If you’re anything like me, you love kombucha. There’s just something about it that you can’t get enough of. But do you know what’s inside your kombucha?
Here’s what you need to know.
Caffeine
Kombucha includes caffeine since it is prepared from tea. However, it is greatly diluted. A cup of black tea will have between 40-70mg of caffeine, while kombucha made from that same tea will have 20-35 mg before fermentation.
If caffeine is an issue for you, we can reduce how much caffeine is present with a few easy choices. Here are some tips for reducing caffeine content in your brew.
- Choose Tea Low in Caffeine
Use more white or green tea. Tea types listed in order of most to least caffeine are black, oolong, green, then white teas. Herbal tea isn’t actually tea and in the long run shouldn’t be used alone, combine it with another tea in a ratio of 3 parts herbal to 1 part black or green tea.
- Reduce Steep Time
Many kombucha recipes steep tea for 15 mins or more. I have heard of steeping overnight even. Follow the instructions that come with your tea. All good quality tea will have a recommended brew time and temperature. A good tasting tea will always make a good tasting kombucha.
- Brew Longer
It is generally accepted that caffeine content of kombucha goes down the longer it ferments.
- Switch to Water Kefir
This fermented drink uses sugar water instead of tea and provides an almost identical variety of probiotics.
Sugar
Kombucha requires sugar. Not for you, but for your culture to consume. Here are a few tips to reduce final sugar content.
- Brew Longer
During the fermentation process the sugar is consumed by the yeast, so the longer you brew the less sugar will be in your final brew. Plain kombucha will normally have about 30 calories per 250mL.
- Use Less Fruit in Second Fermentation
The most sugar content in your kombucha will be from the added fruit in the second ferment. So in order to lower sugar content it just makes sense to add less fruit.
- Use Low Sugar Flavours
Examples are ginger, lemon, and mint. Sweetness can be boosted after the second ferment with non-calorie sweeteners like stevia or monkfruit.
- Use my Tea Blend B
I developed this tea blend specifically for when you want a sweet tasting kombucha that is low in sugar. It has a blend of black, green, hibiscus, and rooibos teas, and requires no fruit in the second ferment. Learn more here and sweeten up your Kombucha, get 15%OFF Tea and Sugar supplies with code TEA-SUGAR2021. Valid until Dec 31th
Alcohol
Kombucha does contain a little alcohol, it cannot be avoided. The ABV of a plain kombucha is similar to non-alcoholic beer or wine. Keep in mind there is also a growing trend for alcoholic kombucha recipes and drinks. So, if alcohol content is an issue for you (alcoholism, liver disease, pregnancy, or breastfeeding)
Shop Karma Cultures for everything you need to brew your perfect kombucha.
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