Sweeteners to avoid when making kombucha. Brown Sugar: With added molasses, brown sugar produces inconsistent batches and can harm the SCOBY over time. Honey: This natural sugar can contain botulism bacteria (especially raw honey), which could create a dangerous brew.
This is a choice you’ll need to make, taking into consideration your own personal health. But if you want to make real kombucha, it requires a certain amount of sugar to feed the kombucha culture. I recommend at least ¾ cup per gallon batch. If you cut back on the amount of sugar in your fermentation, your brew may not ferment properly because you’re starving your SCOBY.
For what it’s worth, both my parents have Type II diabetes, and they both drink kombucha regularly because they claim it gives them energy, relieves their joint pains and alleviates cravings for sugary sodas and desserts. So for them, the payoff is worth it. But that’s just them. I make no medical claims or recommendations about kombucha, so if you’ll have to listen to your body and to your doctor’s guidance on this one.
In general, if you’re just starting out, I do not advise using anything other than plain white cane sugar. Your SCOBY feeds on this and needs it to do its job. So if you give it a sugar substitute or something different than its food source, you may end up starving it, harming it or weakening it over time.
It is worth noting that a good amount of that sugar does get eaten up by the yeast, so it doesn’t all remain in the brew. And by the time your brew ferments, the sugar is broken down into fructose and glucose, which have a lower glycemic impact on the body.
When you’re brewing kombucha, you need to feed the microbes so they can make probiotics. Sugar is the fuel source for these hungry critters. Always remember that the sugar is for those little microbes and not for you. They consume the sugar and then make probiotics and naturally occurring carbonation through the process of fermentation. It’s kind of a cool process how these little minions work to give you health benefits and a bubbly drink. Kombucha is an amazing drink!
Here is a list of the sugars you can use to make kombucha. Some of the sugars we tried did great, and others did okay but weren’t our favorites. Then there were a few that didn’t work at all. We did the work for you so you wouldn’t have to struggle with the best choice. Keep an extra kombucha SCOBY and starter tea on hand in case you need a backup for any reason. Fermenting is fun, and experimenting is always encouraged since this can make you a master fermenter. Happy fermenting!
Brown Sugar in Kombucha F1
FAQ
Is brown sugar better for kombucha?
What kind of sugar can I use for kombucha?
Can you use maple sugar for kombucha?
Which sugar is best for fermentation?
Can you use brown sugar for Kombucha?
Here’s why. Brown sugar is made by combining white sugar and molasses. As mentioned above, white sugar and molasses are both suitable for fermenting Kombucha and contain the necessary food for the Kombucha culture. However, using brown sugar for Kombucha may change its flavor and produce inconsistent batches.
How to prepare kombucha at home?
The first step is to get the so-called scoby, which is a kombucha cologne. There are websites and pages on social networks that gather contacts of people willing to donate scoby for homemade preparation. Then you can use the following recipe Ingredients: Kombucha cologne (scoby) received by donation; 1 liter filtered water; 1 tablespoon (soup) of a type of herb for tea with caffeine (green, black, mate or white tea); ½ cup (tea) of demerara or crystal sugar; 5% to 10% of the already fermented kombucha mixture (or 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Method of preparation: Boil 200 to 300 ml of water and turn off the heat. Add the herb and sugar, mix well with a spoon and cover to simmer for 10 minutes. Then strain and add the rest of the water, let the tea cool down or come to room temperature and use the funnel to pour it into a wide-mouthed pot. Add the vinegar, mix well and add the kombucha cologne, which should float to the surface, even if you have to wait a day to do so. Use a paper towel or the cutout cloth to cover the pot and secure it at the sides with an elastic band. Let it ferment for 7 to 10 days in the same place, which should be dark and airy. Kombucha ferments best in environments between 24°C and 30°C.
What kind of sugar do you use for Kombucha?
However, thousands of people use plain old white sugar to make their Kombucha. Jaggery and piloncillo often come pressed in cones. All of these are types of cane sugar. Most of them are not as refined as the white sugar crystals most of us are accustomed to purchasing on a regular basis.
Can you make kombucha with organic sugar?
The answer is yes. Organic sugar is a good sugar option for making Kombucha. From its name, organic sugar is sugar made from organically grown sugarcane. Compared to other types of sugar, organic sugar is naturally processed so it is able to retain some of its natural nutrients making Kombucha healthier.