4th or 5th brew has slight musky/sulphury smell

[heatpackinhippie]

I recently started brewing from a bottle of GT enlightened kombucha, using the original flavor.

Fast forward several weeks later, and I have a full blown, healthy-looking scoby.

I decanted this last brew into some glass bottles and put them directly in the fridge (no second brew). When I pulled them out to drink them, they have a slightly sulphur-y or musky smell to them. The booch tastes just a tiny bit flat, which is weird because it was super effervescent when I was bottling it. I can't taste the musk or sulphur, just smell it.

The other thing I should mention here is that when I brewed this particular gallon, I accidentally used 11 black tea bags instead of the normal 8. My finished brew looks a bit darker than normal, but it seems fine.

Should I be concerned with the slight funky smell? And if not, how do I avoid getting that smell in the future? Because I really want to turn some of my friends and family on to kombucha, so it needs to the bestest!

 

[SchmidtyKombucha]

I have a similar dilemma. I have brewed several batches of kombucha, sweet potato fly, and ginger beer. Occasionally I have a sulfury smell that I cannot taste except as an aromatic odor. I have noticed that a sulfury kombucha will seemingly lose the sulfury smell if I leave it out uncovered. I am doubtful if this is the best option. Who can explain why a kombucha brew smells sulfury?

 

[heatpackinhippie]

What kind of tea did you use to brew?

 

[uglyamerican00]

Q: Why does my kombucha smell like sulfur and/or rotten eggs? Is it safe to drink?

A: A rotten egg smell comes from sulfur. The presence of sulfur may be:
A product of nitrogen from the tea
From the water source
Because kombucha and beer are both products of fermentation, the reasons for sulfur/rotten egg smells in beer may be the same for kombucha:
According to beer brewing sites, sulfur smells in beer may be due to byproducts of certain yeasts, yeast autolysis (yeast cannibalism), or bacterial infection
The sulfur smell goes away in beer over time.

Is the kombucha safe to drink?
It appears that the kombucha is still safe to drink even if it smells like sulfur/rotten eggs. However, if you don't feel good after you drink it, stop!

What can you do?
If you think the sulfur smells are due to your water source, consider using a water filter or upgrading your current water filter.
Let your kombucha age for longer periods of time before you drink it to see if the sulfur smells decrease over time.
If you think the sulfur smells are due to certain yeasts in your kombucha, try favoring the bacteria in your brew.
Try cleaning all of your equipment and make sure you practice proper sanitation techniques.
Try starting over with a new SCOBY.

Reference site:
http://www.kombuchafuel.com

 

[heatpackinhippie]

Thanks, UglyAmerican!

Based on some quick research, I think my yeast is overpowering my bacteria, as I keep a fairly clean procedure when I brew and I know that my water filter is top notch (berkey w/ fluoride removal). So I followed your link and eventually wound up here:
http://users.bestweb.net/%7Eom/kombucha_balance/#Less%20Yeast

I have my brew on a seedling heat mat and it stays at about 78 degrees. This link says anything over 75 would favor the yeast. And my scobys always have tons of those big brown stringy things, which the yeast makes.

I'm going to follow the instructions on this link to see if I can brew my own "master race" blend of bacteria and yeast. Cool.

 

[uglyamerican00]

Yeah man!

See what a little teamwork can accomplish, heatpackinhippie?!

I will be researching into the article you dug up through my suggested site!

I'm am loving the process, care, and curiosity brewing KB brings, it's relaxing.

Good luck!