HARD KOMBUCHA: How to Make Kombucha With Alcohol

sugar

🥗Healthier: agave syrup

💰Cheaper: honey

Agave syrup can reduce the glycemic index while honey is often less expensive.

yeast

🥗Healthier: wild yeast

💰Cheaper: bread yeast

Wild yeast is a healthier option, while bread yeast is often cheaper.

fruit

🥗Healthier: fresh fruit

💰Cheaper: frozen fruit

Fresh fruit is healthier, but frozen fruit can be more affordable.

hops

🥗Healthier: herbal tea

💰Cheaper: dried herbs

Herbal tea can add flavor without the bitterness of hops, while dried herbs can be less expensive.

Begin with a freshly fermented batch of kombucha and set aside 2.5 cups for the kombucha starter.

Brew 10 grams of black tea in a small amount of water for about 15 minutes to make a concentrated tea.

While the tea is warm, add 2 cups of sugar (1 cup dextrose and 1 cup regular table sugar) and mix until dissolved.

Add 5 grams of dap and 1.5 grams of fermento to the warm tea for yeast nutrients.

Pour the sweet tea mixture into a clean and sanitized fermentation vessel.

Add 12 cups of filtered water to the fermentation vessel, which is about 4 quarts.

Take an original gravity reading; it should be about 1.050.

Once cooled to room temperature, add the kombucha starter and sprinkle in the yeast (recommended: saphal uso5).

Close the lid, give it a light shake to mix, and add an airlock.

Set the fermentation vessel in a cool dark place for about one week to ferment.

After one week, take a final gravity reading; it should be around 0.997, indicating a 5.2% ABV.

For carbonation and flavoring, add frozen cherries to the mixture.

If bottling, consider using a secondary fermenter for infusing the fruit and then rack into a bottling bucket with priming sugar.

If kegging, put the fruit in a sanitized mesh bag and place it into the keg, then rack the fermented hard kombucha on top.

Set the pressure regulator to about 20 psi for carbonation and let it carbonate for about one week.

After one week, the hard kombucha is ready to drink, showcasing a light red-pink hue with crisp carbonation.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: