Tips for Getting High Carbonation in Kombucha

[TxBrew]

I've not achieve that super high carbonation level like GT's playing with different natural techniques and ferment times. Could use any tips on getting your bucha to have a really high level of carbonation.

 

[hunter_le five]

I would like to know the same thing. Mine's all been fairly low-carb. Not that I mind it that way, but it would be nice to play around with the carb level.

I've thought about bottling in beer bottles, capping, and letting them sit out an extra week or so at room temp. Maybe even adding a bit of priming sugar. But I'm still too new at KT brewing to know what the likelihood of making bottle bombs would be.

 

[TxBrew]

I read a bunch today, type of tea (been using a green/black mix for awhile) can effect it. Wire whipping to aerate prior to fermenting helps.

I've been doing second fermentation and getting effervescence but nothing like commercial producers. Kind of wondering if they are doing a bit of forced carbonation.

I'm going to try a different mix, aeration and new bottles as I've been re-using old bucha bottles. Then I'll report back on how much it effects it before I start adding priming sugar.

 

[shelly_belly]

I make mine using black tea. If I stay on schedule then on day 21 (fairly strong) I harvest and mix with an equal amount of freshly brewed sweetened tea of any variety/flavor. I bottle this the same as I would beer. These turn out with lots of carbonation, maybe slightly lower than your average beer. It's the way I like mine.

 

[TxBrew]

Any success with netting that carbonation level without adding straight sugar to the mix?

 

[HebrewedsoIbrew]

Any success with netting that carbonation level without adding straight sugar to the mix?

Not in my experience, I always have super good high carbonation, I have a theory that adding in ginger may help out with better carbonation maybe from minerals it has? I never make a batch without ginger in it. On the other hand I've had lots of kombucha bottles explode that I bottled in beer bottles simply by letting it sit on the counter too long, I add 1-1/4 cup of white granulated sugar to my 5 gallon batch of kombucha after I add the flavoring teas. I let all the bottles sit on my counter for 3 days at the most, my warm house temp helps speed up secondary fermentation a ton.

I also do my primary fermentation using green tea. instead of black tea. hope this helps!

 

[shelly_belly]

Any success with netting that carbonation level without adding straight sugar to the mix?

Only when I keg it and force carbonate as I sometimes do when I let the pipeline die.

 

[TxBrew]

I added ginger to my last batch and second fermented it. You can see below, this is after about 7 days post secondary, it's fairly effervescent but nothing like commercial. I have six I'm just letting sit to see how much more they go but I've tried before and didn't reach the commercial level before I could taste vinegar notes.

I'm going to try to tests above on a new batch I'm going to start tonight. Mine comes out so sweet already without adding sugar, would really like to avoid that or forced carbonation.

 

[HebrewedsoIbrew]

Off 7 days and it doesn't even explode the bottles...It should get more carbonated the longer you wait. What was the longest you've waited? and what is the temperature of your house where you let the kombucha bottle ferment?

 

[Kblandfo]

Do you get new forming scobies using the processes outlined above?

 

[zipper8650]

I look forward to being able to force carb mine

any sugars on the secondary with a full fill has been fine on mine BUT it can often lead to gushers. fine line between bomb and high carb

 

[beerdedman]

Maybe If you fill your bottles all the way (I mean all the way) to the top, you would end up with more carbonation. Less oxygen....