Continuous Brew Kombucha Jar Jar With Spigot

How To Brew Kombucha

I love kombucha and go through it quite quickly.  Have you seen my series of post about kombucha:"Everything You Need To Know About Kombucha!"

This course has 4 lessons.

1. What is kombucha and why it is so good for you. {Part 1}
2. Learn how to brew kombucha with an easy step by step tutorial.{Part 2}
3. What to do with kombucha after it is done brewing & how to bottle kombucha. {Part 3}
4. How To Make "Soda" Kombucha And A collection of 50 kombucha recipes. {Part 4}

Let me first start by saying start with these first four lessons when starting out with kombucha!  After you have some time and experience with kombucha, you may be inclined to start a continuous brew kombucha.

I'd like to share my experience with a continuous brew kombucha method, but first let's define what the batch brew and continuous brew kombucha methods are.

What is Batch Brew Kombucha

When first starting out, you most likely will start out with the batch brew system.This is simply brewing a batch of kombucha and then drinking the entire batch.

When you are finished you brew an entirely new batch and continue on brewing this way in batches.

My family loves kombucha, so I would do 2 batches at a time (instructions above in the 4 post series). I was running out quickly and couldn't brew it fast enough, so I thought I would try the continuous brew kombucha method.

What is Continuous Brew Kombucha

The continuous brew kombucha method is when you brew kombucha and then you allow it to ferment and then you drink what you want (draw off 25% at first, but then you can draw off the desired amount ) and then you replace the kombucha with the same amount that you drink with sweet tea. You can continuously draw off kombucha as you want to drink it and then you just replace that same amount with sweet tea.

So if I pour myself a bottle of kombucha (pictured above), then I would replace the kombucha with a bottle of fresh sweet tea.  Make sense?

This has been described as a simpler method and you consistently have kombucha to drink on a daily basis…never running out.

Sounded great to me…so I gave it a shot.

How I Brewed My Continuous Brew Kombucha

I bought a continuous brew container with a spigot(This Is The One I Bought). Oh, I could see it already…I was going to love this new continuous brew kombucha method!

I put it together and brewed 2 batches of kombucha and put it in with some starter and a healthy scoby.  I waited for 7-10 days and it was finished!  I was careful to draw off 25% and brewed up a batch of sweet tea in the kettle to replace the tea.

I allowed the tea to cool and replaced it.  I failed to see how this was any easier then batch brew, I still had to brew fresh tea.  Now my husband is from the south (Savannah, Georgia) and we always have sweet tea in the fridge, so I thought this might work.

Why Continuous Brew Kombucha Did Not Work

But it didn't work.  As time went on (I tried this method for several months), I had a very hard time getting a consistent brew. I had read that sometimes it was too sweet, but for me, it turned to vinegar or became a VERY strong brew in a matter of two days.

I removed the extra scobies and started from scratch but could not get the desired brew that I was looking for.  And let me tell you, it was no simpler, in fact, took more time in my opinion, then batch brew.

Between my husband and I, we were flying through sweet tea and I felt I was brewing sweet tea all the time, compared to when I was just doing the batch brew method.

Why I Choose Batch Brew Kombucha

So after a good effort at trying the continuous brew kombucha method, I have come to the conclusion that batch brew is a better fit for me and my family.

Here is why:

• You are only brewing tea every 7-10 days, with continuous brew kombucha I was brewing it every few days.
• Batch brewing offers a more consistent brew and has a better flavor than continuous brew kombucha in my opinion.
• Batch brew kombucha has more fizz in the second ferment when making kombucha soda.  Continuous brew seemed a bit flat to me.
• The batch brew tastes better and I could more easily control the strength of the brew.
• With Batch brew, you just fix it and forget it!  I felt with a continuous brew I was tending to it all the time.
• I now use the Glass Jar with Plastic Spigot for my 2 batches of batch brew kombucha!  I love that container.  Simpler to pour into the flip top kombucha bottles and really is so much easier to use!

Maybe the continuous brew kombucha method wasn't my favorite because I couldn't get the desired brew I was wanting, but for me…it just wasn't the right fit and took to much time.

What has been your experience with batch brew versus continuous brew?

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Source: https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/drinks/dont-brew-continuous-brew-kombucha/

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