About

THE HMK HOMEBREW KIT - FAQS

LOST YOUR INSTRUCTIONS? NO WORRIES… CLICK HERE ; )

**WE HAVE JUST LAUNCHED THIS KIT. WE REALIZE THERE ARE A MILLION QUESTIONS ABOUT KOMBUCHA. PLEASE CHECK OUT YOUBREWKOMBUCHA.COM TO SEE IF ANGELICA HAS ALREADY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION BEFORE SENDING US AN EMAIL. SERIOUSLY, HER WEBSITE HAS COVERED ALMOST EVERYTHING RELATING TO KOMBUCHA HOMEBREWING AND IS WORTH CHECKING OUT! THANKS : )

WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?

Kombucha is a fermented tea using a combination of sugar, water, tea, and a culture called a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).

IS KOMBUCHA GOOD FOR YOU?

Good is a very relative word. Kombucha can be full of good bacteria, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and other “good stuff” for you. But each batch is different, not all kombucha is the same, and we can’t speak for other commercial breweries and how their kombucha is made. What we can tell you is that our kombucha makes us feel good. Ours is relatively low in sugar, and is made with high-quality ingredients, and if you replace your soda habit with kombucha then isn’t that good for you? There are a lot of opinions (and science) on the internet that we recommend you do your own research on, but let’s put it this way—would we be doing this for over 8 years if we didn’t believe in it?

I JUST RECEIVED A KIT, HOW LONG CAN I WAIT UNTIL I NEED TO START BREWING?

Yay! The adventure is about to begin! However you can wait about 2 months from the time you receive the kit if you need to. Really it’s just the SCOBY that will need some food (sugar and tea) to stay healthy. Everything else should be airtight and can last a very long time. If you know it will be a few months before you are able to start your brew, just take out the bag of SCOBY & starter and toss it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to brew. Make sure to give your scoby at least 6 hours or so to reach room temperature to “wake up” before you use it to brew.

WHEN DO I FLAVOR THE KOMBUCHA?

We already did that for you! All of the tea blends that come with your HMK Homebrew Kit are the same blends we use at the brewery to make our own kombucha. We use a combination of white peony tea, herbs, flowers, spices, and extracts to flavor the kombucha. We believe that when you flavor the kombucha using the tea you brew with your first fermentation, you can avoid having to add extra sugar or dilute your kombucha with juice. This brews you a tasty kombucha that is as true to kombucha as it gets.

If you choose to add juice or other flavors to your kombucha, we suggest checking out the videos over at www.youbrewkombucha.com for tips.

WHY ISN’T MY KOMBUCHA VERY CARBONATED?

Kombucha is naturally carbonated from the gasses that are released during fermentation. To get those really bubbly bubbles, you either need to do a second fermentation by adding more sugar or force carbonate your kombucha using special tanks (that’s how we do it). We like our kombucha dry, so we force carbonate our kombucha to get those extra bubbles.

We don’t have a good recipe or method for doing secondary fermentation because that’s not our style. But if you are interested in getting more bubbles in your kombucha, we suggest checking out the videos over at www.youbrewkombucha.com for tips. You can also use the swing-top bottles we sell in our shop to do your second fermentation.

IS IT TOO COLD? TOO HOT?

Ideally, your kombucha is at 75 degrees. The colder your kombucha is, the slower it will ferment. If you go below 65 degrees, you might not have much success fermenting because the yeast and bacteria need warmth to do their job. If you go too hot (above 85 degrees), you risk throwing the yeast and bacteria balance out of whack. Plus you open up your kombucha to possible mold and other problems. It’s okay if the temperature of your kombucha swings up and down, but try and aim for 75 degrees. The warmer your kombucha gets, the faster (not always a good thing) your yeast will ferment the sugars. Just like life, it’s all about balance.

Don’t leave your homebrew outside or in a window. Also, don’t put it in a cabinet or leave it in the garage. All of those places can mess with the airflow and temperature that could throw off your homebrew. If you need to add a little warmth, try leaving your kombucha above the refrigerator to absorb some of the radiant heat.

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN KOMBUCHA?

Every kombucha is different (sorry for the broken record), so it depends. If you let your kombucha ferment for longer, the yeast and bacteria in the kombucha will eat most of the sugars leaving you with a very low sugar kombucha. If you follow our instructions and bottle your kombucha around day 7-10 and have an average fermentation temperature of around 75 degrees, you should end up with a kombucha that has close to 5 grams of sugar per 8 ounces.

IT’S BEEN 5 DAYS, 10 DAYS, 15 DAYS, 30 DAYS!?

