What is Kombucha Vinegar?

Kombucha vinegar is essentially over-fermented kombucha. When a batch of kombucha is bottled at the ideal time, the finished kombucha liquid is separated from the SCOBY and bottled, halting the primary fermentation process. The average kombucha brew duration is from one to two weeks, and results in a well-balanced semi-sweet, slightly tart, probiotic-rich beverage. To learn how to brew kombucha at home, check out this tutorial.

However, if the kombucha brew is left for several weeks or even months beyond that target time, the SCOBY continues to feed off the liquid in the fermentation vessel. Meaning, it will eat up every bit of available sugar and tea that it can, converting it into acetic acid instead – aka, vinegar. Bottled kombucha (removed from the scoby) can also become quite vinegary during second fermentation, but not usually as strong or quickly as the primary brew.

If your primary kombucha brew becomes sour vinegar, bottle and save it! 

Acetic Acid & Kombucha Vinegar

As gnarly as it may sound, acetic acid is actually a very natural and healthy type of acid! It is the same good stuff that is in apple cider vinegar. In addition to beneficial bacteria, acetic acid is what makes raw apple cider vinegar so good for you. So, how do they compare? Drinkable kombucha usually contains around 1% acetic acid, while kombucha vinegar has about 2 to 3%. ACV has an average of 5%.  (Interested in making your own apple cider vinegar at home? We do! Learn how easy it is here)

Acetic acid has many noteworthy health-promoting properties. When combined with a meal, acetic acid helps to slow gastric emptying and reduces blood sugar spikes dramatically. See uses 1, 2 and 3 below for ideas on how to consume kombucha vinegar in a pleasant manner.

Furthermore, studies show that acetic acid aides in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease risk, and has anti-carcinogenic effects! It is also naturally antimicrobial, and can be used to treat various infections, skin irritations, and candida overgrowth.

So, kombucha vinegar doesn’t sound so distasteful or weird after all, right? Right. So let’s take full advantage of that neglected booch – and make excellent use of the awesome stuff you accidentally created!

7 WAYS TO USE KOMBUCHA VINEGAR 

1) Make Fire Cider

If you have toodled around on Homestead and Chill or my Instagram, you’ve most likely heard me talk about fire cider by now. If not, here is the low-down: Fire cider is a natural immune-boosting, crud-fighting tonic that can help prevent, reduce symptoms, or help you recover more quickly from colds or the flu. We sip on fire cider and elderberry syrup regularly all cold-season long. Especially if we have been around someone who is ill. Guess what? We haven’t been sick in three years! I kid you not.

Traditionally, fire cider is made by infusing garlic, ginger, onions, horseradish, and other optional healing ingredients (such as citrus, turmeric, or herbs) in raw apple cider vinegar. After a few weeks it is strained and honey is added to the final liquid. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it!

As we’ve already established, kombucha vinegar is very similar to apple cider vinegar in many ways, and thus makes a great substitute for ACV in homemade fire cider. You can find our recipe and instructions for how to make Fire Cider here. Simply swap out all or some of the called-for ACV with your kombucha vinegar instead! 

2) As Salad Dressing

Do you like to use apple cider vinegar as salad dressing? We sure do! Our go-to salad dressing is simply a drizzle of raw ACV along with a little extra virgin olive oil. Kombucha vinegar tastes very similar and makes a great salad dressing too.

Even if you don’t love it straight, kombucha vinegar can easily be incorporated into various homemade salad dressing recipes in lieu of other vinegars. For example, a mix of kombucha vinegar with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, fresh or dried herbs, and perhaps a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice or a dash of aged balsamic vinegar?

3) Take it as a “Gut Shot”

Because of all the health benefits of acetic acid, it is increasingly common for health professionals to recommend a small daily dose of apple cider vinegar with meals. Or kombucha vinegar, in this case. Yet ACV or booch vinegar aren’t things most people want to guzzle down, nor should they! A little goes a long way. Just a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar is awesome to promote general wellness, or to improve specific health concerns.

Acetic acid aids in digestion, and improves insulin sensitivity. As we briefly discussed above, it also slightly slows down gastric emptying – which is the time it takes for food to move from your stomach into your small intestine. Because of all this, acetic acid helps stabilize or reduce post-meal blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar is great for everyone,, but especially for those with diabetes. Type 1 Diabetic here! 

By slowing gastric emptying and reducing sugar spikes, it can also lead you to feel more satiated and less likely to overeat. This could be very helpful for those struggling to maintain healthy portions and weight. 

An easy way to get your daily dose of acetic acid is to take a small shot of apple cider vinegar or kombucha vinegar before dinner (or other large meal). If taking a straight shot is too tangy for your tastebuds, dilute 1-2 tablespoons of kombucha vinegar in water or your beverage of choice instead. 

4) As a Natural Hair Rinse

Say what? Yep! Here goes kombucha vinegar, copying ACV again…. Believe it or not, apple cider vinegar is popularly used as a natural hair rinse. Acetic acid helps to clarify hair, remove build-up, reduce scalp itching or dryness, re-balance your natural pH, provide deep conditioning, reduce breakage and frizz, and re-seal cuticles. The result is shiny, smooth, healthy hair! I do either an ACV or kombucha vinegar hair rinse once every month or so. It really helps reduce the build-up and dullness created by our very “hard” (high mineral) city water.

To create a kombucha vinegar hair rinse, simply mix 1-2 parts kombucha vinegar to 4 parts water. For example, by diluting a half a cup (or just over) of booch vinegar in 2 cups water.

If you make an apple cider vinegar hair rinse, it is recommended to dilute it even further since ACV has a higher acetic acid content. In that case, use 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per 2 cups of water. Some online sources recommend stronger solutions, but I say start light, see how your hair responds, and increase the concentration if you desire. 

After washing your hair, apply the kombucha vinegar either using a spray bottle or by gently pouring it over your head. Lean your head back and be careful to not get it in your eyes! Let the kombucha vinegar solution sit for a few minutes, and then thoroughly rinse your hair. 

5) As a Facial Toner or Make-Up Remover

Like raw apple cider vinegar, kombucha vinegar is gaining popularity as a natural skin care product. Some people swear that using ACV or kombucha vinegar as a facial toner has drastically improved their complexion, making skin glow! The strong antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties of acetic acid make it excellent at healing acne or other infections. Because acetic acid is also quite astringent, it provides a deep clean and removes impurities.

Using an organic cotton round, I often use kombucha vinegar as a facial toner – straight and undiluted! Then I follow it up with homemade calendula oil with argan and jojoba for added healing and moisture. If you have sensitive or extra-dry skin, you may want to try diluting your kombucha vinegar half-and-half with water first. Just like the hair rinse, you should dilute an ACV facial toner even further – and use caution around your eyes!

6) Natural Kitchen or Bathroom Cleaning Spray 

We avoid using bleach and other chemical products on this homestead as much as possible. Instead, we use a variety of natural and non-toxic cleaning products, such as hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, or vinegar.  Vinegar is a great multi-purpose cleaner that can disinfect surfaces plus remove grease, grime, and odors. We use it on everything from the kitchen sink to laundry. Check out this article for more details on our go-to homemade vinegar and citrus cleaning spray. 

To make a kombucha vinegar cleaning spray, simply add strong sour kombucha vinegar to a spray bottle, and spray away! You could also infuse the vinegar with citrus or herbs, as shown in the tutorial linked above. Because the acetic acid concentration in kombucha vinegar is significantly lower than white vinegar, it admittedly won’t have quite the same disinfecting power. However, that doesn’t mean it still can’t be used to spiff things up when a stronger sanitizer isn’t otherwise needed!

Please note that acidic vinegar-based cleaning solutions should be avoided on some sensitive surfaces. It is NOT recommended to use vinegar to clean granite, marble, or other sensitive stone surfaces. The acid can cause staining and etching to them. We use it on our laminate “wood” floors, but would avoid using vinegar on natural hardwood floors or wood furniture.

7) Starter Culture or SCOBY Hotel

Last but not least, these are probably the most obvious ways you can use kombucha vinegar. Your brew of booch got too tart, so you probably need to start a new batch right? Keep a cup or so of the over-fermented kombucha vinegar to use as the “starter culture” liquid to kick-start the next batch! 

Furthermore, one “side-effect” of brewing kombucha is the large colony of SCOBY babies you’re bound to accumulate. With every new batch of kombucha, a new layer of SCOBY forms. It is best to routinely thin out large layers of SCOBY to keep your kombucha brew in balance. 

So – what do you do with all that extra SCOBY? Sometimes, we chop them up and feed them to the chickens. Other times, they may go into the compost. Sharing extra SCOBY with friends is always encouraged too! Even with creative uses and sharing, you will probably find the need to store some. Enter: the SCOBY hotel. 

Simply store excess SCOBY in a large glass container with finished kombucha or kombucha vinegar. Store the SCOBY hotel in a cool dark place, where they will happily live with minimal maintenance for years on end. The only “care” we give our SCOBY hotel is to add a few cups of fresh sweet tea once every few months. 

And that is how you can use kombucha vinegar!

After reading all of that, I bet you want to intentionally allow your brew to over-ferment to create kombucha vinegar, don’t you? It IS pretty rad that there are so many excellent uses for it. I hope you gleaned a few new fun and useful ideas here!

