Am I leaving my first fermentation too long?

[Cannonball Jones]

Hey all, I'm pretty new to this hobby and I'm having a bit of trouble getting things right. I've made a few batches now, but it always seems like I've let the first fermentation go on too long despite it only lasting 2-3 days. Even after that short space of time the pH seems to be down around 2-2.5 and my wife says it's way too sour or vinegar-like. I live in Taiwan so the ambient temperature tends to be quite high. Also I'm not sure if I'm letting the tea brew for too long (around 10-15 minutes) to start with as my kombucha always looks way darker than I see in other people's photos. I think I've got the second fermentation part okay, despite a couple of bottle explosions in the first couple of batches, it's really just the first part.
Any quick tips on what I'm doing wrong or what I can try to do to adjust things? Should I just end the first fermentation earlier?

 

[JohnSand]

I haven't made kombucha, but I do ferment vegetables and judge their readiness by taste.

 

[RudeBooch]

I usually steep my tea for 25 min. You can try using insulation around the vessel to keep the temperature stable. Per one gallon, should ferment 7-10 days. 2 gallons about 20 days. I make 4 gallons at a time cos i make mine boozy. Thats about 25-30 days fermenting.

 

[Cannonball Jones]

I usually steep my tea for 25 min. You can try using insulation around the vessel to keep the temperature stable. Per one gallon, should ferment 7-10 days. 2 gallons about 20 days. I make 4 gallons at a time cos i make mine boozy. Thats about 25-30 days fermenting.

Thanks for the feedback, can I ask what the ambient temperature is like around your way? I feel that the fermentation occurs much faster for me than most guides suggest. Also, got any tips on the alcohol side of things? That's my ultimate aim, as the first kombucha I ever tasted was a delicious ginger and lime which weighed in at 5% abv. I've been desperate to make my own ever since, but having trouble getting off the ground.

 

[rushpapers]

Where’d you get your starter? Perhaps it’s a vinegar mother and doesn’t have the complexity of microbes to be kombucha.

I’ve fermented up to 88F. Heat speed things up but 2-3 days is very fast.

 

[Auntie Zazza]

Hey all, I'm pretty new to this hobby and I'm having a bit of trouble getting things right. I've made a few batches now, but it always seems like I've let the first fermentation go on too long despite it only lasting 2-3 days. Even after that short space of time the pH seems to be down around 2-2.5 and my wife says it's way too sour or vinegar-like. I live in Taiwan so the ambient temperature tends to be quite high. Also I'm not sure if I'm letting the tea brew for too long (around 10-15 minutes) to start with as my kombucha always looks way darker than I see in other people's photos. I think I've got the second fermentation part okay, despite a couple of bottle explosions in the first couple of batches, it's really just the first part.
Any quick tips on what I'm doing wrong or what I can try to do to adjust things? Should I just end the first fermentation earlier?

It sounds as if your kombucha fermented too fast, due to the heat.

Kombucha's flavor is best developed slowly, even if you are able to catch it before it begins to sour.

A temperature of about 70° is about as high as you want to go well your kombucha is fermenting; you can put your kombucha in a dark cupboard during warmer weather, as long as the cupboard is used enough to open and close its door enough to prevent the air to become stagnant.

Using a vessel with two large and opening can cause your kombucha to ferment too quickly, also.

This can be helpful in cooler weather as it can bring balance between the temperature and the bacteria, but especially in warmer weather, it should be avoided because the amount of air causes the bacteria to ferment too quickly.

You can still use your sour kombucha, letting it sit until it becomes a vinegar and use it in place of apple cider vinegar, which has become quite expensive in the past few years.

I hope that helps.

 

[Cannonball Jones]

Thanks for the input, there's not much a I can do about the temperature where I am other than waiting for winter. I'm going to start a fresh batch this weekend, my first in a couple of months (hopefully the scoby is still alive). We'll see if it makes any difference. I'm mostly shifting my focus to mead and rice wine in the meantime, much easier in this climate.