Patience young grasshopper. Good (and sour) things come to those who wait. Many factors go into brewing kombucha. We say start to taste your kombucha on day 5 because that’s when you should first start to notice a difference in your tea. But we don’t think it will probably be that perfect balance of sweet and sour until closer to 10-14 days. This is your adventure, if you want it less sour and slightly more sweet, maybe 10 days is the right amount of fermentation time for you? Like it more vinegary and dry? Maybe you need to let your kombucha ferment closer to 16-20 days before it’s ready to drink. Once you get a feel for the flavor profile you’re looking for, you’ll get better at knowing when your homebrew is ready. We recommend keeping a log of the flavors, dates, average temperatures, and even time of year—they all can play a part in helping you fine-tune your fermentation time.

30+ days? You may have made yourself some vinegar. At this point you may have starved out your SCOBY and the yeast and bacteria balance might be thrown out of whack. It should be safe to drink and most likely can still make some good booch, but we don’t recommend letting it ferment this long—you’ll be in out-of-bounds territory. If you need a new SCOBY + starter, you can order a new one: here.

IS THIS MOLD?

Probably not. Kombucha is very acidic and mold doesn’t like to grow on acidic things. That being said, it is possible. If it’s fuzzy or light blue/green or looks like the stuff growing on old bread, it might be mold. But it’s totally normal to have dark spots that might trick you into thinking it’s mold. Fresh air is necessary to keep your kombucha fermenting and avoiding mold. Make sure not to place your kombucha in a cabinet or stuffy/humid place.

If you have questions on mold or want to see pictures, check out this comprehensive deep dive on mold at: www.youbrewkombucha.com/mold

IS THERE CAFFEINE IN KOMBUCHA?

Yes, a little. We use White Peony Tea in all of our tea blends. This is a caffeinated tea, but much of the caffeine doesn’t really make it through the fermentation process. The finished kombucha from your Homebrew Kit should have about 10mg of caffeine for every 8 ounces. That’s about the same as 1/10 of a cup of cup of coffee. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, go slow and see how you feel before chugging down a few glasses.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT MY KOMBUCHA IS FERMENTING?

As long as you follow the instructions and stay between the 65-85-degree temperature range, it will almost certainly ferment. Patience is needed. Wait 5 days and taste. It most likely won’t be fermented enough by day 5 but you will most likely start to see a film forming at the top of your kombucha (a new SCOBY!). Give it another couple of days and taste again. You’ll see how your kombucha changes over time.

WHAT IS THE STRINGY STUFF IN MY KOMBUCHA?

Those stringy things floating or hanging from your SCOBY are most likely yeast just doing work helping your kombucha ferment. They’re completely safe and make your SCOBY look like a jellyfish. Don’t worry, you’ll filter them out at the end so you don’t need to drink them.

SHOULD MY SCOBY SINK OR FLOAT?

Both. SCOBYs can and might float or sink while fermenting. If your SCOBY sinks, most likely you’ll get a new SCOBY film forming at the top of your jar to help create a seal. This is all normal and chill. Float on little SCOBY.

WHY DO I NEED A CLOTH TO COVER MY HOMEBREW?

Bugs, dust, cats, hair, other things. Your kombucha needs proper airflow to ferment, so we use a cloth instead of a plastic lid. The cloth is breathable enough for the ferment to get fresh air, but tight enough to keep bugs or other things out of your homebrew.

I’VE BOTTLED BUT I AM NOT READY TO BREW MY NEXT BATCH, WHAT DO I DO?

That’s okay! You have a couple of options:

If you think it will be less than 2 weeks before you start your next brew: just place the SCOBY and 16 ounces of starter you removed before bottling and pour it back into the 1 gallon jar, cover it with the cloth, and rubber band and leave it on your kitchen counter. It’ll get a little more vinegary but that’s totally fine.

If you think it will be 2+ weeks to 2 months before you brew next: take the SCOBY and 16 ounces of unfiltered liquid you removed before bottling to use to start your next batch, place it in a mason jar or airtight jar and place it in the refrigerator.

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS IN MY HOMEBREW KOMBUCHA?

Using the recipes provided in your HMK Homebrew Kit, each 8-ounce cup should have about 10mg of caffeine or 1/10 of a cup of coffee.

CAN I ADD FRUIT TO MY KOMBUCHA?

We recommend trying out the recipes we crafted for you before you stray off trail. As soon as you add fruit, juice, or anything that has more sugar in it, you’re essentially fueling the fermentation even more. Too much-added sugar can result in higher alcohol by volume (ABV) or throw your fermentation out of whack. That being said, if you do want to experiment beyond the boundaries of our homebrew kit, our friend Angelica’s guides on her homebrew website: youbrewkombucha.com

IS THERE ALCOHOL IN KOMBUCHA? IS IT SAFE FOR KIDS?

