Kombucha Beer

[tamgall]

I love Unity Vibration's kombucha beer. I'd consider myself an expert kombucha brewer, but have failed at multiple attempts to brew kombucha beer. I know nothing about brewing beer, but what I have learned is that hops with a scoby long enough to make alcohol, creates a very sour and dangerously acidic drink. Any advise?

 

[plowboy25127]

What methods have you been using?

 

[charles]

I have only brewed 1 batch of kombucha as of yet. If I was to make a kombucha beer and use hops I would use only a very small amount and would only dry hop using aroma hops. Add the hops in the primary for a few days like 3-4 then transfer to a secondary and discard them. What hops are you using and how much?

 

[plowboy25127]

Charles if I was to do it I would go your way. I don't think I'd hop with the scoby in there. Definitely dry hop and nothing to strong.

 

[tamgall]

Thanks all for trying to assist.

I've tried several, but all with scobys. I've taken kombucha, and then added about 1/8 cup hops, always dry hops, for a 2 gallon brew for additional 2-3 weeks. I've done this with a scoby and also tried it without. Any time less than 4 weeks doesn't produce enough alcohol.

I've tried 4 week kombucha, and then add hops just for a couple days.

I've tried all four weeks with a scoby and hops.

Each time the hops is about the same amount, and it doesn't seem to be the hops that's the problem, as the amount tastes right. The problem is it gets too acidic with a PH of under 2.5, which becomes dangerous.

I've tried cascade, citra and amarillo hops. All become too acidic.

Charles, I don't think what you're suggesting will create alcohol, but a kombucha that has a hoppy flavor. My struggle is getting to alcohol without getting too acidic. Any ideas on this?

 

[plowboy25127]

Have you seen this?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=589224
Is this kind of more what you're going for?

 

[theDREWery]

From their website, it sounds like they're using the scoby to ferment beer wort, not adding hops to kombucha. Try brewing a low gravity, low hop beer (the hops are antimicrobial and can hurt the scoby), open ferment for 3-4 days (whenever it tastes tart) and then transfer to a carboy or other closed fermenter. The exposure to oxygen in the open ferment is what allows the scoby to create acetic acid, tart at low levels, but vinegar at high levels. By transferring to a closed fermenter (that's vented, but not sealed) you're cutting off oxygen, but alcohol would still be produced. At this point, dry hops could be added if desired. Once everything dies down, you can very carefully bottle, as you can never be 100% sure when the scoby will be done, so be prepared for bottle bombs, just in case.

 

[charles]

Take sample tastes when it tastes good you can use a preservative to kill the yeast and bottle at that time

 

[rhoadsrage]

Have you thought about blending? Similar to a shandy (carbonated lemonade + beer). You would have much more control over the final product and get the full hop flavor with the kombucha tartness.

Oxygen is a good thing to grow a healthy scoby but it causes lots of off-flavors in hops, so you would have to find a way to make both the scoby and the hops happy if you are mixing them in the same brew. However there are lots of souring bacteria you can add to wort that will give you the same characteristics as a kombuch without the actual scoby. But then you are getting into more "wild ale" or lambic territory, which is also great but different.

 

[plowboy25127]

If you get it to work let us know I just might have to find a scoby and try it

 

[ShoeBrew]

I was also going to suggest blending, if it doesn't work using one fermentor.