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

• How to Make Kombucha: Brewing Basics for the Best Booch Ever
• Kombucha Carbonation Tips: How to Bottle, Flavor, & Second Ferment
• The Best 18 Seasonal Kombucha Flavors for Second Ferment
• Supplies List for Brewing Homemade Kombucha
  

Please feel free to ask questions, and spread the booch lovin’ by pinning or sharing this article. Cheers!

The post 7 Clever Ways to Use Sour Kombucha Vinegar appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Over the last five years of brewing regularly, we have bottled a lot of kombucha! While we have experimented with dozens of flavor combos, there are a few extra special ones that come to mind, along with a handful of go-to recipes that we always come back to. If you need instructions on the basics of making kombucha, check out this article – and then head back here!

Before we dive into what our favorite picks are, we need to cover a couple important points first: the condition of the fruit you are adding, and how you are adding it. These factors can either make or break your kombucha flavoring efforts!

Choose Ripe Fruit

I have a little secret to let you in on… No matter how appetizing a fruit or flavor may sound, your kombucha is only going to be as good as the raw ingredients you put into it! That means that if you use underripe, out-of-season, lackluster fruit, your finished kombucha flavor is going to be… well, lackluster too! 

Furthermore, flavoring kombucha is a great way to utilize overripe or damaged fruit instead of composting it! Bruised apples, overly soft peaches, or fruit in otherwise less-than-ideal condition for eating are perfect for kombucha! As long as they aren’t moldy and rotten, that is. Overripe fruit can be the sweetest! #wastenotwantnot

Drink In Season

When we are preparing to bottle kombucha, deciding on the flavor of the week, we ask ourselves a few questions. One of those questions is NOT “What fruit makes the best tasting kombucha ever?” Instead, we think about what is in season, and what is readily available locally – either at the farmer’s market, grocery store, or from our garden.

Eating (and drinking) with the seasons is the most sustainable option, and also the best tasting! Nothing is worse than hard, white, flavorless strawberries, am I right? For optimum sweetness, flavor, and the highest nutritional value, choose produce that is in season now. If possible, local and organic is even better!

Keep in mind that just because something is currently stocked at the grocery store, doesn’t mean it is in season! Check produce stickers to see the origin of the fruit or vegetable. Chances are, if it isn’t coming from the U.S., it isn’t in season here. Use you local farmer’s market for ideas and inspiration! Go explore, and pick up what they’re offering. You may find some delicious favorite flavors of your own – completely different from what we have locally here!

What Fruit is “In Season”?

Below is a general guide to when common fruits are in season in the U.S. To narrow down your search by state and month, check out this awesome Seasonal Food Guide!

• Spring: some Citrus, beginning of Strawberries & Blueberries
  
  
• Summer: Cherries, Stone Fruit, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Melon, Grapes
  
  
• Fall: Apples, Pear, Passionfruit, Grapes 
  
  
• Winter: Apples, Persimmon, Citrus, Kiwi, Pear, Passionfruit
  
  
• Year-round: Beets and Carrots… not fruit, but great in booch!

How You Add Flavor or Fruit to Your Kombucha

In addition to what you add, how you go about flavoring your kombucha will also make a huge difference in the final beverage! If you read our “Kombucha Carbonation Tips: How to Bottle, Flavor & Second Ferment” article, you will already be familiar with some of this. If you haven’t checked that out yet, I highly suggest doing so! It sets the foundation for how to go about adding the flavors that you’ll see below.

Whole Fruit Vs Blended or Juiced

In general, the best way to truly infuse your homemade kombucha with maximum flavor is to add pureed (blended) fruit, or fruit juice. That way, the fruit becomes one with the booch! On the other hand, when chunks of whole fruit are steeped in a kombucha brew, far less flavor transfers from the fruit into the beverage.

We have also found that adding puree or juice leads to better carbonation than steeping. If you find that the fruit you are using isn’t naturally as sweet as you’d like it, you can always add a sprinkle of sugar or dollop of honey into the blender along with it. 

Your Process

I guess I should state now that I am not going to include exact amounts or detailed instructions for every flavor on this list – but of course I will provide some tips. As you read through the following flavor ideas, let them serve as a guide – but feel free to experiment! Amounts will vary depending on how much kombucha you are bottling. Also take into account what kind of method or machine you’re using, and keep in mind that you may need to make a few modifications.

For example, we use a Vitamix to blend our raw fruit and veggies, mixed with just a few ounces of plain finished kombucha to help it blend into a smooth, pourable puree. Then we add a couple ounces of that puree into each swing-top bottle of plain kombucha. The Vitamix is a beast, and can easily blend raw whole beets, knobby chunks of unpeeled ginger root, tough carrots, or whatever else we throw in there! It turns everything silky smooth. If you are using a different blender, you may find the need to do a little more prep beforehand. For example, lightly steam raw beets before they’re blended, or remove the tough skin from a persimmon. 

Got pulp? Personally, we don’t mind slightly pulpy kombucha. Yet if you want a more clean beverage, you may want to use a juicer instead of a blender. Or, strain your blended puree before adding it to the bottle – especially for seedy berries! Finally, you could also pour the final product through a funnel strainer after second fermentation, just before consuming it.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the Homestead and Chill…

18 BEST SEASONAL KOMBUCHA FLAVORS

1) Anything Ginger 

That’s right. Ginger everything! Fresh ginger root is an amazing, zingy addition to kombucha. It also helps increase carbonation! As you continue reading, pretty much all of the kombucha flavors on this list go wonderfully with ginger! To do so, we simply add a little chunk of raw ginger to the Vitamix when we are blending the  fruit. Instead of blending, you can also grate or cut small chunks of ginger and toss them in the bottle during second ferment. Steeping ginger infuses its flavor far better than steeping fruit chunks! 

2) Beet & Friends

Like ginger, red beets pair well with a wide variety of other fruit friends! We especially love strawberry-beet, beet blended with fresh orange juice, and beet-ginger. The addition of beets in kombucha second ferment also lead to some serious carbonation – so watch out for “beet bombs”! With their frisky fizz and intense (staining) color, they can be particularly messy. Don’t let that dissuade you from making beet flavors though! Just keep an eye on them and don’t let them over-ferment. 

Again, we simply throw raw beet chunks in the Vitamix and blend them with a few ounces of plain kombucha (or orange/lemon juice) until smooth. Before we had a Vitamix, I peeled and steamed them on the stovetop until tender to the fork, and then blended them up. Get ready for some eye-popping, vibrant colored kombucha! 

3) Strawberry Lemonade

I mean, who doesn’t love strawberry lemonade? Strawberry kombucha is a divine thing of its own too! This flavor arose out of our “need” to find more ways to use our backyard Meyer lemons. Instead of adding the usual few ounces of plain kombucha to the ripe strawberries in the blender, we substitute with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. That sweet-and-sour combo is awesome. We also found that by adding citrus, the kombucha gets a tad less carbonated – which can be a good thing, since strawberry can get overly fizzy on its own sometimes. 

4) Apple Cinnamon

This is one of our go-to kombucha flavors, especially when our backyard apple tree is dumping fruit, or when the local farms ramp up in the fall! By blending together fresh apples and a few dashes of cinnamon powder, the finished kombucha tastes like a winning combination of spiced apple juice and apple cider vinegar. 

Truth be told, we usually have organic bottled apple juice in the house too. It is what I drink when my blood sugar gets low – Type 1 diabetic here! So if we ever are running low on fresh fruit on kombucha bottling day, we use bottled apple juice and cinnamon as an easy and tasty solution. Cinnamon also helps reduce blood sugar spikes!

5) Mango Lime

A legitimate tropical party in a bottle. If you haven’t yet discovered this trick, know this: both ripe mango and papaya are absolutely to-die-for when eaten with fresh lime juice drizzled on top! So we implemented that same notion with some California mangoes in our kombucha a few times, and it did not disappoint.  Simply blend chunks of skinned, ripe mango with fresh-squeezed lime juice, and add it to your finished kombucha in second ferment. 

6) Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice

I am not sure why, but we don’t eat many oranges usually. Too messy? I don’t know. But when Aaron’s parents unloaded a huge box of their homegrown, super-sweet Valencia oranges on us, we had to put them to good use! And let me tell you… now we buy oranges when they’re in season, just to add them to kombucha! It couldn’t get more simple, or delicious. Squeeze your own fresh oranges, and add said juice to your booch. Boom. Sunshine in a bottle! Like the apple juice hack, a couple ounces of bottled organic orange juice is also an excellent addition to kombucha in a pinch. 

7) Stone Fruit

Peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, pluots – you name it! Any and all stone fruit create stellar kombucha flavors. Since they’re also so delicious to eat, and we don’t grow these ourselves, I often am hesitant to do a full batch of kombucha using just one type or precious stone fruit. Thus, we do a lot of fun mixing with these! Plum and melon, peach and strawberry, or even many types of stone fruit mixed together. 

8) Blackberry Lavender

Oooh, lavender huh? I’m sure you can figure out how to include blackberries in kombucha, but how about lavender, or other aromatic herbs and flowers? It is very easy to create a simple flower-infused “syrup” to add to your kombucha! I use the term “syrup” loosely because I am not interested in creating a super-sweet, thick syrup. What we do is more like making a cup of tea! 

