Top 10 Most Common Kombucha Brewing
Mistakes & Tips

Brewing Kombucha can seem like an easy process, however there are little tips and tricks we all have to remember to produce the best batch of Kombucha possible.  Even if you have never brewed Kombucha before or are an experienced brewmaster, often we can get sidelined during the brew process and make a mistake or forget an ingredient.  Here is a list of the most common mistakes that you will want to avoid.

1.  Using the wrong type of tea.
The type of tea used to make Kombucha is an important part of the brewing process.  Especially when the SCOBY is still relatively new and still adjusting to its environment.  While most people enjoy flavored and herbal teas because of their fragrance and unique taste, they can be tough on the SCOBY since they don't provide enough nutrients and their oils can damage or stunt the growth of the SCOBY.  So to avoid harming your SCOBY and ruining your batch of Kombucha, stick to the basics. Black tea often referred to as "English Breakfast tea", is always the best choice, but you don't have to stick with black tea only. You can use green tea, white tea, Yerba mate, Oolong, however my suggestion is to alway blend other teas with black tea as it is your base for a strong SCOBY.
Tip:  If you would like to use another tea like Earl Grey, Hybicus, etc., I found that if you wait until your Kombucha is finished brewing and then brew your other tea and add it during the bottling & flavoring process it can give you the same desired results.

2.  Not using the proper amount of sugar or water.
If your thinking that your batch has too much sugar, just stop worrying about the amount and stick to the recipe.  Sugar is the most important ingredient in your Kombucha because it is the SCOBY's food source and without it the SCOBY won't produce the probiotics, amino acids, polyphenols or the unique Kombucha taste we are expecting.  When the SCOBY lacks food to convert the tea into Kombucha a couple of things may happen.  First you will weaken your SCOBY by starving it and your Kombucha will not contain as much of the healthy organisms your looking to consume.  Second the taste of the Kombucha will suffer dramatically, leaving you unable or not wanting to drink it which wastes time, energy and your money.  Just like the sugar above if you don't follow your recipe exactly by adding too little or too much water you will affect the way your Kombucha tastes.  Since most of us fell in love with Kombucha for the taste well before we knew about the benefits, its important to stick with the recipe.  If you find that your Kombucha is too strong instead of adding water to dilute it try reducing your tea by one bag or shorten the time you steep it. Vise-versa if you find its too weak for your taste you can try adding additional tea.  Make sure whatever you do you write it down so that you won't forget the next time you make a batch.
Tip:  To make sure you never forget to add sugar get in the habit of tasting your Kombucha right after you finish brewing it and place it in your brewing vessel.  Also to guarantee the correct amount of water try marking the finished level on your brewing vessel before you add your SCOBY.  This way you will get used to both the taste and level of your batches so you will know when you didn't add the correct amount sugar or water in your recipe.

3.  Using the wrong type of brewing vessel.
It is best to use a glass brewing vessel whenever possible, although you may use stainless steel as well without any problems. The reason for this is that your Kombucha tea has a leaching property and can remove minerals, metals and other toxins from improper vessels or utensils such as plastic, metal or ceramic.  If these toxins are consumed they could make you very sick or ill and will also damage your SCOBY.  Be careful as leaded glass vessels, such as "Crystal" also should not be used.
Tip:  Look for containers specifically designated as fermenting type jars or vessels which may also say "food grade" on them. Stay away from anything listed as decorative because they typically are fired with other metals to make them stronger.
  
4.  Not washing your hands or vessels properly.
Although this may seem like an obvious statement, it is important to remind you that washing your hands before handling your SCOBY and sanitizing your brewing vessel between batches, is as important a part of the brewing process as adding ingredients.  So please remember to do this frequently and often during the brewing process to ensure that you do not contaminate your batch with bacteria that may cause mold to grow on your SCOBY.
Tip: Be sure to rinse all the soap residue off of your hands and out of your vessel before handling your SCOBY as soap can harm the bacteria that makes up your SCOBY.

5.  Forgetting to add starter to your batch.
This is something that is easy to forget because you get so busy bottling your fresh batch of Kombucha that you forget to remove some for the starter for your next batch.  The starter is important part of the process as it has acids in it that protect the batch from molds and bad bacterias during the first couple days before the new SCOBY grows on top of the liquid and seals the batch.  As a rule of thumb always remove the starter before you start your bottling process.
Tip:  If you forget to save some starter for your next batch, don't worry you can use a store bought bottle of Kombucha as long as it is unpasturized, raw and unflavored kind. 

