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I love kombucha, that tasty, fizzy, probiotic filled traditional drink which originated in China and later in Russia. My husband and I have been drinking it for over 15 years, and I’ve had few breaks in the brewing cycle in all that time.
Going on vacation? No worries. Just set a fresh batch on just before you leave and even if you’re gone a month, the new batch will be perfect and ready for you when you return! If it’s a little strong, just dilute with a bit of plain seltzer. Or, you can use it to make kombucha salad dressing.
It’s amazing to me that I’m using today the great-great grandbaby culture of the original culture I purchased all those years ago! What a great health investment it was to purchase an excellent quality SCOBY!
I’ve tried making kombucha several different ways over the years including continuous brew and the batch kombucha methods. About 7 years ago, I settled on a routine that works well for me. I make huge batches of 7-8 gallons every 10 days or so split among four 2 1/2 gallon clear glass jars that I purchased at Target for $12.99 each.
Batch Kombucha Method
How I make my large kombucha batches is described in detail in the linked article which contains written recipe plus 2 video demonstrations:
If you are a beginner and wish to make a basic batch of kombucha to start, check out the link with written recipe and 2 detailed videos as well.
Continuous Brew Kombucha vs Batch Method
I’ve been asked several times recently about why I do not use the continuous brew method for kombucha. The process adds fresh sweet tea to the fermenting vessel periodically to mix with tea in various stages of fermentation. You essentially rarely wash the brewing vessel and simply keep topping it up with fresh sweet tea as it gets used up.
While this method is awesome for some folks, I’ve tried it myself and it just didn’t work for me.
My 4 reasons for my sticking with batch kombucha for so many years are outlined below.
Low Mold Risk with Batch Kombucha
Some folks say that the continuous brew method reduces the risk for mold.
Despite living in Florida where it is hot and humid much of the year, I’ve only had mold one time in over 15 years of making kombucha. The reason was simple. I foolishly put the fermenting vessel near the fruit bowl.
In my experience, the risk is very small indeed for getting mold in your brewing kombucha. If you wish to eliminate the risk to virtually nil, simply double the amount of starter you use for each batch.
It’s that simple. Increasing the starter at the beginning increases the acidity of the initial brew and mold just won’t go there.
As a bonus, increasing the amount of starter ensures a faster brewing batch!
Batch Kombucha a Healthier Brew
I am a bit sensitive to caffeine and have never had a problem with batch kombucha causing any stimulant issues for me. This is because caffeine is broken down during the fermentation cycle. The sugar is also fermented away during the brewing cycle.
With continuous brew kombucha, however, sweet unfermented tea is periodically poured into the fermenting vessel which ensures that at least some caffeine and sugar that has not been fermented might end up in your glass.
Since I don’t want to consume any caffeine or white sugar myself and I most certainly don’t want my children to have any on a regular basis, the batch method is the better choice for our family.
Continuous Brew Kombucha Containers of Concern
When I tried making continuous brew kombucha, I used 2 1/2 gallon clear glass jugs. This is because the continuous brew fermenting vessels I examined at that time all had plastic spigots at the bottom. What’s more, they clog up all the time from the bits of kombucha culture that come out when you fill a glass with your brew.
Another problem with the continuous brew kombucha fermentation vessels is that the kombucha really should not be in contact with plastic for any length of time as it will leech chemicals from the plastic into your drink!
The back of the spigot is inside the fermenting vessel and is exposed to brewing kombucha 24/7, so this didn’t make sense to me to choose this type of container given the possible health concerns. It does not matter if the spigots are BPA free or not. Plastic is a petroleum-based product and there are plenty of other chemicals that would be of concern coming in contact with kombucha.
With much of the convenience of continuous brew kombucha lost due to the impracticality and possible health danger of the plastic spigots, I chose to stick with large glass jugs that lend themselves best to the batch approach. Note that since this post was originally written, there are now safe continuous brewing vessels available from Kombucha Kamp. However, most on the market are still not safe enough, in my opinion.
Batch Kombucha More Budget Friendly than Continuous Brew
It’s significantly cheaper to get set up to brew batch kombucha versus continuous brew. Continuous brewing vessels are quite expensive, whereas a gallon Pyrex bowl costs just a few dollars. Hence, for newbies, batch kombucha is definitely the way to go at least until you see if you are going to make this beverage long term.
Even when you make large amounts like I do, it is still a lot cheaper to set up for batch kombucha. I make 7-8 gallons several times per month with little to no mess.
