Blending question

[dcHokie]

I'm relatively new to kombucha and only have about 9-10 batches under my belt, but I have had a couple batches that were so intensely acidic it was like drinking vinegar. Granted, I let some of these ferment for a while, so likely just process error on my part, but do many of you guys blend to taste at bottling with fresh tea or with other kombucha batches?

 

[Zapped]

How long is "for a while"? Anyway, no, I never blend.

 

[dcHokie]

How long is "for a while"? Anyway, no, I never blend.

I think I'm answering my question with your help, but the super acidic batches probably went 4-6 weeks. Sounds like I made vinegar...

 

[gnomebrew]

I think I'm answering my question with your help, but the super acidic batches probably went 4-6 weeks. Sounds like I made vinegar...

Whoa.
Yeah, mine gets pretty sour after about 2 weeks. I usually harvest/feed every week, if I have to wait longer I usually make some effort to rebalance it (e.g., hold back less starter tea). It's fine so long as I do a batch every week, but I've gotten fairly good at rebalancing when needed.

I do blend it sometimes, if it ends up being too sour for my liking. I produce more than I drink anyway, so I take some of bottles from a good batch, and mix it with the sour stuff when I bottle it. Works pretty well. You could also just blend at serving time.

 

[Zapped]

@dcHokie - nothing wrong with keeping that vinegary batch as a "hotel" to store all your future scoby babies. Every couple of months I brew a little extra sweet tea just to change out the liquid in my hotel btw.

[ EDIT: btw changing the liquid isn't just for appearance's sake. The probiotics will eventually consume all their food (tea, sugar) if you don't replenish it. Your scobys residing in the hotel will look OK but they won't reproduce if you don't keep them fed. ]

 

[dcHokie]

@dcHokie - nothing wrong with keeping that vinegary batch as a "hotel" to store all your future scoby babies. Every couple of months I brew a little extra sweet tea just to change out the liquid in my hotel btw.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks Zapped, I'm newbin' up the kombucha forums!