Search results

I just put together a batch of Graff cider according to the recipe in the recipe section. I used the 120L grains because I was using store brand juice. Fermentation just started, but I am surprised at how dark it is. It is the color of stout. Is this normal? I was expecting it to not be...

I pitched some s-04 onto cider w/o campden yesterday. 28 hours later, I JUST saw my first airlock activity. Patience will probably solve this problem. If not, presumably, not crushing the tablets made them slower to dissolve, which means they'll also dissipate more slowly. At least that's...

That looks like a healthy scoby. I'd say there is nothing safety wise for you not to drink it. Take a sip and see if the taste is good. My guess is that it will be WAY too strong/vinegary. Sometimes life gets busy and I neglect my kombucha. If it goes too long, I just pour off most of...

Hi all, All this talk about applejack has given me the bug to try it. I have a couple carboys full of apfelwein that I need to clear out for the fall, and I've decided to turn one into applejack. I believe that the dryness of the apfelwein might need to be sweetened to make a pleasant...

I'll chime in with a bit of personal experience: I did a side by side comparison on 2 batches of traditional Apfelwein with the only difference being dextrose vs table sugar. I straight substituted the table sugar, pound for pound. The only difference I could see right after carbonation was...

That looks okay to me. Mine do that occasionally. That weird jellyfish looking piece is the older scoby. When it gets a little dehydrated, it will darken like that. Then, a new scoby grows over it, and the old scoby does that creepy "suspended animation thing." You're fermenting tea...

I've had success with the following methods. I use continuous brew technique, and I add all of these to the individual bottles for secondary fermentation. I rack off the primary fermenter, add the ginger, and let them sit at warm room temp for 3 days before the fridge: 1. 2 tablespoons of...

Matcha green tea (the powder form) makes clumps in your tea that looks like mold on the scoby. It did't affect flavor, but it looks just like mold. I bet the coconut problems come from the fact that there is coconut oil in both of those products. I imagine the oil is bad for fermentation...

For what its worth, I've used bombers many times to bottle condition ciders, and I've never had a problem. I think that you'd be fine with KT since it doesn't get nearly the same pressure as ciders do (at least in my experience). I prefer wide mouthed canning jars with the plastic lids...

I'm hoping some of the booch people here have some experience with Keffir. I've started brewing water keffir. What I've noticed is that the keffir forms a scoby like kombucha. I was under the impression that as you brew, your grains multiply. Instead, my grains have began to shrink in...

I just graduated from a jar to a drink dispenser for my kombucha. I bought this one and it works fine so far. It holds a bit over two gallons: http://www.target.com/p/anchor-hocking-beverage-dispenser-with-chalkboard-clear/-/A-14297179#prodSlot=medium_1_1 I cultured my own scoby from a raw...

I'm fairly new to Kombucha, but I wouldn't be particularily worried. Your scoby will thicken with subsequent ferments. I cultured my scoby from raw kombucha, and did two brews in a gallon container. The scoby was much thicker after the second. Then, I transfered it into a sun tea pitcher for...

No, I'm not sure. haha. Thanks good to know. I'm going to make a cup and see if it tastes like the ocean. EDIT: It's definitly kelp. Thank you for the help.

One of my friends, knowing I like kombucha, brought back a can of dried kombucha from Japan. It is a small can of powder. Unfortunately, I cannot read Japanese and don't know how to use it. How do you use dried kombucha? Is it a live culture? Thanks

Sorry, triple post. Crazy inter webs. Can I delete these?

Sorry, double post. Crazy inter webs.

Thanks guys! I am actually hoping that starting with the cider will produce a more predictable but still wild cider type end product. The idea being that I know the yeasts in the cider produce a favorable cider. Then, I can wash and save the yeast to produce more batches. Is it possible to...

I recently tried a locally produced wild cider and loved it. It is unpasteurized, unfiltered, true wild cider that must be kept refridgerated. I'd like to try a wild type cider. I do not have a good source of unpasteurized cider. I'm wondering if I could used some of the wild cider to...

I believe that you'll be hard pressed to save money homebrewing beer over buying low end beer. You can get alot of joy and entertainment out of the process and end up with a higher quality beer, but everytime I've priced it out it has ended up costing the same as a decent store bought beer...

Good luck. I like that you just riffed off other people's ideas and made your own recipe. I think that's the fun in it. I've started tinkering with recipes, too. Anyway, I am also very new. One thing I'd suggest is not using Bar Keeper's Friend to clean the buckets. It is a bit...