In the final analysis having tried both methods, I find batch kombucha to be an overall easier and healthier choice than continuous brew.
Does Kombucha Prevent Grey Hair?
On a side note, I’d like to take an informal poll of anyone who’s been drinking kombucha for a long time.
If you had no grey hair when you first started to drink it and have been drinking it consistently since, do you have much if any grey hair now?
Kombucha has anecdotally been linked to grey free hair. My husband and I are both 2 decades beyond the age most people see their first grey hairs. We both still have essentially none despite parents and siblings who went grey at much earlier ages. Has anyone else has experienced the same?
Where to Source Strong Kombucha Cultures
Please refer to my Healthy Shopping page for where to source excellent quality kombucha cultures and equipment for very reasonable cost.
More Information
Want to know more about kombucha? These articles provide more detail for your research.
Fluoride in Kombucha: Should You Be Concerned?
Can Candida Sufferers Drink Kombucha?
Does Kombucha Prevent Grey Hair?
Jun Tea: Kombucha Champagne
Have You Tried Kombucha?
Safe Traveling with Kombucha
Kombucha: Drink It and Wear It?
Do you or your husband have amalgams(sp)
aka metal fillings? My hubby and I want to try it but we both have fillings and always hear its not a good idea. I just make it form my 3 sons.
Thanks!!!
Christin
I have never had any amalgams. My husband had 6 of them but they were removed a few years ago by a holistic dentist (do NOT let a conventional dentist remove your amalgams! They do not know how to do it properly).
Did I understand that correctly?? You shouldnt drink kombucha if you have metal fillings???
Yes, can anyone expand upon the issue of metal fillings and kombucha? We were going to start brewing, but my husband has metal fillings, so I would love to hear more on this.
Another reason to love Kombucha. I am definitely going to learn to make some.
ok, this post couldn’t have come any sooner! JUST started a list of things i WANT to start. thing is, now i’m impatient!!! so, question, can i “make” my own starter? or do i have to get a starter? if i DO have to get a starter, where can i get it from the fastest?
You can “make” a baby out of just kombucha, even Dave’s store bought, but use the raw organic blue label. Just put one bottle of kombucha with two cups of sweetened tea in a mason jar, cover with a tea towel and a new baby will grow. I tested it both with Dave’s and with my own brewed tea.
I have been making and drinking kombucha for about 4 years. I have a ton of gray hair and it seems to be getting worse. I also take FCLO and drink raw milk so I’m not sure where my deficiency is. I am having problems with my teeth so I am working on getting that under control. Ever since my twins were born in 2006, my teeth and adrenal glands have been pretty bad. I actually just got back to making kombucha after about a 2 year hiatus. I put my scoby in the refrigerator with some kombucha and it survived 2 moves and is now making great kombucha again. It took 3 batches to really come back strong. I like to use kukicha (roasted green tea) and hibiscus. this combo makes a delicious kombucha. it’s pretty tart from the hibiscus but the kukicha brings in a really chocolaty flavor.
My kids get REALLY testy when the kombucha supply is low especially when the weather is very hot.
After drinking kombucha regularly for a year (switched to a traditional diet too) I noticed several stands of hair that were grey only at the ends of my long strands! I only had a few to start with, now I have less! I do a continuous brew with green and black tea combined. I usually drink it straight from the crock.
I love drinking kombucha! However, I usually only do small amounts at a time in half gallon jugs cause I really can’t afford any bigger jugs.
I went to your source link for getting good starter mushrooms and she has a heating device to keep them warm. I live where our home is 60 degrees almost year round inside. Do you recommend this? or something else? My mushrooms look really sad and bumpy ( no mold) is that due to the temps being so cold? It takes alot longer to get going but by then the new scoby kinda welds itself to the old one. Was going to order new ones but wanted to figure out the best way to keep them warm year round without using electricity but not sure how?
Bumpy kombucha babies are ok!! It just means the temperature was variable during brewing cycle.
As long as the babies get 1/8 of an inch thick or larger, you are fine even in a cool home.
Be careful about using a kombucha heating pad. The EMFs from a device like that would weaken and possibly kill your culture over time I would think and reduce the beneficial aspects of the brew. Kind of like using an electric blanket is not good for people’s health long term.
I’ve been trying to brew Kombucha for 1/2 year. It has not worked for me so far. The babies are very thin and bumpy. The taste doesn’t come close to GT’s bottled Kombucha from the health food store. Its not as strong and effervescent (which is how I like it). And, yes, I’m brewing for 10-14 days and longer.
