Fermenting Journal: On to My 4th Batch of Kombucha

Lava lamp or alien brew?

I'm getting the hang of brewing and fermenting my own Kombucha tea. I've already experimenting with proportions of the tea, sugar, and even the brewing period. It's very much like the way I cook, no real measurements, just oido and intuitively putting in the ingredients. 

Oh, I do have challenges, of course, like the proliferation of fruit flies that wouldn't leave my abode years after getting a batch of fruits and veggies from my landlord and their progeny deciding to stay for good :) I'm learning to leave them be and just be vigilant in quickly covering my brew and Scobies with cloth as they quickly find their way to the source of that fruity smell. I have a makeshift compost pile in my small balcony garden so I know they serve this wonderful purpose of helping turn banana peels and veggie discards into compost.

But I also acknowledge that I'm very blessed -- the ambient temperature of my home and the cabinet where I store my jar is well within the ideal 27º-29º. The weather is fluctuating but generally, it's warm enough to promote quick fermentation. So much so that this 3rd batch which I harvested yesterday I limited the first fermentation period to just 6 days.

I also found that the ideal period for 2nd fermentation using fresh strawberries is 2 days max. Any longer and the tea turns very beer-like in taste (good for you if like beer). I'll experiment further on mixing other kinds of tea and see how it goes in future brews. I'm learning a lot and enjoying the process so it's nice to keep going.