Make Your Own Kombucha, Continuous Brew Method

CONTINUOUS BREW KOMBUCHA

If you are already a little familiar with kombucha and the basic differences between small batch brewing and continuous batch brewing, read on!  If not, you should probably start on my Kombucha page where I provide a brief overview explain the batch brew method which is best for those just getting started. To learn about the benefits of Living Foods in general, start here: Living Foods

UPSIZING: MY MOTIVATION TO MOVE FROM BATCH TO CONTINUOUS BREW 

I was about 5 weeks into my living foods journey when I realized I was out of kombucha again! The decision to start out making my kombucha using the batch brew method in my half gallon glass pitcher, seemed very reasonable at first. (For more on that, check out my page on the Batch Brew Method). First off, I was new to the idea of living foods and didn't know if I was even like drinking the stuff on a regular basis. Also, I already had the glass pitcher and worked nicely for this purpose. The only shortcoming? I realized very quickly it just wasn't large enough to meet my kombucha needs- which is a good thing, because it just means that I am loving it!

MAKING THE SWITCH

The switch from batch brew to continuous brew was so simple, and the only new thing I needed was a larger vessel with a spigot. (Alternately, if you select a vessel that does not have an opening for a spigot, you could use a gravity pump to dispense your finished kombucha. Personally, I think a spigot is a lot neater and easier.)

There are a lot of great options for your vessel, but the main thing to remember is that it needs to be made from a non-reactive material. Glass is perfect, as is glazed ceramic (because the glaze is actually melted glass), and even stainless steel will work. However, if you decide on glass or ceramic, you need to be absolutely sure your vessel is lead-free, and if you choose stainless steel, make sure it's food grade 304 or 316 stainless steel. This goes for the spigot as well.

I decided to go with an inexpensive, clear glass vessel I found on Amazon, and purchased a separate stainless steel spigot to replace the one that came with it. There are some beautiful ceramic options available as well, and these are wonderful if you plan to keep the vessel on your counter for easy access. But keep in mind, these tend to be a bit pricier than the plain glass ones and a lot of ceramic glazes contain lead so you need to be careful; If you choose this option, be sure to verify that the vessel is listed as lead-free, and make sure you are buying it from a reputable seller.

INGREDIENTS AND TOOLS 

Ingredients (Makes 1-1/2 Gallons):

• 2 healthy SCOBYs and 4 cups of strong kombucha (starter liquid)
• 8 tea bags, black or green tea, preferably organic (definitely NOT decaffeinated or herbal tea)
• 1.5 cups of cane sugar (1/4 cup sugar per quart of water)
• 1.5 gallons of filtered or spring water (must be chlorine free)

The proportions for the basic units are-  2 cups water : 1 tea bag : 2 tablespoons sugar

Tools:

• A large brewing vessel and spigot or gravity pump
• Digital thermometer (Optional- some people can gage room temperature just by testing it with a finger!)
• Pot for boiling water
• Coffee Filter or Tightly Woven Cloth and large rubber band to use as a cover
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula (just about anything non-metallic will do)
• Bottles or jars with air tight lids for storing your finished kombucha (these may also be used for the optional 2nd fermentation)

THE BREWING PROCESS, SIMPLIFIED

STEP 1:  AT LEAST ONE CYCLE BEFORE THE SWITCH, GROW YOUR SCOBY 

(This step is only required if you are moving up in scale and you need more SCOBY than you already have. For my vessel size, I needed approximately 8-10 ounces total of SCOBY for this size batch and even though my SCOBY had been growing with each batch, it wasn't growing as fast as I liked.)

On the day my last batch brew was ready to be bottled, I removed my SCOBY from the pitcher and placed it in a large (2 quart) mason jar along with 3-4 cups of the liquid kombucha (double the amount I usually reserve). I bottled the rest of the kombucha and prepared a fresh batch of sweet tea as usual. When it was time to transfer the SCOBY to the new batch, I divided my culture; I pulled out only the mother SCOBY (the original one I had purchased) for the new batch, and left behind the smaller SCOBYs (often called SCOBY babies) that had formed during each of my previous brewing cycles. Then I poured just half (about 2 cups) of my reserved kombucha on top as the starter for the new batch. So I ended up with half of my SCOBY/kombucha combo in the new batch and half in a mason jar. This mason jar had now become what some people refer to as a "SCOBY hotel".  I covered my SCOBY hotel with a coffee filter and set it in the pantry next to my brewing kombucha. Now the SCOBYs in both my kombucha pitcher and my SCOBY hotel would continue to grow.

