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kombucha basics

kombucha & health

brewing at home

troubleshooting

Identify and fix common kombucha brewing issues, from weird smells to stalled fermentation. Find answers to what went wrong and how to correct it.

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Troubleshooting · Aug 4

What do I do if i can't tell if my F1 is sour, sweet, or tart and it all tastes the same to me? It may sound weird, but I cannot tell if my F1 is sweet, sour, or tart. It tastes like all of them. I have 3 different batches going, one with green + black tea, another with green + white tea, and another with green + hibiscus, they all taste differently, but they also all taste slightly sour, weirdly sweet, and have a vinegary after taste. This has happened in the past also with other batches I have done, so I don't think it's because of the tea I used. How can I tell if it's done?

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Asked Aug 4,

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Top Answer: Do you have anyone else who can taste them? I think that would be your safest bet. Can you compare the kombucha to store bought kombucha? Maybe having some and tasting both one after another can give you a sort of base line on where the flavors shoul...

Just Sarah :) Asked a Question

Troubleshooting · Oct 4

Does anyone else find it difficult sometimes to open old kombucha bottles after F2? I had to use a towel and a lot of force to get my old kombucha bottles open after a few days of F2. For one of them I even had to use a wrench! I just couldn't get it open otherwise. I think it's because of the amount of carbonation, because even when I got it to move a little bit with the wrench, I still couldn't get it open with my hands, there was just too much pressure. Anyone else have this experience and a solution maybe? I would like to keep using my old kombucha bottles.

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Asked Oct 4,

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Top Answer: Yes! I am using old kombucha bottles with a narrower neck compared to bottles like GTs, and even got new caps for them, and it is so difficult to open them! I have to use a towel for extra grip every time! I thought that new caps would help since may...

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Troubleshooting · Aug 6

Can I add more sugar and leave it to ferment longer if it didn't carbonate during F2? I bottled up some kombucha from my F1, some flavored and some not, I put about half a teaspoon of sugar per half a liter of kombucha, and nothing happened. I might have had my measurements wrong. If I want to put more sugar and leave it out to ferment longer, is that ok or will the taste start to get too acidic?

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Asked Aug 6,

in Troubleshooting.

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Top Answer: From my understanding and experience, yes. Even if you put it in the fridge but decide that you want it to ferment longer, you can. Just keep in mind that it will take it a bit to warm up to room temperature and to ferment to the point you want it to...

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Troubleshooting · Aug 4

How do I make natural flavored kombucha have fizz? I want to just bottle the kombucha straight from F1 to a flip top bottle or to the final bottle, but I never get any fizz, it's even less fizzier than when I bottle it, the F1 has more fizz. How much sugar should I be adding to it so it doesn't come out so flat?

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Asked Aug 4,

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John Asked a Question

Troubleshooting · Aug 4

Is there any way to fix a batch that didn't fizz? If I already bottled and put it in the fridge, but opened it to find out there is no carbonation, is there a way to fix it? Can I leave it out again to ferment?

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Asked Aug 4,

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