I have a feeling my house is too cold, but have been leery of using a heating pad or any heating device. Lately I was thinking about using an incubator. My question is: Would that be safe to use as far as EMF’s or other harmful electricty is concerned?
I should add too that I have had a lot of problems with mold… don’t know if it is connected with the above problem.
I can testify to EMFs killing a mother culture. I moved my brewing jar to a new location near an outlet where my cordless phone was plugged in. Even though I left that jar for 3 weeks, it never formed a baby. 🙁 Fortunately for me, I had another mother in the fridge. (That sounds funny. So does bumpy babies.)
Just now saw your reply.lol Thanks for answering. Yes my scobys get quite thick. It tends to take longer to get my kombucha to where I want it because we are much cooler here but glad the bumpy scary looking ones are still ok. I think I figured out my issue though. I was waiting for my Organic tea from Frontier and had bought Newmans Own organic black and green teas. Whatever is in the Newmans Own makes my Scobys look really quite nasty instead of pretty and smooth. So I am no longer using that brand and the new ones I started from my GT’s enlightened organic raw Kombucha look really good. They are actually really big and fit my large jars ( like you have in your advanced kombucha making videos). 🙂
I will pick some up at my local farm. They make it there. I’m curious to see what it does for my white hairs since I started getting the coarse, white hairs after highlighting my hair for the first time. My sister has the same right when she started dyeing her hair. Thanks for the info!
Sarah, one thing you did not consider is the maturity and blend of the cultures. It is my understanding that with batch brewing, the organisms never mature and and get to the complexity that they do with continuous brew. Kombucha is very healthful either way, and like you, I have done both batch and continuous. I do have to admit that the continuous brew, much like people say about fine wine, does have a better, more complex flavor.
Also, it may have been years since you looked at brewing vessels, but now there are plenty of certified, lead free containers with BPA and chemical-free spigots.
I came out differently than you. I have been drinking kombucha for years and have settled into a nice routine with continuous brew. I only pull off two times per week and only after the fresh sweet tea has been in the vessel for at least three days (avoids the sugar and caffeine issue you note above). For example, I pull off on Sunday, add sweet tea to replace. Then pull off on Wednesday, add sweet tea to replace. Over and over again. I keep two vessels going constantly. I only have to clean them out about every 4 months and also cut down the scoby as it gets huge!
Just my opinion, but I don’t feel that it matters much if the spigots are BPA free. There are plenty of other chemicals in plastic that would be leeched into the brew.
Plastic is a petroleum based product .. don’t want that anywhere near my kombucha!
The caffeine and sugar in the continuous brew cannot be avoided either. I don’t think this method is best particularly if children will be drinking it.
I am overly cautious and will only use clear glass and completely thoroughly brewed kombucha if my children will be consuming it.
Tina, how does your kombucha taste after leaving it to brew for only 3 or 4 days? I just started making kombucha with continuous brew, about 2 months ago. I left my first batch 7 days and it was too sweet. I bottle it and do a 2nd fermentation, trying to get some carbonation. I left the next one 10 days, still no carbonation. The current batch is on day 12 and the taste from the keg is getting a little bit of a tingle to it. I’m hoping to bottle it Saturday (day 14) and finally see some carbonation bubbles.
Mary, when you first set it up, you have to let it ferment a couple of weeks. Just keep testing it. My vessels are 2 1/2 gallons each and I only pull off 6 to 7 cups every 3 or 4 days from each vessel. Therefore, I am leaving most of the brew still in the vessel. This causes the new tea to be used for “fuel” for the scoby/mother and the sugar and caffeine is eaten up very quickly. Once I got past the initial ferment to get going, this has worked out wonderfully and has definitely cut back my time dealing with kombucha. I like my kombucha more on the “sour” than sweet side and this has worked out great for me. I like the fact that I am not handling the scobys often and, therefore, limiting the chance that I am adding undesirable organisms.
That’s interesting, Tina. My experience has actually been that my batch-brewed kombucha, with secondary fermentation using fruit juice, usually grape juice, produced much more complex flavors than I’m getting now with continuous brewing.
I am also sensitive to caffeine but that hasn’t been a problem with either method. I am still brewing about once a week, which is more often than I’d like. Too busy!
Tina, do you have the plastic or wooden spigot? What temp is your house? I’m considering continuous brewing in the cask with wooden spigot and am concerned about how hard it would be to clean. What do you do when you clean your cask? Do you see any disadvantages with a 5 gallon cask over 2 2.5 gallon ones?
Thanks! Connie