Using a loose-leaf tea infuser, cheesecloth, or other tightly-woven but breathable material, steep a handful of fresh or dry lavender blooms in a cup of hot water. Add a few tablespoons of sugar to make a mildly sweet syrup. Then pour this alongside your blackberries (and plain kombucha, if needed) in the blender. It should go without saying, this type of lavender syrup could be added directly to plain kombucha – or mixed with other fruit as well! I made a honeydew lavender flavored kombucha once that was pretty amazing.

9) Herb-Infused Flavors

In addition to creating a light lavender syrup (described in #7 above), many other herbs can be used and infused in the same manner! For example, steeping sprigs of rosemary to create a rosemary and citrus kombucha. Another delicious option is using mint with strawberry and lime – mojito style! Mint is tender enough that it could easily be blended with fruit rather than steeped if you prefer. However, because rosemary and lavender are so woody, I would stick with infusing them. 

10) Carrot

Here is a more savory option for you! Though, carrots can be pretty sweet themselves! During our homegrown carrot season, we love to blend raw carrots to flavor kombucha. A juicer would really be ideal for this one. For an added nutritional boost and pop of flavor, try blending or grating a small piece of fresh turmeric root with the carrots! If that sounds too savory and vegetal for you, carrots also pair perfectly with orange juice, ginger, or apple. 

11) Passionfruit

You’re right. I feel a bit guilty having passionfruit on this list, because it is not the easiest to obtain for most people. Plus, you do need a good deal of it to make a modest amount of juice. But if you are magically blessed with an abundance of passionfruit in your life as we are, you have to try it! Passionfruit, also known as lilikoi, is one of the best kombucha flavors around. 

To juice the passionfruit, we scoop out their guts into a fine-mesh strainer, perched over a larger bowl. Then using a rubber spatula, I mash and stir the pulpy seeds over and over until the juice has separated and drained below. Add the sweet, tart golden juice to the bottle of plain kombucha. 

12) Persimmon 

Did someone order fall in a bottle? Persimmon kombucha is like the equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte for me. If you embark on this journey, be sure to get ripe Fuyu persimmons – the squatty ones that look reminiscent of a mini pumpkin – not hachiya persimmons! Fuyu are excellent to eat fresh like an apple, while hachiya are bitter and leave a furry feeling in your mouth unless they’re gooey-ripe or baked. Definitely feel free to add cinnamon or ginger to this one as well!

13) Blueberry Ginger

It’s just good. Nuff said? One tip I recently heard was to create a blueberry sauce by simmering blueberries, a little sugar, and optional grated ginger on the stovetop before adding it to the kombucha. Yum! (Allow it to cool before mixing!)

14) Lemon Zinger 

Lemon ginger, that is! When you want a break from something sweeter kombucha flavors, this is a great option. We are fortunate to have sweet Meyer lemons to juice, so if you’re using standard lemons, you may want to add just a tiny sprinkle of sugar or dab of honey to the bottle too. In addition to using lemon and ginger as a flavor on their own, they’re stellar in conjunction with most of the other flavors on this list too!

15) Melon 

Oh melon, you are tasty. Super juicy sweet watermelon makes especially fantastic kombucha flavors! Because of its natural high water content, it will need little to no additional kombucha for blending. Other melons are worthy as well… like cantaloupe, and honeydew too! Because melon can have a fairly subtle flavor, it is especially important to use really ripe ones for the best kombucha second ferment. I frequently mix melon with other seasonal fruits during the summer months.

16) Strawberry Basil

I have to admit that blending basil and strawberries doesn’t always make for the prettiest of kombucha, as the colors may get a little muddled. But do it anyways, because it tastes wonderful! Simply blend a few fresh tender basil leaves with ripe strawberries and a splash of plain kombucha. Then, add a couple ounces of that puree in the bottle with your finished kombucha to second ferment. 

17) Raspberry Lime

You’ve got the hang of this by now, right? Sweet, ripe raspberries = good. Plus fresh-squeezed lime juice? Even better! To avoid a seedy kombucha, you may want to make a stovetop sauce with this one, and/or strain it before bottling. Or like us, simply embrace the seeds!

18) Plain

Guess what is always in season? Plain ole’ booch! Sometimes it is nice to let the kombucha shine on its own – especially if you are using tasty, high-quality teas in your brew! Not to mention, this option is the least fuss.

Feeling thirsty yet?

There you have it! Those are our top picks for seasonal kombucha flavors. What do you think? Did you see a few new combos that you can’t wait to try? Be sure to report back with how you liked them! Did I forget any of the tastiest kombucha flavors that you love to make at home? Let us all know in the comments.

Thank you for tuning in! Please feel free to ask questions, and spread the booch love by sharing this article. Cheers!

The post The 18 Best Seasonal Homemade Kombucha Flavors for Second Ferment appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

If you are after that perfectly carbonated kombucha, look no further! Read along to learn all our tips and tricks for bottling, flavoring, and second-fermenting homemade kombucha – to achieve a deliciously bubbly finished beverage. The top 8 factors that influence carbonation are revealed!

This post is geared towards folks who already understand the basic process of brewing kombucha, including primary fermentation. If that doesn’t sound like you, check out our “How to Make Kombucha 101″ post – and then come back here after!

The Great Quest for Carbonation

“How do I make my kombucha fizzy?”

Several factors influence how carbonated your finished kombucha will be, including the time, temperature, type of flavor added (if any), how you fill your bottles, and more!

Let’s break down all these variables, one by one.

But first, it will be helpful to understand the science about what creates carbonation in kombucha in the first place. This foundation should help clarify why the other factors are important, and how they work together to achieve our goal!

How is carbonation created?

Here is the basic science behind bubbly kombucha: When your kombucha goes through the primary fermentation stage in its main crock, it is an aerobic process. The SCOBY in your vessel is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. SCOBY culture interacts with sweet tea and air to produce beneficial bacteria (probiotics), acetic acid, and yeast. In this process, the pH drops, a lot of the sugar from the sweet tea is broken down and vastly reduced, but the kombucha isn’t yet carbonated.

In contrast, the secondary fermentation stage, also known as “second ferment”, is done in an anaerobic environment; without air. This is accomplished by bottling your finished kombucha in air-tight bottles. Most kombucha brewers like to add fruit chunks, fruit juice, or puree at this stage. The fruit added to the bottle acts as a new sugar source for the bacteria and yeast to feed on. Thus, the yeast will work to break down those sugar molecules into carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ethanol. In the absence of air, the CO₂ is trapped within the sealed bottles, and boom! Carbonation is born.

C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose) → 2 C₂H₅OH (ethanol) + 2 CO₂ (carbon dioxide)

Note: You should never “flavor” or add fruit to your primary vessel. It is not good for the SCOBY.

8 Factors That Influence Kombucha Carbonation

1) Kombucha Bottles

If I had to pick just one factor that influences the carbonation level of kombucha the most, it would be the bottles used. Because no matter how perfectly you do everything else, if your bottles are not truly air tight, the carbon dioxide produced during secondary fermentation is going to leak out! Therefore, if you want bubbly booch, you probably will not have the best of luck by using up-cycled mason jars, leftover beverage bottles, or similar. Even with a tight screw-on lid, gasses can escape. They’re sneaky little things. Especially under pressure!

The best way to contain the carbonation in kombucha is using swing-top bottles. They’re the most air-tight. However, not all swing-top bottles are created equal! You want to get high-quality bottles that are made specifically for brewing carbonated beverages! We use these 16 ounce and 32 ounce bottles by EZ Cap. They’re sold online or in homebrew stores, and are widely used for kombucha or beer making.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE

We need to address a VERY, very important safety concern in regards to bottling homemade kombucha. Here we are, talking about the ways to obtain the best carbonation possible, right? But sometimes, homemade kombucha can end up way too carbonated! We lovingly refer to these as “booch bombs”.

While it may be tempting to pick up basic swing-top bottles from places like Target, Home Goods, or the like – I strongly advise against it.  99% of the time, those are not the type of high quality bottles that are made to withstand pressure. The wrong bottles CAN AND WILL EXPLODE under excessive pressure from carbonation. Literally. Like a shotgun of glass shards.

In the middle of the night years ago, a cheapo bottle of kombucha exploded in our kitchen. It seriously sounded like someone had fired a gun in our house. The pieces of glass and sticky kombucha were all over, inside, and under everything across two entire rooms. It even ended up inside the freezer somehow! Can you imagine if we would have been in the kitchen at that moment? I don’t want to. I have heard similar horror stories from many people. Therefore, play it safe and get the right supplies.  

How to Prevent Kombucha Bombs

Booch bombs are typically created when bottled kombucha is left too long in second ferment, under too warm of conditions, with too much fruit/ juice added, or some combination thereof. One way to prevent booch bombs is to get all of those things dialed in, which we’ll discuss next. Another way is to burp your bottles to check their level of carbonation. We will talk more about good burping techniques too!

2) How the Kombucha is Bottled for Second Ferment

So your kombucha has finished primary fermentation… It is tangy and fermented to your liking, and you have your bottles ready to go! Now, it is time to get it bottled up, and if you want to, flavored and carbonated.

We use the continuous brew method, and our primary ferment vessels have spigots. This makes it very easy to pull off finished kombucha to bottle. We simply place a pitcher under the spouts and draw off about 2/3 to 3/4 of the crock, leaving the rest behind to jump start the next batch. If you use the batch method and do not have a dispenser on your crock, pull out your SCOBY, and dump most of your finished kombucha into a pitcher. For more information on the vessels we use, see our kombucha supply list.