We go to great lengths to ensure our kombucha can be safe for everyone. But as we have stated earlier, we are not doctors and do not want to make health claims. Everybody is different and we highly recommend speaking to a medical professional if you have any concerns. That being said, here are some things to take into consideration. Kombucha is naturally fermenting. That means there will be trace amounts of alcohol in the kombucha. The legal limit for a beverage to be considered “non-alcoholic” is under 0.5% alcohol by volume (a beer is typically around 5% or 6.744% if you live in Oregon). Our HMK Homebrew Kits are initially designed to stay below 0.5% ABV and should realistically be closer to 0.2%-0.3% ABV. That being said, we are working with wild yeast and bacteria when brewing kombucha. Temperatures, wild yeasts and bacteria, and a variety of other factors could change the composition of your kombucha to potentially make a slightly more ABV kombucha. Although it would be highly unlikely for our kombucha recipes to go above 1% ABV, it isn’t impossible over time. We can also only speak on behalf of the homebrew recipes that we have supplied you. As soon as you go off trail and start adding fruit and juice and other sugars, you’re on your own. Again, if you’re concerned about anything, talk to a doctor, and read some studies. But know that kombucha has been around for a very long time and naturally fermenting things (kimchi, ketchup, vinegar, pickles) all have trace amounts of alcohol in them.

HOW LONG IS MY SCOBY GOOD FOR?

The magic of a SCOBY is that it can outlive the Energizer Bunny. As long as you keep feeding it and brewing with it regularly, it will keep on growing. We have been using a form of the same SCOBY commercially since HMK was the in-house kombucha for our friends over at Tea Chai Té. If for some reason you need a new SCOBY, you can order a replacement here.

DOES MY KOMBUCHA HAVE TO BE REFRIGERATED?

Not while it’s fermenting. But after you have bottled your finished kombucha, yes, we recommend it. By placing your finished kombucha in the refrigerator, you slow down the fermentation wayyy down and it will help keep your kombucha the same as when you bottled it. Also, kombucha tastes better when it’s cold.

IS KOMBUCHA SAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN/PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL DIETS?

We are not doctors. We are kombucha brewers. We can’t make these claims for you. We highly recommend you ask a medical professional for their advice on anything regarding health-related questions. That being said, we think you’ll find plenty on the internet that says kombucha is safe. Please do your own research.

I’VE BREWED ALL 5 BATCHES, WHAT NOW?

It’s time to continue the adventure! We sell refill 5 pack kits to keep the brewing going. You can choose 5 packs of your favorite tea flavor plus 5 sugar packs, or a variety pack with all 5 of our flavors and 5 sugar packs. You can find the refill packs here.

IS MY HOMEBREW GLUTEN-FREE? VEGAN? GMO-FREE?

Yep.

MY SCOBY RAN AWAY, CAN I GET A NEW ONE?

Sure can. We sell replacements here.

HOW MUCH KOMBUCHA SHOULD I DRINK? CAN I DRINK TOO MUCH?

Again, we’re not doctors. But let’s just say we drink a lot of kombucha here at Happy Mountain. All kombucha are different. The more vinegary kombucha styles can pretty pretty acidic and hurt your stomach. Some kombucha styles are too sweet and full of sugar which can also make your stomach hurt. If you follow our recipes, your kombucha should be that perfect balance between sour and sweet. We recommend starting with a glass, waiting, and seeing how you feel. Then have some more. It’s your body and you know it best—just make sure to listen.

MY SCOBY IS OUT OF CONTROL AND HAS GROWN TOO BIG! WHAT TO DO?

A SCOBY is a growing culture. The more you feed it (aka brew new batches) the more it will grow. Eventually, you might need to split your SCOBY into multiple SCOBYs to maintain space in your jar. We recommend if splitting your SCOBY if it’s larger than 2-3 inches thick. Tear off the bottom half and keep the top half. If you want to make friends, share your SCOBY babies with them. If you want to keep those friends, don’t keep offering them SCOBYs.

WHERE IS THE IDEAL PLACE FOR MY HOMEBREW TO FERMENT?

Ideally, you find a warm place (around 75 degrees) that’s not in direct sunlight and gets fresh air. We recommend on top of the refrigerator since the warmth from the refrigerator can help add a little warmth. We do not recommend it in a cabinet or the garage if it’s too cold. Also, keep your homebrew inside, you don’t want to attract bugs.

HELP! I STILL HAVE KOMBUCHA HOMEBREW QUESTIONS AND YOU DIDN’T ANSWER THEM HERE!?

Please check out the incredibly comprehensive kombucha homebrew website made by our friend, Angelica. It has over 60 videos on kombucha homebrewing and an answer to almost every question you can think of regarding kombucha. You can find her website here: youbrewkombucha.com

HELP! I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE HMK HOMEBREW KOMBUCHA KIT!

We are here for you! If you have HMK Homebrew Kombucha Kit-specific questions, please send us an e-mail at orders@hmkpnw.com and we’ll get back to you in a couple of days. We’re a small team, so thank you for your patience!