9. carbonation questions

[Guest guest]

A secondary ferment in glass bottles is always a concern for

breaking glass. One precaution is to place the glass bottles

in a larger plastic container to catch things if they break.

And gloves and safety glasses is a good idea whenever

handling.

This stage switches the ferment from a predominate aerobic

ferment to an predominate anaerobic ferment.

Adding Potassium sorbate or potassium metabisulfite may be

added to prevent further yeast reproduction. Filtering will

also decease the amount of additional fermenting. Adding

slice of ginger, fruit, etc will add flavor or sugars to

spur additional fermenting. Adding STEVIA will add

sweetness without worry of additional fermenting. Leaving an

airspace in the bottles allows the gasses (sulfur) to be

compressed in that airspace and then escapes into the air,

rather than being redissolved back into the ferment. The

amount of air in that airspace will also continue the

aerobic ferment.

Storing a stopped ferment in glass (as in beer and wine) is

safer but there are still accidents. An active ferment as in

the second fermenting of KT should be in plastic bottles.

usually at room temperatures for 1-3 days. With plastic

bottles the advantage is safety plus one may feel how much

pressure has built up by the hardness of the bottles. then

can be stored in glass and refrigerated.

There is another ferment that may take place under

refrigeration. ( referred to as Cold Stabilizing).

Each step will add a component to your KT.

Along the way you may also filter and fine/ clarify your KT

Most folks go through these processes because it takes some

of the bite off and smoothes a KT ferment.

Most people probably drink all their KT before they have

time to bottle.

Brewing Kombucha Pictures online

http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm

Enjoy Your Health,

Ed Kasper L.Ac.

California Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist

www.HappyHerbalist.com eddy@...

-----Original Message-----

9. carbonation questions

Posted by: " jharsh80 " strungout777@... jharsh80

Date: Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:16 am ((PST))

Is it ok to do a secondary fermentation in individual 500ml

glass

bottles (used bottles from store bought tea)? I would guess

that if I

did it this way, different bottles would ferment faster than

others

and I would have no way to tell, or to get consistant

carbonation. I

am also worried about the bottles exploding. They are pretty

tough

though. I've dropped two of them and they just bounce off

the hard

floor. I'm guessing it would be better to do it all in one

vessel?

I've read that wine bottles are good. Is this because the

cork allows

for excess pressure to be absorbed? Also, when doing the

secondary

ferementation, I want to leave the bottles out at normal

brewing

temperature not refrigurated right? Wouldn't refrigeration

stunt the

fermentation? thanks and sorry about all the questions. J