Guide to Kombucha Second Fermentation Process Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make kombucha for the second time? ›

Second Ferment Process

- Pour your kombucha into the bottle through a muslin cloth lined funnel. - Seal the bottle tightly (a flip top cap is the easiest) and leave at room temperature for 2 -3 days to carbonate. - Taste test, if it is not as bubbly as you want, leave it out for another day or two.

Burping is essentially just opening your bottles ever so slightly during the second fermentation process to release air or “excess pressure” in the bottle. Many brewers recommend burping bottles every day, or every other day while your bottles are fermenting at room temperature.

If not, you can always go back to my previous text where you can read about the process of making your first fermentation of kombucha. Second fermentation (F2) is a process in which we add flavors and carbonation to our beverage, and usually lasts 2-4 days or longer.

If you want an "original" or plain flavored kombucha but still want the fizz, you can do a second ferment by adding 1/2-1 teaspoon of sugar, maple syrup, honey, or molasses to a 16 ounce bottle and fill with plain kombucha. For kombucha: second ferment for 5-10 days.

The secondary fermentation is where most of the carbonation magic happens. So if you are a fan of fizz, this is where it's at! You can use fresh fruit, dried fruit, juice, herbs, spices, or extracts to flavor your kombucha.

If flavoring with fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, start with 10-30% fruit and 70-90% Kombucha. If flavoring with juice, start with 10-20% juice and 80-90% Kombucha.

Put simply, kombucha SCOBYs can be reused for many years. Realistically, however, you simply won't need it to last that long. Your SCOBY grows and divides with each batch of kombucha, so you will constantly be growing new SCOBYs. Simply remove the older layers and transfer the new layers to your next batch.

You're not letting the second fermentation go long enough.

This one is simple; you may just need to let it (second) ferment longer! A typical second fermentation takes 3 to 10 days, but this could take more time depending on the sugar content and temperature of your house.

You might see some cloudiness at the bottom of the vessel where the yeast settles. That's totally normal — just make sure to stir your brew vessel well to distribute this yeast throughout the liquid before you bottle it.

Testing pH

You should test the pH of the kombucha at least twice during the brewing process. The first test should be performed initially if adding starter tea to a new batch of tea. The pH should read below 4.6, and if it's higher, simply continue adding more starter tea or wait an hour and test again.

Can I use honey in second fermentation kombucha? ›

SECOND FERMENT FLAVOUR SUGGESTIONS

Herbs and Spices – Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary, etc. Works well in a combination with fruit, however if using alone, add 1 tsp honey per 1L during second ferment to reactivate beneficial bacteria.

This is the simplest option – you can brew a normal batch of kombucha with multiple SCOBYs in the one jar. Normally they will fuse together into a mega SCOBY over time. Depending on what sort of jar you are using, this can make them difficult to get in and out when harvesting your fresh kombucha brew.

After 1-3 days of carbonation, transfer to the fridge to stop additional fermentation / carbonation. And that's it… Flavored Kombucha is ready to enjoy and share with loved ones!!

Once you've finished fermenting your kombucha, simply recuperate the scoby and store it to start a new kombucha recipe. The easiest way to store a kombucha scoby is to start a new fermentation just after bottling. However, you can space out two fermentations if you keep the scoby at room temperature or in the fridge.

The beauty of it is that it can be reused endlessly! Once you've finished fermenting your kombucha, simply recuperate the scoby and store it to start a new kombucha recipe. The easiest way to store a kombucha scoby is to start a new fermentation just after bottling.

Short-term Breaks (less than 6 weeks)

While many people only brew their kombucha for 1 to 4 weeks (depending on personal taste preferences), it is possible to allow a batch of kombucha to brew for up to 6 weeks assuming it is not brewing someplace particularly warm.

As mentioned before, the primary fermentation process is aerobic. To the contrary, second fermentation is anaerobic; our kombucha and added ingredients must be placed in an airtight bottle and fermented for 1-14* more days. This keeps our carbonation sealed within the bottle!

SCOBY is that essential combination of yeast and bacteria that metabolises the sugars in tea to create kombucha. Kombucha itself needs to go through two separate fermentation processes.