Using a funnel, fill your bottles most of the way full with kombucha. We generally fill ours up to the point in the bottle where the sides start to curve into the neck. See the photo above and below. Then, add a couple ounces of fruit juice or puree. We’ll talk about fruit options more in a moment. We don’t typically measure amounts exactly. Over time, we’ve learned how to eyeball it.

Q: How much fruit should I add to my kombucha?

A good goal for kombucha-to-fruit ratios is about 85-90% finished kombucha and 10-15% fruit additions. For example, 1-2 ounces of fruit addition per 16 ounce bottle, or 3-4 ounces per 32 ounce bottle. If we are adding straight fruit juice, I would err on the lighter side, using around 8-10% juice. When adding whole fruit that has been pureed with a little kombucha, we may add closer to 15%, since it is less sweet and concentrated than juice.

Q: How full should I fill my kombucha bottles?

If you want good carbonation, do not fill your kombucha bottles completely full! Leave an inch or two of space in the neck. We generally leave most of the neck empty. That small amount of air in the bottle at first helps to jump start the chemical reactions that lead to carbonation. Also, that little bit of space in the neck gives the carbonation somewhere to go! C02 slowly replaces the air in the neck during second fermentation.

On the other hand, do not leave a huge amount of empty space in your bottles. This can lead to too much carbonation building up in the bottle. For example, we never fill a bottle just halfway. If we have an odd amount leftover during a bottling session, we either add it back to the main crock or simply drink it plain right then.

And now… options for fruit, flavors, and more!

3) Choice of Fruit or Other Additions

The next factor that has a significant impact on carbonation is how you flavor it, if at all. Both the type of fruit (or vegetable!) and how you add it makes a difference.

The higher the natural sugar content of the fruit or vegetable, the more carbonated the kombucha will become – and faster. For example, nicely ripe, sweet strawberries will create a more carbonated kombucha than sad under ripe strawberries. Furthermore, things like beets, mangos, and watermelon usually produce more of a fizz factor than blackberries and lemon. That is, if you were to compare those flavors side-by-side, with all other factors constant. It is possible to obtain a similar level of carbonation, no matter the fruit or vegetable added, if you tweak the time – as discussed below.

Figuring out which flavors produce the most carbonation is a bit of a guess-and-check, learn-from-experience type of thing. But you’ll get it!

Fruit isn’t the only thing you can add to kombucha! We have made killer carrot, fresh turmeric and ginger booch before! Ginger always seems to help carbonation, not to mention make the kombucha extra tasty. We’ve also infused kombucha with fresh lavender buds, basil, and other goodies from the garden. I have also heard of people using food-grade essential oils to flavor kombucha, though that isn’t something we’ve ever tried. The options are seemingly endless! I will put together a post of our top kombucha flavor combinations soon.

Sometimes we do leave kombucha completely plain, with no flavoring added at all. This produces the least carbonation. That is, unless you choose to introduce a little fresh sugar to wake up the yeast. For example, by bottling plain kombucha and adding just a pinch of organic cane sugar or a squeeze of honey to the bottle along with it. If you’re working with slightly underripe fruit or other flavoring additions that don’t have much natural sugar, a little pinch of sugar or honey could be added to increase carbonation in those situations as well.

4) How You Flavor Your Kombucha: Whole Fruit, Juice, or Puree

We have found that adding fruit juice or fruit puree to kombucha creates more carbonation than adding whole fruit chunks to your bottles. Fruit chunks also provide less infusion of their flavors. Think about it… By blending up or juicing fruit, you’re breaking it down and therefore freeing up all those sugar molecules to go party with the yeasties! When fruit is left more whole, there is less mixing and surface area for the essential chemical reactions that lead to carbonation to take place.

95% of the time, we add fruit puree to our kombucha to flavor it. Our flavor choices largely depend on what is in season, readily available locally (or from the garden!), ripe, fresh, and organic! Meaning, we make a lot of beet kombucha in the winter, strawberry, melon or stone fruit kombucha in the summer, and apple in the fall. Sometimes we use fruit juice. We don’t have a juicer, but we do “juice” our homegrown passionfruit to remove the seeds. In a pinch we use store-bought organic fruit juice, which we generally have on hand for my emergency low blood sugar needs.

How We Flavor Our Kombucha With Fruit Puree

To create a fruit puree to add to bottled kombucha, we simply blend raw, organic, seasonal fruit or veggies with a little finished kombucha from the primary ferment vessel. Or, blended with a little fruit juice. For example, chunks of beets with some fresh-squeezed orange or lemon juice. That way, it can be blended into a smooth and pourable puree, but doesn’t get watered down.

I honestly don’t measure amounts, so I’m afraid I won’t be extremely helpful there. We throw some fruit in the blender, roughly chopped, and then add in enough finished kombucha (or fruit juice) to allow it to blend freely. The Vitamix does an excellent job at creating a super smooth, creamy, uniform puree! It can also handle blending up tough raw beet like a champ.

Most of our purees end up the consistency of a thin applesauce, but thicker than pulpy juice, if that is helpful… See the example below. For that bottling session, we used 4 very small local apples, about 4-6 ounces of finished kombucha, plus a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. This created enough to puree to flavor (4) 32-ounce bottles and (2) 16-ounce bottles.

After we add finished kombucha and a little fruit puree to our bottles in the ratios described above, we cap the bottles. If all of the fruit puree seems to be floating on top, I will gently rock and invert the bottle to better mix it.

Yes, the pureed fruit method will result in a slightly pulpy kombucha. We don’t mind it that way! Also, a little “fruit cap” (mini SCOBY with fruit bits) will form in the bottle. We generally discard this blob after we pour our bottles, feeding it to the chickens. Sometimes, we do drink it. If you prefer your kombucha more smooth and clean, you can always choose to pour the finished product through one of these nifty funnel screens to strain it before drinking! Or, use juice instead of puree.

And now, we wait….

5) Temperature

Store the bottled kombucha in a temperate location to second ferment. It is okay if they’re exposed to some ambient room light, but try to keep them out of direct sunlight. Providing steady warm conditions isn’t as essential now as it was during primary fermentation. At this stage, there really is no risk of mold. The properly fermented kombucha is nice and acidic, and will not allow the fruit that you added to mold.

Kombucha that goes through second fermentation in cooler temperatures will be less carbonated, or take longer to carbonate. In contrast, very warm conditions will create carbonation much more quickly. Therefore, you can expect your winter brews to take longer to achieve the same level of carbonation as your summer brews do in a much shorter period of time. By storing your second ferment bottles in warmer or cooler locations in your house, depending on the season, you can manipulate your carbonation level and time.

When kombucha is amply fizzy from second fermentation, move it to the refrigerator. This isn’t just to make it nice and cool to drink, though that is part of the purpose. The colder temperatures vastly reduces the fermentation activity, essentially halting it. Kombucha may continue to very slightly increase in carbonation in the fridge, but not much.

6) Time

Generally speaking, the longer duration of time that bottled kombucha sits in second fermentation, the more carbonated it will become! However, there is no cut-and-dry timeframe I can provide you. The time needed to create the ideal carbonation level is going to vary wildly depending on all the other factors we are discussing today, including the amount and type of fruit added, conditions and temperature in your house, and so on.

Some kombucha flavors may become perfectly carbonated in four or five days. Others may become insanely carbonated and nearing booch-bomb status in just two or three days. Certain flavors under cooler conditions may be able to sit in their bottles for weeks on end without getting explosive! The only way you are going to be able to tell is by giving your bottles a little burp.

7) Bottle Burping Technique

When your kombucha bottles are sitting out in second fermentation, it is important to keep an eye on them. The best way to assess their carbonation level is to lightly burp them. However, I believe some peoples less-than-ideal burping methods play a huge role in their struggles to gain good carbonation. So let’s talk about the best way to burp your booch!

Burping to check carbonation

The primary purpose of burping kombucha is to check and see how fizzy they’ve become. To do this, you want to only very slightly, hardly at all, lift the swing-top latch and lid. See the video below! Are they hissing? Does the kombucha start to lift and churn? Can you feel pressure pushing back against the lid as you gently start to lift it? Burping does NOT mean fully opening your bottles. By doing so, all of the built up carbonation will easily escape and be lost!

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We typically start lightly burping bottles after 2 to 3 days of being in second ferment. If there is no sign of activity at all, I don’t bother burping again for several days to a week. If there is a slight fizz to it, I let them sit another few days and then move them into the refrigerator. Often times, I do not re-burp. Burping too much leads to less carbonated kombucha. After that initial check, I usually can gauge the activity of that batch and know when it is best to halt the second fermentation process by moving them into the fridge – whether it is the next day, or a few days later.

Unless it is insanely fizzy, I never move the bottles in the fridge immediately after burping. By allowing it to sit out another day or two after burping, it allows the kombucha to regain that little bit of carbonation that was lost. I can’t tell you how many times people have messaged me saying “I burped my bottles and they seemed really fizzy, so I moved them into the fridge. Then they were flat when I opened them again later!” I think they either opened the bottles all the way, or moved them into the fridge too soon, or both.

With time, experience, and playing with various flavor combos, you’ll get into your own groove and be able to better gauge your brews time and burping needs.

