Secondary container, then bottle?

[BoulderDaddy]

Hello,
Thank you for having such a wonderful, informative forum. I could use some advice and education regarding the possibilities and limits to secondary fermentation.
The Goal: bottled fizzy kombucha that is flavored with fruits and veggies but has no food chunks inside the bottles.

I'd like to infuse flavors into my finished raw tea by adding fruits and vegetables (rather than juices), but have the finished bottles of beverage be clear of virtually all of the added foods. My thought for the work flow would be to make the raw kombucha (1 gallon jar), and then split it into 2 half-gallon jars, adding fruit variations to each for flavor. I'd then bottle the kombucha after this step with the hope that I could still get the desired, carbonated kombucha while leaving the chunks inside the secondary fermentation jars.

Assuming you must seal the lids during the secondary fermentation, would the carbonation be killed if I proceeded to bottle after this? Any perspective on how to make this work would be appreciated. The only thing I'm certain of is that I don't know much. Thank you.

 

[ericbw]

If you bottle after secondary, you'll lose a lot (most... all) of the fizz. Straining also.

You might get better results if it's really cold when you bottle. That keeps carbonation in solution. Get it almost freezing (30 minutes in the fridge?) then siphon it out into the bottles.

You could also "prime" with sugar in the final bottle.

 

[snarf]

I like to flavor my 'booch with fruits (cherries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, etc.) as well. My process is:

1. Make kombucha (I do a continuous brew in a 40 liter ceramic crock).
2. Put the fruit in a 10 liter carboy and siphon the kombucha in there as well. Usually I leave it in there for about a week.
3. Siphon the kombucha into two 5 liter glass bottles. I try to leave as much of the fruit and sediment in the carboy as possible. I then let it sit for another week or two. The 'booch is usually pretty clear by then.
4. Siphon the kombucha into champagne bottles (again leaving as much as possible of the sediment behind) and cap with a crown cap.
5. Let it mature in the bottle for anywhere between a month and several years. By then the kombucha is clear (with a bit a sediment at the bottom) and fizzy.
6. Pour the kombucha into a glass, leaving the sediment in the bottle. The result is a very clear, mature and fizzy fruit flavored kombucha.
7. Enjoy

 

[EPBREWER]

Wow, that sounds awesome! Have you ever cold crashed after the secondary fermentation?

 

[snarf]

No, too much hassle...

 

[ericbw]

I don't know about aging booch for years. I think the OP wants to get fruit flavors, then bottle. I suggest infusing for a week like snarf said, then bottling it with sugar, honey, or some fruit juice. It will be clear and carbed. But remember that kombucha is always trying to form a new pellicle and you get some thick glops many times.

 

[snarf]

I would advice against adding extra fermentables add bottling time, as this might easily lead to overcarbonation or even bottle bombs.