Influencing Taste Question(s)

I'm farily new to Kombucha brewing and have been experiementing with it over the past 4/5 months. I do not have a problem with carbonation (I've actually casued a whiskey bottle filled with kombucha to explode from sheer pressure). However, when my batches finish they have a heavy vinegar taste. I was wondering what ways some of you are using to either lessen, mask, or remove this vinegary taste. I understand you can put fruit (dried, pure, juice) into the secondary fermentation stage. If you do this what combinations have you found work best. Also is there any other way to make this flavor more appealing or tasty without the use of fruit into the secondary fermantation.

Any answers will be greatly appreciated,

Thank you!

If you want it less vinegary without doing a secondary fruit addition is to just stop primary ferment a couple days early. If you don't want to stop the ferment early you could always add fresh sweet tea to taste after primary or before you drink. Some of my favorite fruit additions are pure watermelon juice, ginger/lemon, strawberry, and grape. You could always add your favorite organic fruit juice before you drink too. I would experiment with any idea you have, that's what its all about

Ryan

I have had good luck making my KT with Earl Grey tea, it gives a great flavor. Although, I did recently read that the oils in the tea may negatively impact the SCOBY.

Thank you very much for your input, I'll try the suggestions for my next batch. And I have also heard that oils do negatively impact the SCOBY. So I'm a little hesitant to try earl gray though.

Hmmm, come to think of it, although I do get good SCOBY formation usually, I have been struggling lately with it.

A light bulb has just gone on!

I have found that a higher ferm temp makes more vinegar.
At least it appears that way.

For less Sour use LESS sugar and ferment for LESS time. I have read to use 1 cup sugar in 1 gallon of tea for 5 to 7 day(with an established SCOBY). Chances are you are just giving it too much sugar, but dont sweat it, just use the batches that are too sour as you would use vinegar on salads etc!