Burping to release excess carbonation

Another way burping can be used is to slowly release pressure from a frisky batch of booch. If you start to burp a bottle and it’s apparent that it is past “ready to go” and excessively carbonated, do not fully open the bottle! It will spew like a volcano, or worse. Lightly open the bottle a tad, but keep pressure on the lid so you can quickly clamp it shut again. Let it hiss and rise until it’s about to come out, then close it up again. Let it settle a few minutes, then repeat. You can continue this process as much as needed until it is safe to open.  

Or, here is another way to detonate a kombucha bomb. See the video below. I suggest to do this outside. Especially if beet is involved! Side note: do you think Google is going to red-flag me for using the word “bomb” several times in this post?!?

8) Strength of Primary Ferment Booch

You know the saying “quality in, quality out?”. Well, the same applies to kombucha! The carbonation level of your finished second ferment is going to also depend on the strength, maturity, style, and condition of your primary ferment. Not to say that some primary ferments are necessarily more “quality”, than others… but there are certainly some factors that will contribute to a more or less carbonated booch.

Type of Tea Used

Tried and true, it has been well-documented by home-brewers that using black tea produces the most active SCOBY, and most carbonated finished kombucha.  That isn’t to say you need to use black tea alone! We always use half black tea and half green tea; a combination of organic loose-leaf black breakfast blend tea, and either jasmine green or gunpowder green tea.

For a short time we switched to only green tea, and did see a little drop in our carbonation level. I do know many brewers that get great carbonation with green, white, oolong, or other teas as well! The bottles may simply need to sit out a little longer, or, they may turn out just slightly less fizzy than they otherwise could. If you prefer other tea types, no big deal!

Time of Bottling

Ideally, you want to bottle your kombucha when it is nice and fermented, but still pleasantly balanced. Experts say that properly fermented kombucha has a pH between 2.5 and 3.5. Here are some pH test strips if you want to get scientific about it! If you do a taste-test from the primary ferment vessel, it should should taste tart and vinegary but slightly sweet still at the time of bottling.

If kombucha is bottled too early, when it is still quite sweet, there is less of an established population of beneficial bacteria and yeast within it. Not only is this less healthy for you to consume, but it will probably also be less carbonated. The friends are taken from their mother SCOBY before they’re strong and multiplied enough to do the job well.

On the other hand, if kombucha is allowed to over-ferment in to very acidic kombucha vinegar, it will sort of be past the point of return. For example, kombucha that has gone for months in primary ferment. There are some great uses for kombucha vinegar however! I will write a post on this soon.

Style of Brew

I suspect that the continuous brew method can more easily produce highly carbonated kombucha. The reason is this: when you do continuous brew, the vessel and liquid isn’t disturbed or “turned over” nearly as much as the batch method. More active starter liquid is left behind after each bottling session, resulting in faster-fermenting booch. Additionally, a layer of yeast commonly forms on the bottom of the primary ferment vessel.

Yeast are key players in converting sugar into C02 and ethanol. Thus, a more yeasty booch from continuous brewing leads to more fizz. I notice that after we do a deep clean of our crocks, which removes built up yeast, the subsequent few batches of kombucha are less quickly and less vigorously carbonated than the previous few.

There they are! The 8 factors that will ultimately influence the carbonation level of your kombucha. Put all these things together, and that perfect fizzy lifting drink is just around the corner!

Scenes from bottling day…

One last tip I have for you is this:

When you are about to pour a bottle of fizzy booch, have your glasses there and waiting. Pop the bottle, and gently pour it right away. If you pop it open and let it sit there, it can very easily rise and overflow. But pouring it right away stops that, and captures the carbonation in your glass – right where you want it.

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Now you can get to brewing, bottling, and flavoring your booch! See our list of favorite seasonal kombucha flavor combinations here. I hope you enjoyed this post and find it helpful in your brewing adventures, and helps you achieve that perfect kombucha carbonation. Please feel free to ask questions, leave a comment, and spread the love by passing it on! Thank you for reading.

Cheers!

The post Kombucha Carbonation Tips: How to Bottle, Flavor, & Second Ferment appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know to start brewing kombucha at home.

Today, we’ll mostly focus on brewing basics – from getting started, through the primary fermentation stage, and briefly about flavoring and bottling. To div into more detail about flavoring and carbonation tips, also known as secondary fermentation, see this separate post all about it!

So, let’s lay a foundation and go over what kombucha is exactly, address a few frequently asked questions, and then we’ll dive into the “how-to”. Short videos are included at the end of this post too!

WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?

History of kombucha

Kombucha is not simply a current trend or the latest fad. It has been made as a healthful beverage for centuries!

“Kombucha originated in Northeast China around 220 B.C. and was initially prized for its healing properties. Its name is reportedly derived from Dr. Kombu, a Korean physician who brought the fermented tea to Japan as a curative for Emperor Inkyo. Eventually the tea was brought to Europe as a result of trade route expansions in the early 20th century, most notably appearing in Russia (as “Kambucha”) and Germany (as “Kombuchaschwamm”). Despite a dip in international popularity during WWII due to the shortage of tea and sugar supplies, kombucha regained popularity following a 1960s study in Switzerland comparing its health benefits to those of yogurt.”

Christina Troitino via Forbes

How is Kombucha Made?

Kombucha is made through a double-fermentation process, where sugar and tea are slowly transformed into the semi-tart, semi-sweet finished beverage – with the aid of a SCOBY. The Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) interacts with sweet tea to ferment it into gluconic and acetic acid. It encourages beneficial bacterial reactions, lowers the pH, and prevents growth of harmful bacteria. Additionally, probiotics, enzymes, and antioxidants are formed. These are the things that make kombucha so good for you!

Did you know: good gut health is the key to total-body health? If you’re curious to learn more, check out this article all about the health benefits of fermented foods.

During first stage of the double-fermentation process, or primary fermentation, the sweet tea and SCOBY are in a vessel that is protected from contamination like dust and fruit flies, but not sealed. It is an aerobic fermentation process – “with air”. At the end of primary fermentation, the kombucha is technically ready to go. It can be enjoyed then if you wish! However, most people enjoy their kombucha carbonated and flavored, which is where the secondary fermentation comes in.

For secondary fermentation, also called “second ferment”, the finished kombucha is added into air-tight bottles. A couple ounces of pureed fruit, whole chunks of fruit, or fruit juice are often added at this stage as well. By enclosing the kombucha in an anaerobic environment and feeding it a little fresh sugar (in the form of fruit), yeasts convert that sugar into carbon dioxide. The sealed bottled prevents the carbon dioxide from escaping, leading to carbonation.

Continuous Brewing Method

You’ll hear me mention the “continuous brew” method a few times in this post. We have always made kombucha using the continuous brew method. Personally, this has always seemed like the easiest and quickest method. We’ve been practicing continuous brew for over 4 years now!

In contrast to the “batch method”, you never really halt the process. You do not take the SCOBY out of the crock during bottling. Instead, a vessel that has a dispenser is used. On bottling day, you simply draw off the amount you want to bottle through the dispenser, leave the rest alone, and add back the same volume of sweet tea that you took away in finished kombucha. When using the batch method, you sort of disassemble and reassemble everything each time you bottle and start a new batch instead.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What about the sugar in kombucha?

Sugar is a necessary ingredient in brewing kombucha. It is what feeds the SCOBY and keeps it healthy, in addition to caffeine.

Think of SCOBY as your strung out little friend.

Really though. She’s an addict. But she’s not an enabler! On the contrary, the SCOBY is greedy and wants all of “the good stuff” (her words) for herself. The resulting kombucha she provides you is vastly different from the raw ingredients she is fed.

The SCOBY converts the majority of the sugar to healthy acids during the fermentation process. Meaning, the final beverage you will consume is pretty dang low in sugar. If you read the nutrition label on bottled kombucha, most of them range from 5 to 12 carbs per 16 ounce bottle. Plus, those usually have fruit juice added for flavor. Because you’re making your own, you have ultimate control over your own brew. You can choose to not flavor yours at all during second fermentation, or run the primary ferment even longer. Both of which would further reduce sugar content.

Kombucha’s Effect on Blood Sugar

Hey there! Type 1 Diabetic here! And guess what? Despite the initial sugar content, kombucha does not noticeably raise my blood sugar. Instead, it can actually have the opposite impact, and help keep it more level! The gluconic and acetic acid that are formed in kombucha during the fermentation process are known blood sugar stabilizers. Moreover, the fermentation process cleaves sucrose (polysaccharide) into fructose and glucose – both of which are utilized by the fermentation process thereby reducing the glycemic load.

Note: I have heard of some people brewing successfully with honey, though I believe it can take a toll on SCOBY health over time. Avoid using other sugar substitutes.

Is there alcohol in kombucha?

The short answer is yes. But just a tiny bit, depending on how it is made. The chemical reactions between bacteria, yeast, and sugar result in the formation of a small amount of alcohol during the fermentation process. That very reaction is part of what keeps it safe and healthy to consume. Commercial kombucha that you’ll find in the store is marketed as “non-alcoholic”. To be called so, it is limited to contain less than 0.5% alcohol. Miniscule. In contrast, home-brewed kombucha may contain slightly higher amounts. Various sources say that homemade “booch” can range from .5% up to around 2-3% alcohol content.

Most people will not feel any type of intoxicating effects from consuming kombucha. However, pregnant or breastfeeding women should probably avoid it. You may experience a short-term invigorating buzz when drinking kombucha, but that doesn’t mean it is from alcohol! Even drinking store-bought kombucha gives me a little rush sometimes, but remember, those are extremely limited in their alcohol content. I accredit it to the acetic acid and antioxidants.

