How to make Kombucha Soda (second ferment)

When you are done brewing kombucha, it’s time to bottle your brew and reap its rewards. Bottling is often referred to as “the second fermentation” because this is when kombucha gets its well-known fizz that’s similar to soda. The flavor combinations are endless, so feel free to experiment.

This is part 2 of my Kombucha Post Series where I teach you how to do a second ferment of your home-brewed kombucha and turn it into a delicious, fruit-flavored, fizzy alternative to soda. Click HERE to learn How to Make Kombucha (first ferment).

There’s only 2 things you’ll need to get a fizzy, fruity kombucha soda: a glass bottle with a tight fitting lid and organic fruit juice*.

While I recommend using a 1 liter glass, clamp top bottle, you can use any size. Whatever the size of your bottle or however many bottles you’re preparing, I recommend a 1:4 ratio of fruit or juice to kombucha (e.g., for every 1 cup kombucha, add 1⁄4 cup juice).

And to be clear, it’s totally ok to use fresh fruit to flavor your kombucha, if  desired. However, I do not because it’s a PIA (aka pain-in-the-ass) to get fruit bits out of a bottle with a small top, using organic fruit juice is much easier.

How to make Kombucha Soda (second ferment)

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Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup organic fruit juice
• 3 cups kombucha (first ferment)
• 1 liter clamp top glass bottle

Instructions

• Pour the kombucha and juice into the bottle, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. Seal the bottle tightly and store in a warm, dark place, such as a kitchen cabinet, for 2 to 4 days.
• After 2 to 4 days, move the bottle to the refrigerator. once chilled, pop the top and enjoy your very own home-brewed kombucha soda!

Notes

Notes: If you wish, you may strain out the fruit or small cultures that might have formed during the second ferment before drinking.

To avoid the champagne effect when opening your kombucha after fermenting, burp your bottles daily but simply opening the lid and allowing a little gas to escape.

If you are reusing store-bought kombucha bottles or Mason jars, I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper beneath the lid to help make a tighter seal. do note that it will likely not produce as fizzy a kombucha as bottling with swing tops, which make an airtight sea