My wife has started drinking kombucha and the guy she gets them from bottles in reg. beer bottles that I would use for my homebrewing/beer. Are the bottles safe to reuse for beer? Is there a chance for cross contamination assuming that I sterilize and sanitize my bottles correctly?
Reusing K. Bottles for Beer
- Thread starter lbernard3
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I don't imagine you sterilize your bottles before using them.
I believe the normal sanitizing routine should be fine. I typically rinse well, then use the sanitizing rinse feature on my dishwasher (no dish soap), then spray with starsan before filling.
I believe the normal sanitizing routine should be fine. I typically rinse well, then use the sanitizing rinse feature on my dishwasher (no dish soap), then spray with starsan before filling.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
I guess I hope kombucha is not as "invasive" as sours. I am currently trying to culture some wild yeast from plums from my plum tree and I was using a bottle of commercially made kombucha as my "flask"... However, if there are bacteria in the with the yeast and they happily co-exist then this culture (if it thrives and if it tastes OK) will be more unique and will provide more unique flavor notes for a scrumpy I am hoping to make come fall.
I am not a yeast/SCOBY/sour expert, but my understanding is that lambics and other sours rely on brettanomyces to sour the beer, which can be a very invasive strain.
However, kombucha's sourness arises from acetobacter, which is much more prevalent than brett.
Someone please correct me if I'm way off-base.
However, kombucha's sourness arises from acetobacter, which is much more prevalent than brett.
Someone please correct me if I'm way off-base.
Hopsimus
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I think the difference is having a single bottle be infected vs. having your fermenter infected.
A single bottle going bad: no big deal.
A fermenter going bad: entire batch(es) affected.
For what it's worth, I've reused many bottles which had sours in them.
Haven't had any problems myself. But perhaps I've just been lucky.
Cheers
A single bottle going bad: no big deal.
A fermenter going bad: entire batch(es) affected.
For what it's worth, I've reused many bottles which had sours in them.
Haven't had any problems myself. But perhaps I've just been lucky.
Cheers
Hopsimus
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Hmm, just saw your post that you are trying to harvest wild yeast in the Kombucha bottle (so my previous reply perhaps isn't so relevant).
For harvesting yeast, you might want to be a bit more careful, since it would affect subsequent batches. I don't really know since I've never done that.
You could always actually sterilize the bottles.
Throw them in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 350F and cook for 3 to 3.5 hours. Let cool in the oven. That should kill anything bad.
For harvesting yeast, you might want to be a bit more careful, since it would affect subsequent batches. I don't really know since I've never done that.
You could always actually sterilize the bottles.
Throw them in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 350F and cook for 3 to 3.5 hours. Let cool in the oven. That should kill anything bad.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Just using an empty sanitized bottle that once held kombucha. Not trying to harvest yeast from kombucha - or even harvesting yeast. Picked some plums. Plums are covered in a bloom that I assume is yeast. Washed the plums in distilled water and added some honey to this water - Don't have a stir plate but have chosen to store the solution in a bottle that I can aerate many times in the course of a day and to which I can add small amounts of honey (not yet added nutrient).