How much caffeine is in kombucha?

It’s up for debate, but most resources say that SCOBY needs some caffeine to thrive. Herbal or decaf brews may still taste good, and I’ve heard of people successfully doing this, but many experts say the beneficial cultures will weaken and die off with time. The most popular tea is a combination of green and black. This is what we use. It produces a great balanced flavor and healthy brew. We tried to go all green once, but found our brew seemed weaker and less carbonated. We’ll talk more about tea choices below!

If you’re concerned about caffeine levels, you could try something on the lower end of the spectrum, for example mostly white tea mixed with green tea. Keep in mind that properly fermented, finished kombucha should contain less than 1/3 of the caffeine concentration than when initially started! The fermentation process vastly reduces it. I am pretty caffeine-sensitive. I cannot drink tea or coffee past 3 pm without being wired all night. On the other hand, I can easily drink kombucha in the evening with no noticeable impact on sleep!

In my humble opinion, the benefits of consuming kombucha greatly outweigh the very little residual sugar, caffeine, or alcohol content.

Do you agree? Let’s get you brewing then!

HOW TO MAKE KOMBUCHA

Supplies needed

It’s time to gather your kombucha supplies! In case you missed it, I shared a pretty detailed kombucha brewing supply list a few weeks back. I will still provide a brief rundown here, but if you have any questions about these things, go check out that post for more information.

• SCOBY – You can either obtain a “baby” SCOBY from a friend who brews, buy one from a reputable source, or attempt to grow your own. We tried to grow one recently, twice… and it didn’t go all that well. I am not sure if it was actually mold, but they sure looked funky. We got our original SCOBY from Fermentaholics years ago, and decided to pick up another one for this demonstration. They’re one of the few certified organic providers, and very affordable!

• Starter liquid – Two things get your sweet tea kickin’. The SCOBY, and some finished kombucha – also referred to as the starter culture, or starter liquid. Some experts say this part is even more important than the SCOBY! It essentially inoculates your brew. You’ll need 1 to 2 cups of mature stater culture per one gallon of sweet tea. Purchased SCOBY will often come with some included. Fermentaholics says their SCOBY package contains enough starter liquid to add to a one-gallon batch. Another option is to pick up a bottle of kombucha from the store. Choose plain, not flavored!

• A Brewing Vessel : If you intend to follow the continuous brew method like we do, choose a vessel that has a spigot. You probably want to replace that spigot with a better, safer option – as I discussed in the supply post. It is best to start your first batch of kombucha using only one gallon of sweet tea. A new small SCOBY can’t handle fermenting much more than one gallon at first. Yet once it is strong and developed, we prefer using a 2-gallon crock for our regular brewing needs. Therefore, we are starting this batch in a 2-gallon vessel, but only half full. Other folks may start with a one gallon container and never upgrade to larger one. It all depends on how much you want to drink! In the height of our kombucha-drinking days, we ran two 2-gallon crocks at once!

• Tea: For this recipe, you’ll need either 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, or 4-6 teabags. We prefer to use organic bulk loose leaf tea, and steep it in this stainless steel infuser. Once we have a healthy brew going, we use a combination of jasmine or gunpowder green tea with half black tea. However, to give the new scoby a good kick start, we opted to use black only for now! I hate to sound like a broken record here, but check out the supply post to read more about tea options, including what types to avoid.
  

• Sugar: This recipe will use 1 cup of regular cane sugar. Organic is definitely preferable!

• Water: Use filtered, de-chlorinated water if possible. We don’t want the chlorine slowing down the good bacteria.

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Clean your supplies

You want to make sure all of your supplies are clean, but they don’t need to be “sterile”. Avoid using bleach, or even soap on your kombucha supplies! The residual soap could stick around and really make things “off”. We spray or rinse our supplies with plain white vinegar, let it sit a few minutes, and then rinse well with hot water. That’s it. I also wash my hands very well and then rinse with vinegar before handling a SCOBY. If you chose to get a replacement spigot for your crock, give it a good cleaning and install it now.

2) Prepare the sweet tea

• Heat one gallon of water.
• Steep either 2 tbsp of loose leaf tea in an infuser or 4-6 teabags of your choice.
• Add one 1 cup of sugar, and stir until dissolved.
• We find this easiest to do all of this on the stovetop in a large pot.

Simple, right?

Here’s the deal though… You want to allow the sweet tea to cool down slightly before adding it to the brewing vessel with the SCOBY. Warmish (75-85°F) to room temperature is good. Too hot of temperatures can kill the good cultures! Cold conditions will greatly slow down your ferment, and will also cause the SCOBY to sink. A sunken SCOBY isn’t a huge deal though – it should float again once it warms up.

To save time, we often only heat half the called-for water, add the full ratio of tea and sugar, then pour in the second half of water cold, rapidly cooling it down to the perfect temperature. You may find it helpful to use a probe thermometer to determine the temperature of your tea.

3) Assemble the brew

• Once your sweet tea is at the ideal lukewarm temperature, add it to your brewing vessel.
• Next, add 1 to 2 cups of starter liquid – see notes below.
• Last but certainly not least, plop that SCOBY in there! As I said, it is okay (and fairly normal) if it sinks or floats sideways.

There are varying recommendations for how much starter liquid to add to one gallon of sweet tea, usually ranging around 1-2 cups. We go on the generous end of the spectrum. The SCOBY we got from Fermentaholics came with around a cup of liquid. For a little extra oomph, we added a half bottle of GT Dave’s Synergy plain kombucha as well. It makes for a great inoculant on its own!

Store your brew crock somewhere warm, but not necessarily hot.  You may find the need to change its location depending on the season. (We’ll talk more about temperature momentarily.) Contrary to popular myth, the crock doesn’t need to be in complete darkness. Ambient room light is fine! However, do avoid direct sun rays, such as keeping it in a bright window.

Cover your brew crock with a breathable but tight-knit material. The kombucha needs to breathe, but we don’t want to allow contamination like dust, mold spores, or fruit flies inside. Use something like a lint-free dish or tea towel, part of an old clean pillowcase, or even a coffee filter, for smaller crocks. Secure it with a large rubber band or similar. We learned the hard way that cheese cloth is not effective at keeping fruit flies out. Its holes are too large.

4) Ferment

The time your brew takes to convert from sweet tea to a spunky finished kombucha depends on a number of factors, which we’ll discuss below. Expect the very first batch or two to take far longer than they will thereafter. A brand new kombucha brew may take up to 21 days to ferment, while a mature brew can take as little as 7 days – especially utilizing the continuous brew method.

Temperature

The temperature of your brew is the largest dictator of ferment time. Warmer temperatures accelerate fermentation, and cooler temperatures slow it down. Too cold of temperatures can slow SCOBY activity and fermentation down so much that there is a risk for mold to develop. This is particularly true for a new not-so-strong brew. The ideal temperature range for kombucha fermentation is between 75-85°F. We feel okay with around 70-ish too, but much lower than that will result in a sluggish brew.

“Why do you have lights around your kombucha crocks?”

I can’t tell you how often this question comes up! One word: Heat. To provide the warmth that kombucha loves so much, we wrap our crocks in holiday lights. The traditional style lights give off the perfect amount of heat. New LED styles will not. We turn ours on in the winter months, or overnight during the spring and summer. During our warmest season (fall), we don’t need them at all. Other ways to provide warmth include using a seedling heat mat, or keeping the crock on top of a warm appliance.

To monitor temperature, you may want to use a thermometer. Some folks check the actual temperature of the liquid with a probe thermometer. The easiest option is to keep one on the outside of the crock, like one of these adhesive strip thermometers. By checking the temperature, you’ll feel confident that you’re in the ideal range, or see that adjustments are needed.

Age of Brew

Other factors that influence the time your brew will take to finish fermenting include: the size of the SCOBY, how strong your brew is, and how much “starter liquid” you leave behind to jump start the next batch.

SCOBY Size: Did you know that with every batch of kombucha, your mother SCOBY will produce a new layer? This is lovingly referred to as its baby. You do not need to remove the new layer. A lot of homebrewers allow their SCOBY to get really fat before thinning it down. The fatter the SCOBY, the quicker the brew will ferment. Sometimes ours are 3 to 4 inches thick before we peel away a few layers! Extras can be added to a SCOBY hotel, chopped up and fed to the chickens, composted, or even turned into SCOBY “fruit leather”.

Starter Culture:  As you’ll read more about below, when it is time to bottle finished kombucha, always leave some finished brew behind to get the next batch started. Unlike this recipe to start your very first batch, you can be really flexible in how much you leave behind in the subsequent brews. Using the continuous brew method, we draw off about 2/3 to 3/4 of the volume of finished kombucha to bottle and leave the rest behind. That means we could be leaving up to half a gallon of finished kombucha in the crock for the next batch. The more starter liquid in the brew, the faster it will ferment.

Personal Preference

The last factor that influences your kombucha brew time is your personal flavor preference.

The longer kombucha ferments, the more tart and vinegar-like it will become. A shorter brew time will result in a sweeter finished product. Do keep in mind that we want to ferment off a good amount of that sugar and caffeine though! Kombucha is supposed to be tart.  If you bottle your brew too prematurely, you are not getting all of the true benefits of a properly fermented kombucha. You’d be drinking semi-fermented uber-sweet tea instead.

