We have been experimenting with a lower sugar kombucha with the added bonus of a quicker ferment time! And we like the taste even better.

We have reduced the sugar by 25%, using 3/4 cup of sugar per batch instead of 1 cup. Also we are still getting carbonation we like just on the first fermentation. As a result, we are no longer doing a second fermentation. Not only lower in sugar, but this chops a few days off the start-to-finish!

As you know, there are a ton of recipes out there for Kombucha. We are newbies. But we’ve brewed enough now to want a less sweet taste and a quicker ferment time.

I’ll just highlight a few things.

We made our own SCOBY

Making our own SCOBY wasn’t hard, but it took a looooooong time! Almost 2 weeks. We used the store bought GT’s Gingerberry (Synergy) to get it going. I put it high up in a cupboard above the refrigerator and checked it every day. I thought it would never get there!

We found directions for how to make it with store bought Kombucha here. And also we found how to buy one here (yes, you really can get just about everything on Amazon).

It took so long I almost pulled the trigger with Amazon but I’m glad I held out.

The beginning formation of a Kombucha SCOBY Pellicle in a mason jar — Beginning of a Kombucha Pellicle

The little white dots you see floating are the beginnings of the pellicle, or the actual disk. They just have to grow until they reach out and hold hands. From what I’ve read, the SCOBY is all the bacteria and yeast at work in the sweet tea, not just the coagulated jellyfish looking pellicle. But the words are used interchangeably so I will too.

After we made the SCOBY. . .

Pouring water into a 6 quart sauce pan to make Kombucha Tea — We poured 3 1/2 cups of water into a 6 qt saucepan

We unwrapped 8 organic black tea bags — …unwrapped the tea

Boiling water in a 6 quart saucepan for Kombucha Tea — …boiled the water

Adding 3/4 c sugar to make a lower sugar kombucha into the water in the 6 qt saucepan — Adding the 3/4 c sugar to make a lower sugar kombucha

Stirring sugar with wooden spoon into water for Kombucha Tea — …stirred it in

Stirring 8 black tea bags into hot water to make Kombucha tea — …stirred in 8 black tea bags, and let cool for 3-4 hours until room temperature with tea bags in.

Kombucha Tea before ferment with Scoby hotel — Cooled Kombucha Tea, teabags out, before adding starter liquid and SCOBY (Pellicle)

measuring starter liquid out of jar that pellicle was made in — Then measured out starter liquid. . .poured it into the cooled sweet tea.. .

Taking Pellicle out of storage jar to put into cooled sweet tea — took pellicle out of “hotel” (aka storage jar) to put into cooled sweet tea

Covered gallon jar of sweet tea and Kombucha pellicle with cloth and rubber band — …covered jar with tea and pellicle with cloth and rubber band

Ours was ready in 5 days. And no second fermentation for us, so that’s total time.

Yours may be longer or shorter. After 3 days, start tasting occasionally.

You can check the ph if you want. As newbies, we find this helpful–ph test strips.

We usually like about a 3.0 rating on the test strips.

When it is to your liking. . .ta dah!!! Lower sugar Kombucha.

A couple of ideas regarding how to taste it: Use a syringe like you use to take medicine (Cod liver oil in this house.) Obviously, wash it well first! The other idea is a medicine dropper. Either option can be eased around the floating SCOBY. Just draw up a sample. You can also use this method to test acidity. Just put your Ph strip in a small dish and release some Kombucha on it.

Don’t forget to measure out 2 cups of starter for your next fermentation!

Kombucha is fizzy after fermentation. It is stirred to distribute the yeast and bacteria before bottling. This is now Lower sugar Kombucha and the added bonus of Quicker Ferment time! — Kombucha is fizzy after fermentation. It is stirred to distribute the yeast and bacteria before bottling

A re-used, washed, store bought kombucha bottle with funnel to fill with lthe ower sugar quicker fermentation kombucha of the gallon jar — A re-used, washed, store bought kombucha bottle works great.

We put “X” on the bottles so we know they are our own lower sugar fermentation. We still have some store bought kombucha left but soon, Lord willing, we will only have our home brew, which is even better than the Synergy.

6 Bottles filled with fermented lower sugar Kombucha, ready to be put in the refrigerator — 6 Bottles filled with lower sugar Kombucha and a quicker ferment time, ready to be put in the refrigerator…

Enjoyed by us and the folks we love.

PS We had a group over after church this past Sunday and put bottles on ice…we couldn’t believe how fast they went!

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Lower Sugar Kombucha with Quicker Ferment Time!

Kombucha that uses 25% less sugar that the standard recipe

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 4

Total Time 5 4

Servings: 8 8 oz servings

Course: Appetizer, Drinks

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Filtered Water
3/4 cup Organic Granulated Sugar
2 cups Starter Liquid
1 SCOBY
8 Organic Black Tea bags If they have tags, remove them and tie strings together

Equipment

1 Stove top
1 Stainless 6 Quart Saucepan
1 Gallon Jar with lid
1 Piece of closely woven cotton cloth
1 Elastic band
1 or more Glass Bottles with screw on tops Use to store fermented Kombucha in refrigerator
1 Package PH strips (link above) optional
1 Large Pickle Jar, washed, for SCOBY hotel

Method

1. In a clean, 6 quart saucepan, boil 3 1/2 cups filtered water
Have ready 8 tea bags and 3/4 cup organic sugar
When water is boiling, turn off stove
Stir in sugar. Then add 8 tea bags and steep
Let come to room temperature. This will take several hours
When sweet tea has cooled, pour into a gallon jar
Add 2 cups of starter liquid and stir to combine with sweet tea in jar
Add 1 SCOBY
Place cloth to completely cover the top of the jar and secure around the top with elastic band
Let sit in warm place for 5-7 days, or longer, depending upon how tart or sweet you like it
Use PH strips to test if desired
When it is to your liking, remove SCOBY and put in another jar (a large pickle jar works well). If you are not making another batch right away, add 2 cups of the fermented Kombucha to the jar holding the SCOBY. This will be your starter liquid for the next batch when you decide to make it. If you are making another batch right away, instead of putting the 2 cups of Kombucha with your SCOBY, put the 2 cups in the next batch of cooled sweet tea before adding the SCOBY
Pour the fermented Kombucha from the gallon jar using a funnel into storage bottles and refrigerate.

Notes

The time factor is not exact because different people have different tastes regarding sweet/tart. Temperature is also a factor. We brew ours in our laundry room which stays about 77 degrees in the Summer. We do use the PH strips to test for acidity

After about 5 days, we find that there is enough carbonation in the first ferment to suit us without moving on to a second fermentation. This is especially true if the SCOBY has been floating on the top, effectively sealing in the bubbles.

We find that the reduced sugar makes for a lighter, more refreshing, bubbly Kombucha.

We also enjoy the taste without additional flavorings. We haven't experimented much with a second fermentation, but if you want to do so, we recommend you find instructions online for this. To be safe, you will also want to get recommendations for methods and bottles that deal with the pressure from the additional carbonation.