6.  Adding the SCOBY when the liquid is too hot.
Brewing Kombucha can be a fun process for us, but if you don't allow time for your tea to cool to room temperature it won't be very fun for your SCOBY.  SCOBY's require the temperature to be between 68°F and 85°F.  Since we boil water to steep our tea we need to allow time for the freshly brewed tea to cool before we add our SCOBY to the liquid.  If we add the SCOBY to the tea while the it's still to hot it can destroy the bacteria in the SCOBY leaving your SCOBY dead.  One way to cool your batches down is to brew part of the water with all of the sugar and tea together and let it steep. Then you can add the remaining water to cool the batch down more quickly.
Tip:  You also can use a temperature sticker or gauge which can show you the temperature of your brew.

7.  Forgetting to taste test your batches.
One important step that usually gets forgotten over time is continually tasting your batches during the fermentation process. This is how your able to make your perfect Kombucha blends and flavors.  Because so many things can alter the flavor and style of your Kombucha, forgetting to taste your batches periodically can lead to unsuccessful brews, which downright sucks.  Several factors can cause these changes to happen immediately or over time such as temperature change of the environment, growth and size of the SCOBY, direct sunlight, length of fermentation, missing ingredients, contamination, etc. By tasting them daily you will be able to notice when something has gone wrong and correct the problem or start over with a new batch.  Nothing is worse than waiting 7-10 days for your Kombucha and getting ready to enjoy it but you can't stomach the taste, potency or texture.
Tip:  Your first taste should be after initial brew is first put into the brewing vessel to insure all ingredients are added.  Then at day 4-5 and each day after, taste your Kombucha to insure the batch is turning out the right consistency and flavor you desire. Once you determine it's finished, bottle and flavor(optional) and then select a bottle to taste each day until it reaches your desired levels of fizz, flavor and strength.  Once refrigerated you may also notice it will taste slightly different chilled. 

8.  Improper storage of the Kombucha. 
Storing your Kombucha is pretty simple once you have found a consistent location, however if changes occur, they can often affect your Kombucha without you noticing until its too late.  Kombucha needs to ferment out of direct sunlight.  Either sunlight or too much direct lighting can often change the flavor of your Kombucha and break down the SCOBY's fermentation ability.  Kombucha also needs to be stored between 68°F to 85°F.  If you store it in an environment that's to cool it can inhibit the fermentation process, causing your Kombucha to taste too sweet and not tangy.  If you store it in an environment thats to hot and it can speed up the fermentation process, causing it to taste like vinegar as well as harm the SCOBY. Any of these issues can affect the flavor of your Kombucha, leaving you with an undrinkable tea. 
Tip:  If you live where the temperature changes are drastic you can use a heater to keep the temperature more consistent.  You can also use a cloth to cover the fermentation vessel or store it in a cupboard to keep any kind of light from affecting it.

9.  Not maintaining the size of your SCOBY. 
All of us who brew Kombucha love the taste of it.  So anything that may affect it or alter the flavor is a potential problem.  As you brew you will notice that the SCOBY is continually growing in thickness and/or size, which is good sign of a healthy SCOBY and environment. However, when the SCOBY grows it will continue to consume more and more food(sugar).  So the problem occurs as you continue to make the same recipe with the same amount of sugar and tea but you have not kept the same size and thickness of SCOBY.  Some may say that a bigger SCOBY will just make the batch ferment quicker and cut down the waiting time for your Kombucha to be ready, which is true.  However it will also change the flavor of the Kombucha because the yeasts begin to affect the taste and with a bigger SCOBY you also have higher yeast content.  So to prevent your perfect Kombucha flavor from changing just divide the old SCOBY from the newly grown one to get back to the same size and thickness as you had in your original batches.
Tip:  You can use the older divided SCOBY to start a new batch of Kombucha, maybe a different tea blend.  Or you can give it to a friend to start them on the Kombucha journey.  Or you can save it in a SCOBY hotel for backup, just incase you have possible containmantion or mold growth on your SCOBY.

10.  Not properly sealing your batching and bottling. 
Kombucha may not be a science, but there are some technical considerations you must account for.  When brewing the first fermentation process you need to cover the opening with a tightly knit cloth, paper towel or coffee filter and a rubber band or tie to secure it.  During this stage we don't want to seal off our Kombucha from exchanging air and CO2, but we do want to keep out any pesky critters such as fruit flies, ants, etc., as they can contaminate our SCOBY.  However, during the second fermentation and bottling process you will want to seal the bottle with an air tight lid.  This will allow for CO2 to build up inside and create the natural carbonation we've all come to love and enjoy from our Kombucha.
Tip:  When bottling your second fermentation be sure to burp the bottles daily to release the excess CO2 build up and prevent your bottles from bubbling over or possibly exploding during this process.