On the other hand, if it ferments way too long, you’ll end up with “kombucha vinegar”. It may be too strong to enjoy by that point, but it can still be used for many things – including as the starter liquid for a fresh batch, to make fire cider, or even as a natural hair rinse! Read 7 Clever Ways to Use Sour Kombucha Vinegar here.

Do a taste test! That is another beauty of using crocks with spigots. If you suspect your brew may be about ready, pull a little off and give it a try! For those using a crock without a spigot, I have seen people sticking a straw right in the top to take a sip.

pH

According to experts, the proper pH level of finished kombucha is between 2.5 and 3.5.  We honestly don’t check very often because we like a pretty tart booch anyways. But if you’re curious to see exactly where it’s at, get some pH test strips to see!

Notes During Fermentation: “My SCOBY Looks Ugly”

As your kombucha begins to ferment, you’ll notice it going through some changes. If your SCOBY doesn’t already take up the entire surface area of your crock, a film will start to develop on the top of the liquid. That is a new layer of SCOBY forming. Sometimes, SCOBY can get pretty damn ugly. It can get lumpy and even have white spots that look alarmingly like mold. Unless they’re fuzzy and raised, it is very unlikely that it is mold.

As a brew matures, the color will usually lighten. It may also develop brown stringy lumps hanging from the SCOBY. There may also be a brown film on the bottom of the crock, particularly if you’re using continuous brew. That is yeast, and is totally normal! Excessive yeast build-up should be removed every few months. I will tell you all about crock maintenance and cleaning soon!

5) Bottle

Once your kombucha has fermented to your ideal tartness, it is time to get it bottled!

The topic of secondary fermentation, flavoring, and carbonation is so vast that I needed to save it for another post (here!). In short, you’ll add the finished kombucha to air-tight bottles. If you wish, you can also add a couple ounces of fruit puree or juice, but the volume should be mostly kombucha. See our top 18 favorite fruit/flavor combinations here. The bottles then sit at room temperature for anywhere from 2-10 more days, depending on the temperature and flavor. Next, move them to the refrigerator to chill before enjoying.

There are SO many tips and factors that come into play with carbonation. We get killer carbonation! But please note that it can also be dangerous when done incorrectly. The most essential part when it comes to safety is using high-quality bottles; those that are made to withstand the high pressure of brewing and carbonation. Literal explosions may occur with bottles that can’t handle it.

Following a traditional “batch” method (in a crock without a spigot): Pull out your SCOBY, set it on a clean plate, carefully pour most of the finished kombucha into bottles, and leave behind the appropriate amount of starter liquid for the next batch.  See the chart below for how much liquid to keep behind, depending on your size vessel. Continuous brew kombucha is a little more free-flowing. Pull off as much as you want to bottle, but leave at least a few cups of finished booch behind. The SCOBY can stay in place during bottling.

6) Add fresh sweet tea

After bottling a batch of kombucha, you’ll need to add fresh sweet tea back to the crock. Make a batch of sweet tea just as we did in the instructions above, trying to create the same volume as you removed in bottling. Allow to cool slightly, and pour it in! We simply pour the replacement tea right on top of the SCOBY, who rights itself with time.

For a visual recap of these steps, check out my extensive kombucha 101 tutorial from Instagram below! Swipe/click though the slides to the right to see all 9 videos.

And then the whole process starts over. And over…

Note: If you started a one-gallon batch in a 2-gallon container as we did here, I would wait a couple of rounds until you add more volume to it. Once your SCOBY is looking larger and strong, slowly increase the amount of replacement tea you make, using the chart below.

Benefits of Making your Own Kombucha

Aside from being easy, there are many reasons why you may want to consider making your own kombucha.

By making your own at home, you have the utmost control over the end product! You can choose the quality of ingredients, get creative with adding fruit and flavors, and adjust how sweet or tart you prefer the end product to be. We have come to favor the flavor of our homebrew. It’s delicious!

Let’s not forget the cost savings! Because they’re significant. The cost of bulk sugar and tea is peanuts compared to routinely buying bottled kombucha. Making our own kombucha at home greatly increases its availability., and our ability to drink it more often. That means we get exponentially more exposure to the health benefits.

Last but not least, brewing is fun!

I hope you found this post informative and empowering, so you feel excited to start brewing kombucha at home too. Let me know if you have any questions, and please spread the booch love by passing this post on!

The post How to Make Kombucha 101: Brewing Basics for the Best Booch Ever appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

This article will highlight all of the key supplies used for making kombucha at home, so you can start brewing your own too!

Oh, maybe you haven’t had kombucha before? I highly suggest giving it a try! Grab a bottle at your local natural foods store, and then you can decide if you want to brew some too. Kombucha is tangy, tart, and slightly sweet, sort of like a lightly carbonated version of apple cider vinegar. It has a lot of the same great healing properties of ACV too!  I will write a post all about what makes kombucha so good for you very soon. In the meantime, check out this post if you’re curious to learn more about the health benefits of fermented foods.

When you make your own kombucha, you have the utmost control over the end product! You can choose the quality of ingredients, get creative with adding fruit and flavors, and adjust how sweet or tart you prefer the end product to be. Plus, it’s fun! We have been making kombucha for over 4 years now. See this post to learn how to make kombucha at home!

Are you ready to get started?

Kombucha Supplies List

1) SCOBY

SCOBY…. What the heck is that? SCOBY is an acronym that stands for “Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast”. Or “Colony” instead of Culture. I have seen it used both ways. That cultured colony of beneficial critters is what turns sweet tea into kombucha, through a natural fermentation process.

Yep, I will admit, it can be kind of gnarly looking. Especially older ones that get stained from the tea and are a little yeasty. But don’t be afraid! They’re far less slimy than they look. They are actually super tough and difficult to cut through!

To obtain a SCOBY, you have a few different options! Maybe you have a friend or co-worker that can gift you one? Because with every fresh round of brewing, the mother SCOBY produces a new baby SCOBY layer that can be peeled off and shared! Another option is to buy one online. When we started brewing years ago, we snagged an inexpensive certified organic SCOBY off of Amazon. It has worked well and been extremely productive!

A final option is to grow your own SCOBY at home from scratch! We are in the process of growing our own right now so I can share a “how-to” with you all soon! Stay tuned!*

*Update: We had two batches mold on us, and the third looks pretty damn sketchy. In all our years brewing, I have never felt so inept! I have heard from many people that have the same struggles. Personally, we’ve decided it is most foolproof, quick, and frustration-free to simply get one from a trusted source! We recently got another one from the source linked above (shown in the “how to brew” post) and it is CRAZY active and healthy!

2)  A Brewing Vessel or “Crock”

This is your kombucha’s home. It is where it will go through the primary fermentation process in bulk. We use a glass vessel because I like to see what’s going on in there. There are also some really neat porcelain ceramic or stainless steel crocks out there, which are both considered safe options too.

Before choosing a brewing vessel, you’ll need to decide if you want to use the “batch method” or “continuous brew method” for making kombucha. I will write a post with more details about the difference soon, but here is the jist:

Batch Brewing

When using the batch method, you make a batch of kombucha, and then bottle nearly all of it, reserving a small portion of finished kombucha to add to the next batch. With this method, people usually take the SCOBY out of the vessel, set it on a clean plate, pour off and bottle their finished kombucha, and then ressemble the whole shebang. For a batch method, a large solid glass container without a spigot or dispenser is used. Check out this one-gallon container, or this two-gallon container. Note that neither has a spigot.

Note we use the continuous brew method below, but use the one-gallon container listed here as our “SCOBY hotel” – where extra formed SCOBY go to hang out until we have a need for them.

Continuous Brew Method

The Continuous brew method is aptly named.  In contrast to the batch method, you never really halt the process. You do not take the SCOBY out of the crock during bottling. Instead, a vessel that has a dispenser is used. On bottling day, you draw off the amount you want to bottle through the dispenser, leave the rest alone, and add back the same volume of sweet tea that you took away in finished kombucha. Personally, this has always seemed like the easiest and quickest method.

We practice continuous brewing, and use Anchor Hocking 2-gallon beverage dispensers to do so. We usually have two of them brewing at once! For all our large glass container needs, we support Anchor Hocking – they’re high quality, durable, and made in the U.S.A!

3) Replacement Spigots

Did you decide that continuous brewing is the best method for you? Awesome! The only caveat on those beverage dispensers is the spigots.  I don’t mean just the crocks I recommended either. Pretty much all beverage dispensers come with cheap-o spigots that you’ll want to replace. They may look “metal” but they’re actually plastic covered in a faux metal coating. Kombucha is acidic. Therefore, it will eat away at the plastic and the fake metal crap will chip off into your beverage. Gross.

We replaced our spigots with BPA-free, food-grade plastic ones. They come in two sizes; the 5/8-inch fits our crocks. In addition to safety, an added bonus is that these spigots clog way less and slower than other spigots we have tried! Little bits of SCOBY will try to form in your spigots, and eventually, need to be taken apart to be cleaned. With these spigots, we’ve only needed to do this a few times per year. Others can clog within weeks.

Another option is stainless steel spigots. However, you have to be careful to get truly 100% high quality, food-grade stainless steel. Many products are sold and described as “stainless steel” but often times contain other metals too.  Again, because kombucha is acidic, the last thing you want are heavy metals like aluminum, nickel, or lead leaching into your booch. I did some research and it seems like these stainless steel ones are a pretty safe option. I can’t speak to their clogging rate.

