11 posts tagged “batch recap”

OBSERVATIONS FROM PREVIOUS BATCH:

• Green Tea isn't really my thing but it was worth a try... twice.
• Ginger is ESSENTIAL to carbonation... other people claim fizz maybe i like mine much more like soda/beer... not sure... but without ginger it is completely flat
• some people claim reduced allergies... i haven't really noticed any allergies for a while, we'll see how the spring goes.
  

BOTTLED:

• Circle jar:
• Yield: 7 pints (marked #1)
• #1 = cranberry & ginger
  
• Square jar:
• Yield: 6 pints (marked #2 & #3)
• #2 = cranberry & ginger
• #3 = orange zest & ginger
  

BREWED:

• 6 quarts water
• 4 cups sugar
• 6 black tea bags / 5 green tea bags / 1oz loose Yerba Mate

OBSERVATIONS FROM PREVIOUS BATCH:

• Green Tea REALLY grows the scoby faster and tasted great during bottling... we'll see how it carbonates w/o ginger this week
  
• Orange.. too bitter but i used the whole peel, not just the zest... will try it again this batch
• Use a fork in front of the ez-cap bottle as a strainer to keep ginger and berries behind... easier than pouring mega slowly
  
• Vinegar Eels????!!!!!
  
• giving away another scoby this week
• everyone in the house is sick for the second time... i'm feeling fine
• saw this crazy video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fU0EqIZX-mI
• i hate these shows, the lady is nuts and the camera/editing work is SO bad... but in the end i believe the people's stories even if they are not sure why it even works.  Some of the people were calling it a mystery or it 'it just knows where to work'.  Your body knows where it needs healing and it utilizes the enzymes and detoxifiers properly alongside your own natural defenses...  You'd think if you were on TV, you'd know a little bit more about what 'cured' you.. but i guess that's just me.  These dumb sci-fi shows attract those type of people anyway.
  
• oh! and spirulina?  there MUST be a better way!  this stuff is disgusting!!  i'll just skip it with the kombucha and take capsules
  
• did i mention vinegar eels?
  

BOTTLED:

• Circle jar:
• Yield: 7 pints (marked #0& #1)
• #2 = blueberry 5 pints
  
• #3 = plain 2 pints
  
• Square jar:
• Yield: 6 pints (marked #2 & #3)
• #0 = plain 3 pints
  
• #1 = cranberry 3 pints
  

BREWED:

• 7 quarts water
• 4 cups sugar
• 6 black tea bags / 5 green tea bags / 1oz loose Yerba Mate
  

OBSERVATIONS FROM PREVIOUS BATCH:

• Dried fruit with sugar add MUCH more fizz than anticipated
• Make sure to refrigerate on around day four after bottling.  Any longer and the bottle builds too much fizz and will spray about half the bottle everywhere
  
• Still weak, trying Treja's recipe this time with double sugar for batch #4
• I'm brewing more than I'm drinking... Had four pints left over that i will have to quickly drink... (anyone want to come over? ...it's yours!)
  

BOTTLED:

• Sun Tea jar:
• Yield: 4 pints (marked #2)
• bottled with 1 strip of ginger & 5 dried cranberries
• this batch used 10 tea bags for the two gallons
  
• Square jar:
• Yield: 5 pints (marked #1)
• bottled with 1 strip of ginger & 5 dried cranberries
• this batch used 10 tea bags for the two gallons
  

BREWED:

• 6 quarts water
• 4 cups sugar
• this is double regular recipe, trying to combat weak tea by giving yeast more to eat, hopefully adding a more fermented/stronger taste.
  
• 10 black tea bags

Third Batch of kombucha:

• Two gallons time, two containers.
• First container: A little weak
• I think I didn't use enough tea bags
  
• Second container: better than last time, still a little left over vinegar taste
• Fermentation: 6 days, in office
  
• Organic black tea / 1/2 evap. cane juice 1/2 white sugar
  
• bottled with
• fresh ginger - 4bottles (#2)
  
• fresh ginger & dried mango - 6bottles
  

yield: 10 bottles - 160oz

observations from the last batch:  the more dried fruit/ginger added the more carbonation

(again... this is more for me... i know you don't care :o) it doesn't bring in comments like theories on heroes!)

Second Batch of kombucha:

• Two gallons this time, two containers.
• First container: awesome... better than GT's
• Second container: total vinegar
• too thick of a scoby?  scoby getting old?
  
• Fermentation: 7 days, in office (warmer)
  
• Organic black tea / evap. cane juice
  
• bottled with
• fresh ginger
• one bottle fresh ginger & dried mango (#2)

yield: 5 bottles

(i figured since this is really just for me to keep track.. i would outline it as opposed to forming sentences)