles? That is what a friend said he is using. I will try bottling before it finishes getting sour, and try adding more sugar. -Audrey I bottle mine > in 2 liter plastic soda pop bottles. I use soda pop bottles because I > haven't had any of them explode. Glass bottles would have to be as strong > as champagne bottles or they would explode like green beer. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Is the 1 liter a good size, my family is drinking it fast sometimes, but think will get smaller also and use both. -Audrey <snippet> > > >The best way to keep your brew tasting fresh is to bottle it in small > >quantities. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Audrey, One liter bottles would be great, especially with several family members drinking Kombucha. >Is the 1 liter a good size, my family is drinking it fast sometimes, <but think will get smaller also and use both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 The 10oz glass ginger ale/club soda (shweppes or canada dry) bottles that come in six packs are pretty cool for a serving size bottle. They have re-usable plastic screw on tops that are interchangable w/ the 2 liter and 20oz plastic soda type bottles. I use the 16oz green glass Grolsch swing top bottles though, my GF and I usually just split one.. Beau > > Audrey, > > > > One liter bottles would be great, especially with several family members > drinking Kombucha. > > > > > > > > >Is the 1 liter a good size, my family is drinking it fast sometimes, > <but think will get smaller also and use both. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Hi Audrey, If your KT is too sour for your taste, I would add more sugar. Sugar is important for the Kombucha and makes a very pleasant tasting fizzy brew. For a gallon of Kombucha try 1 1/2 to 13/4 cups of sugar. Harvest in seven days and see if you like it better:-)) Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev > > Hi Bev > > Oh, the friend helping me to correct my tea had me increase it from 1/2 > to 1 cup, and is sour. Thanks for you input. > > -Audrey > > > > > > > Hi EveryOne, > > > > Perhaps if you harvested your brew a day earlier and /or added more > > sugar, it would not be as sour. I usually let mine sit on the counter > > and drink it every day. It ferment a bit in the bottle and does form a > > new colony sort off, but I harvest at 7 days and I use 1 1/2 to 1/ 3/4 > > cups of sugar per gallon... > > > Bev > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Yes, as near the top as I can. Usually there is some foam at the top and I sometimes get tired of breaking up the bubbles and I cap it with the liquid one-fourth of an inch down from the top. Within a day, the yeast has produced enough CO2 that the bottle starts to swell and it will appear that the bottle was not filled to the top. Sometimes, the pressure builds up enough that the liquid will be an inch down from the top in two or three weeks. By then the pressure is so great that fermentation stops and the brew won't get any sour'er. I use the same caps that came with the pop bottles. If you leave a couple of inches of air space the yeast will ferment a lot more of the sugar before the pressure is high enough to stop the fermentation. >>, just to clarify ... You fill the bottles until the 'booch >>actually touches the top? And you do NOT keep it in the 'fridge after >>bottling? wrote: >The best way to keep your brew tasting fresh is to bottle it in small >quantities. Fill the bottles absolutely to the top before capping the >bottles or sealing them in your preferred way. Sealing the bottle will >cause the carbonization to increase to the point that the yeast cannot turn >any more of the sugar into CO2. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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