I guess, for some reason, I just post here in the summer time. :) Not sure why that is, other than the possible fact that I have more time in the summer.
I hope to be posting again about my latest venture into continuous brew kombucha - once I get it started. I am still slowly recovering from the illness and death of my cat, but I hope to get started on the next kombucha brew this weekend. I know, I don't have much time ... :)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sad times
Anyone who follows me on Facebook knows that I recently had to say good bye to my 12 year old kitty Cinnamon. She had been diagnosed with secondary lung cancer in early February, and I made the decision on May 13th, 2012 - Mother's Day - to end her suffering. It was probably the hardest decision I have ever made, but I knew in my heart that it was the right one. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford having the vet come here, which made it so much less traumatic for both of us. I miss her lots, but I know that her pain is over and she is at rest.
Rest in peace, my Cinnamon girl. I love you.
Rest in peace, my Cinnamon girl. I love you.
Bottling Kombucha - the hardest part!
(This was originally written probably toward the end of August 2011)
Really, the bottling of the kombucha probably requires the most investment in time and effort.
What you need
If you are adding liquid such as ginger or fruit juice, place some into each bottle you wish to flavor, using the funnel if necessary. You will probably need to experiment with the amount, but I would err on the conservative side when starting out with this - better to not have as much fruit flaver as you want but have good kombucha than to ruin the kombucha with too much fruit juice. You can add your fruit or dried fruit at this stage as well. Or, you can add juice or fruit after adding the kombucha - just be sure to leave enough room when you fill the bottles.
Carefully remove whatever cover you have from your fermentation container. Pour the kombucha from the fermentation container into the pouring container (measuring cup or pitcher). Put the funnel into the mouth of the first bottle to fill. Pour the kombucha from the pouring container into the funnel. I carefully tip the bottle so that the kombucha streams down the glass inside the bottle in an attempt to produce less foam and lose less of the natural carbonation. Fill the bottle up to within about 1/2" from the top if you have already added any juices or fruit you wish to add - if not, be sure to leave enough room to add the extras. If you encounter a lot of foaming, fill it as much as you can without making a mess then top off later after the foam settles some. If your bottle is as full as you want it to be, and you are not adding any extras or have already added the extras, you may cap the bottles at this point.
If you haven't added any extras and you are not interested in increasing or maintaining the carbonation of your kombucha, put the sealed bottles into the refrigerator. If you are have added extras and want the flavoring to be stronger, and/or want to increase or maintain the carbonation, you can leave the bottles in a place similar to where you fermented your kombucha - right next to your fermentation container is fine. I've had the best results, so far, with leaving them out for 3-4 days after bottling. Some people advocate that you leave them for up to a month. You may want to experiment a little to see what works best for you. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that more fermentation occurs in the bottle - and carbonation will build up as a result. As carbonation builds, there becomes a chance that a bottle could explode, creating the possibility of some danger and definitely creating a mess. My 3-4 day second fermentation period, has, for me, given the kombucha enough carbonation to result in a champagne-like "pop" as the cap is removed (scaring my cats in the process!), with a champagne-like fine fizz to the kombucha itself - Mmmmmm!
Next time, I'll try to add some photos and maybe some about "continuous brewing" - which is the next thing I want to try!
Happy sipping!
Really, the bottling of the kombucha probably requires the most investment in time and effort.
What you need
- glass bottles with screw on or flip top (like Grolsch) caps (tops must fit securely)
- funnel that will fit into the tops of your bottles
- large measuring cup or pitcher (most recently I've used a one gallon pitcher in this process)
- kombucha
- flavorings such as ginger juice, sliced ginger, raisins, fruit juice, fruit pieces, etc. THIS IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL but some kind of fruit or dried fruit additions may help maintain or increase natural carbonation.
If you are adding liquid such as ginger or fruit juice, place some into each bottle you wish to flavor, using the funnel if necessary. You will probably need to experiment with the amount, but I would err on the conservative side when starting out with this - better to not have as much fruit flaver as you want but have good kombucha than to ruin the kombucha with too much fruit juice. You can add your fruit or dried fruit at this stage as well. Or, you can add juice or fruit after adding the kombucha - just be sure to leave enough room when you fill the bottles.
Carefully remove whatever cover you have from your fermentation container. Pour the kombucha from the fermentation container into the pouring container (measuring cup or pitcher). Put the funnel into the mouth of the first bottle to fill. Pour the kombucha from the pouring container into the funnel. I carefully tip the bottle so that the kombucha streams down the glass inside the bottle in an attempt to produce less foam and lose less of the natural carbonation. Fill the bottle up to within about 1/2" from the top if you have already added any juices or fruit you wish to add - if not, be sure to leave enough room to add the extras. If you encounter a lot of foaming, fill it as much as you can without making a mess then top off later after the foam settles some. If your bottle is as full as you want it to be, and you are not adding any extras or have already added the extras, you may cap the bottles at this point.
If you haven't added any extras and you are not interested in increasing or maintaining the carbonation of your kombucha, put the sealed bottles into the refrigerator. If you are have added extras and want the flavoring to be stronger, and/or want to increase or maintain the carbonation, you can leave the bottles in a place similar to where you fermented your kombucha - right next to your fermentation container is fine. I've had the best results, so far, with leaving them out for 3-4 days after bottling. Some people advocate that you leave them for up to a month. You may want to experiment a little to see what works best for you. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that more fermentation occurs in the bottle - and carbonation will build up as a result. As carbonation builds, there becomes a chance that a bottle could explode, creating the possibility of some danger and definitely creating a mess. My 3-4 day second fermentation period, has, for me, given the kombucha enough carbonation to result in a champagne-like "pop" as the cap is removed (scaring my cats in the process!), with a champagne-like fine fizz to the kombucha itself - Mmmmmm!
Next time, I'll try to add some photos and maybe some about "continuous brewing" - which is the next thing I want to try!
Happy sipping!
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