STEP 2: ONCE THE LAST BATCH BREW READY TO BOTTLE, MAKE THE SWITCH

As soon as your last batch brew is ready to bottle, it's time to make the switch. You will need to make sure your new vessel is clean and dry, and that your spigot is installed securely. It's a great idea to fill your vessel with water to make sure you don't have any leaks before proceeding!

Below are the steps I used to prepare my 1.5 gallon batch of kombucha for my first continuous brew:

THE CONTINUOUS BREW PROCESS

1. Bring 4 cups of spring (or filtered) water to a boil, turn off heat and add 8 tea bags, steep for 5-10 minutes, then remove tea bags.

2. Add 1.5 cups of sugar to hot tea and stir to dissolve. Add 4 cups of cool water.

3. Pour 1 gallon of room temperature spring (or chlorine-free, filtered) water into the vessel.

4. Add the prepared sweet tea to the water that is already in the vessel.  Verify temperature is in the 80-90 degrees F range before moving to next step.

5. Add your SCOBYs and a total of 4 cups of starter kombucha (from your last batch and from your SCOBY hotel).

6. Cover using a coffee filter or tightly woven cloth and rubber band, place it out of the sun (in a cupboard or pantry) and wait. Begin taste testing it daily after about 6 or 7 days. (You can just dispense it from the spigot.) When your kombucha is ready (whenever it tastes good to you) you can begin to bottle it, but be sure to follow the recommended guidelines provided below. 

Bottle Your Kombucha and Begin Again

The continuous batch is very similar to the batch brew method in that you always need to reserve some of the brewed kombucha for your next batch. The main difference is that

• you don't need to handle your SCOBY each time you bottle your kombucha
• you don't need to prep your sweet tea on the same day you bottle your kombucha 

When the kombucha is ready, simply dispense what you need directly from the spigot into your bottle. The SCOBY and starter remain in the vessel. You will eventually need to replenish the vessel with sweet tea using the same ratios of tea/water/sugar as before, but with this method the timing is a lot more flexible. If you don't have time to brew a new batch of sweet tea that day, you can opt to add it days later. Or you can prepare your tea in advance and store it in the refrigerator, using only what you need to replenish the vessel when needed. Just remember that the SCOBY will continue to ferment the tea so the sweet/tart balance will be related to the combined "age" and amount of the brew in the vessel. If it gets too low* or begins to get too sour, you'll need to add more sweet tea and give it a few days to brew. Taste test it to decide when it's ready to drink or bottle, and repeat.

SCHEDULE TO DISPENSE AND TOP OFF YOUR BREW

According to my favorite Kombucha reference book, the Big Book of Kombucha by Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory, there are some important steps to take to get the continuous brew process going. For the first few batches, once your kombucha is ready to drink, decant a maximum of 1/3 of the full batch (always leaving at least 2/3 of a full batch of brewed kombucha in the vessel). Then, allow the vessel sit for one to several days to build the strength of the brew before replacing the missing liquid with sweet tea. To begin the next cycle,  fill it up with more sweet tea and allow it to ferment for 2 to 5 days. When it's ready, repeat the process, always making sure not to dispense no more than 1/3 of the kombucha each cycle, for about 4 complete cycles. After this your brew is considered mature and you can increase the amount you dispense each cycle to anything from 1/2 to 2/3 of the full batch.

NOTE: Just like with batch brews, you can do a second fermentation once you've bottled your kombucha. For more information on this, go back to the main Kombucha page.

VERY IMPORTANT- DO NOT FORGET

The SCOBY is a living organism that can die if exposed to extreme temperatures or chlorine. It functions best at a temperature of 68-85 degrees F, so never add boiling hot tea to your vessel, and don't refrigerate or freeze it.