“Help! My Kombucha is too sweet and not fizzy at all!” Milena S. shares on today’s #AskWardee. I’m sharing my thoughts below!
I broadcast #AskWardee live each Wednesday at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) on Periscope and Facebook Live. Both the podcast and video replay of this week’s show are below. Enjoy!
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The Question:
Milena S. needs help:
“What if it seems too sweet and not fizzy enough/at all? What if the new scoby is sometimes quite thin rather than thick?”
My Answer:
Let’s talk about what Kombucha is, why it might be too sweet after fermenting, and what your options are to fix this issue.
1. What Is Kombucha?
Kombucha, from Russia, is a widely known and loved fermented, probiotic beverage. It’s both sweet, sour, and naturally carbonated by fermenting gases! Many people drink it like soda.
Purported health benefits of drinking Kombucha include cancer prevention, arthritis treatment, improved digestion, and a boost to the immune system. Just a few ounces a day can help with any one of these issues.
2. Why Is Your Kombucha Too Sweet?
Here are a few reasons why your Kombucha might still be too sweet:
- It’s not fermenting very much or at all. Perhaps the scoby isn’t used to the sugar or tea and isn’t working as it should.
- It’s taking longer to ferment, which could mean it’s not warm enough. Or it isn’t used to the sugar or tea and needs more time to adjust.
- The scoby might be too small for the amount of sweet tea, and it’s not getting the job done because it’s too much for it.
3. Why Isn’t My Kombucha Fizzy?
Here are some possible causes for your lack of fizz:
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Maybe it’s not fermenting, and if it’s not fermenting, it won’t produce fizz.
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Maybe it needs longer to ferment before producing fizz.
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The scoby might be too small for the amount of sweet tea, and it’s not fermenting so therefore it’s not producing fizz.
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The jar/container isn’t air-tight, so the gases aren’t building up but rather escaping into the air.
4. How Can You Fix Your Kombucha?
Depending on what you decide the issue is, here are potential fixes:
- If the scoby is too small, reduce the volume of sweet tea you’re asking it to turn into Kombucha. I like 1/2” to 1” thick scoby per gallon of sweet tea. As the scoby grows, you can increase the volume of tea.
- If it’s not warm enough, put your brewing Kombucha in a warmer location, such as: on a seedling mat, on the fridge, next to the fireplace or a heating vent, or wrapped in towels.
- If it’s not taking right to the sugar or tea, give it time to transition and adjust. (Warmth helps always — especially with transitions.)
- It might just need more time for any of the above reasons. In which case, give it more time. 🙂
- If it’s not fizzy and the Kombucha is turning out great otherwise, consider doing a second fermentation in Grolsch bottles as described in #AskWardee 022.
- Finally, you might want to get a new scoby. I love the live scobys from Get Kombucha. Here’s where to get one.
Links Mentioned:
- Live Kombucha Scoby
- Free Fermenting Formulas Cheat Sheet
- Lacto-Fermentation eCourse
- Lacto-Fermentation eBook
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods
- Podcast with Dave from Get Kombucha
- My Kombucha Is Way Too Sour Before I Get To It!
- Scoby Hotel
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I share tips and resources, plus answer your questions about Traditional Cooking!
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How do you know when your Kombucha is ready? Is yours sometimes too sweet and not fizzy?
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Hi Wardee, is it safe for me to drink kombucha while nursing? My western doctor looked it up in a book and said it was “bad stuff” because of toxins from the liver going into the breast milk. I started drinking when my son was a young baby, and feel like it has helped me a lot for the last year. I hate to see it go and wonder if the toxin damage has already been done(so sad to consider), or if it really isn’t that bad. I have a hard time believing it is as bad as the doctor said because isn’t this what people have done throughout history? Also, I can’t find much good research on it. Perhaps it is different if somebody has been drinking it all along…? Thank you!
Hi Renee,
Food Renegade has a great article on this: http://www.foodrenegade.com/is-kombucha-safe-when-pregnant-or-nursing/
Millie
Traditional Cooking School
You’re saying a thicker scoby can help, and saying how much sweet tea to use.. but I’ve always found that the scoby doesn’t matter, its the brewed kombucha juice that should be added.. more so, esp if it’s not brewing in2boocha or fizzing. U didn’t mention even the fact that the juice is a must every time u start a brew.
Hi Jennifer,
It’s true that the starter juice must be added each time. Wardee is sorry for not clarifying that. If you click over to her recipe, you’ll see she states it there. https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/kombucha-recipe/
Thank you for sharing the tip of adding more starter juice. Wardee thinks it could help and we’re glad you added this comment.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team