4) Cover for the crock

Kombucha likes to breathe while it is in primary ferment, so don’t cover it with the glass lid that may come with your crock. On the other hand, you’ll want to keep dust, floating cat hair, or insects out of your brew! We use non-fuzzy dish cloths, or even an old clean pillow case. Use something that has a tight enough weave and is adequately thick to keep out fruit flies. We learned the hard way how cheesecloth doesn’t work for this.

5) A large pot for brewing tea

Every week or two (as often as you bottle kombucha) new fresh tea will need to be brewed to feed back to the SCOBY and start the next batch of booch. The size of the pot you need will vary, depending on how much kombucha you are brewing. You probably already have something at home that would work! We didn’t have a pot large enough, and needed to upgrade anyways.

We use a large stainless steel stock pot for brewing replacement tea. By choosing an NSF (restaurant grade) pot, we know the stainless steel is high quality and will not corrode, as lesser-quality stainless can do when regularly exposed to acidic tea. When we are brewing with two 2-gallon crocks, we needed to use a 16-quart pot, since that requires about 2.5 to 3 gallons of replacement tea each session. For a single one or two-gallon crock, a smaller pot would be sufficient.

6) Tea  

When it comes to tea, there are several decisions you need to make!

Tea Selections

The most commonly used types of tea for making kombucha are black and green tea varieties. SCOBY seem to respond best to black tea, in regards to their vigor, growth, and overall health. Black tea is also said to produce the best carbonation. Green tea is another great option, which produces a slightly more mellow flavor, but a tad less carbonation. White tea or oolong teas can be used, but may be best in combination with either black or green. The same recommendation goes for herbal teas, to ensure the SCOBY is getting all of the nutrients it needs.

Avoid flavored teas. There are varying opinions and rumors about using Earl Grey, since it has bergamot oil in it. I believe the conclusion is that it is okay to use, but not as your only tea choice for a long period of time, as it can start to negatively impact the SCOBY.

Caffeine Concerns

What about caffeine?  Yes, it is standard practice to use caffeinated tea. SCOBY likes caffeine and responds best to caffeinated teas. However, the finished kombucha is very low in caffeine! The fermentation process vastly reduces it. I am pretty caffeine-sensitive. I cannot drink tea or coffee past 3 pm without being wired all night. On the other hand, I can easily drink kombucha in the evening with no noticeable impact to sleep.

Bulk vs. Loose Leaf

Another choice is: Will you purchase bulk loose leaf tea, or packaged tea bags? Both can be used to make kombucha. We use loose leaf, as a more sustainable and also cost-effective option.

Our tea choice:

We love organic loose-leaf Numi tea! After experimenting with various blends, we have come to prefer using half black (a breakfast blend) and half jasmine green or gunpowder green tea. The result is a perfect balanced flavor profile and excellent carbonation! Those bulk bags of tea easily last us over 6 months, even when brewing large amounts every single week!

7) Tea infuser

If you choose to brew with loose-leaf tea, you’ll need an infuser to hold the tea while it is steeping. Most infusers out there are fairly petite, designed for brewing just a cup or two of tea. We hunted around to find one that could meet our brewing capacity needs, which is about 6 tablespoons of loose-leaf tea. This stainless steel capsule infuser is what we love and use, which holds up to 12 tablespoons!

8) Sugar

Kombucha is made with sweet tea, so yes, sugar is required. The sugar is what feeds the SCOBY and makes the fermentation process possible. We pick up a big 10-pound bag of bulk organic cane sugar from Costco, which lasts us quite a long time. I will always suggest using organic ingredients, but especially when fermenting. I have heard of some people brewing successfully with honey though I believe it can take a toll on SCOBY health over time. Other substitutes should be avoided.

Not a fan of sweets, or need to avoid sugar? Don’t worry! The SCOBY converts the majority of the sugar to healthy acids during the fermentation process. Meaning, the final beverage you will consume is pretty dang low in sugar. If you read the nutrition label on bottled kombucha, most of them range from only 5 to 12 carbs per 16 ounce bottle. Plus, those usually have fruit juice added for flavor. As I mentioned, you have ultimate control over your own brew. You can choose to not flavor yours at all during second fermentation, or run the primary ferment  even longer. Both of which would further reduce the sugar content.

Did you know that I am Type 1 Diabetic? Kombucha does not have a noticeable impact on my blood sugar. Instead, it can actually have the opposite impact, and help keep it more level! The gluconic and acetic acid that are formed in kombucha during the fermentation process are known blood sugar stabilizers.

9) Large glass pitcher

This item isn’t absolutely essential, though it is very helpful! On bottling day, we position a pitcher below the crock and dispense the finished kombucha into it. From there, we pour it into individual bottles with the aid of a funnel. We found this much easier and faster than holding each bottle below the spigot and filling them one at a time. This pitcher has held up great for us, after a previous ones handle broke off. Note that it is not safe for hot liquids.

10) Bottles

If you are planning on doing a second fermentation, air-tight bottles are key! Second ferment is when you bottle kombucha after the primary fermentation, but this time in an anaerobic environment – aka, without air.  This is the stage when you can add fruit flavoring, and when carbonation develops. Without proper air-tight bottles, it will not carbonate. No, screwing on a lid really tight will not make a container completely air-tight. Gases are sneaky little devils, and will find a way out!

What you need are swing-top bottles made for brewing.

VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE:

There are all sorts of cute and inexpensive swing-top bottles out there, like the ones you can pick up at Target, Home Goods, and the like. Those bottles are great for things like lemonade, salad dressing, fermented hot sauce, elderberry syrup, or fire cider. In contrast, they are NOT made to withstand high pressure from within. They can and will explode under the pressure of highly carbonated kombucha. It is CRUCIAL that you get high-quality bottles that are up to the task.

A couple years ago, we were startled awake in the middle of the night by a gunshot in the kitchen.  Or so we thought. One of our cheapo bottles of kombucha on top of the fridge had literally exploded. Shards of glass had been shot clear into the living room, and booch was everywhere! Thank god we were in bed. Can you image what would have happened if we were in the kitchen cooking?!? We could seriously have lost an eye, or worse.

The bottles we use: We use both these 16-ounce and 32-ounce EZ Cap brewing bottles. If you don’t want to order them online, check with your local brew shop.

If fizzy booch isn’t your goal, mason jars or other re-used bottles with screw top lids can do the trick!

11) Bottle brush

You do not want to use soap when cleaning kombucha supplies, as it can leave an unwanted residue. Instead, we use hot water and plain white vinegar. To be honest, we do not scrub the inside of our bottles after every use. After pouring a bottle, we’ll often times simply rinse it with really hot water, set it upside down to drain, and then shake some vinegar around inside on bottling day before refilling.  However, they definitely need a deep cleaning now and then. Particularly if you flavor your second ferment with fruit puree like we do. The necks of the bottles can get pretty damn scuzzy!

This bottle brush plus some vinegar does the trick. It is extra large and has a long handle, made to scrub the inside of beer bottles and such.

12)  Pens to label bottles

This is another optional item, but a useful one! We enjoy writing the flavor of the kombucha on the bottle. This is particularly helpful if we make several flavors in one bottling session. Marking the bottles also helps us distinguish between different weeks batches, so we know which bottles should be consumed before the others.

We’ve come to love these wine glass writers! They stay put well enough to not drip or wipe off with condensation and handling, but wash off quite easily with a little scrub of the sponge.

13) Christmas lights

Wait, what? If you haven’t seen our kombucha set-up on Instagram, you may be asking “Why the heck are Christmas lights on a kombucha supply list?” One reason: Heat.

The goal is to keep kombucha at an ideal fermentation temperature, which is about 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Around 70 is okay too, but you may run into issues if your brew is consistently lower than that. Lower temperatures will not only slow down the fermentation process, but can also increase the risk of mold development. This is particularly true when you’re first getting started and don’t have a super strong healthy SCOBY established yet.

Our house is definitely much cooler than the ideal kombucha temperature range, especially in the winter. Therefore, we wrap our primary ferment crocks with classic white holiday lights. I say “classic” because the newer LED lights don’t give off heat, so they won’t work. We keep them plugged in most of the winter and during cool nights in the summer. A 100-light strand is sufficient to wrap around two crocks a few times each.

Another option is to use a seedling heat mat. I personally like the ambiance of the lights better! For the record, because I know there are plenty of rumors out there: kombucha doesn’t need to be in the dark. The lights won’t hurt it. It should however be kept out of direct sunlight such as in a sunny window. However, ambient room light is fine.

14) Thermometer

To help monitor the temperature of your crocks, an adhesive thermometer can be stuck on the side of it! This will help you better gauge if your kombucha is happy in there! Once you know the temperature, you can make adjustments as needed. For example, you may decide to re-locate the crock, turn your lights on or off, or maybe wrap them around the crock fewer times to reduce the heat.

There you go!

That is the complete list of supplies that we use to make kombucha. What do you think? Are you now feeling more prepared and excited to brew some of your own? I am so excited to be help get you started on this journey!

Once you have your supplies, you’ll be ready for this post: “How to Make Kombucha 101: Brewing Basics for the Best Booch Ever”

Thank you for reading! I hope you found this helpful. Feel free to ask questions, and pass it on. Cheers!

The post Brewing Homemade Kombucha: Supplies List appeared first on Homestead and Chill.