Second fermentation: Refine Kombucha with fruit

You like your homemade Kombucha extra sparkling and extra bubbly? Then the second fermentation of Kombucha in the refrigerator is an absolute insider tip for you as advanced users. The fruity, tart aroma of your Kombucha drink harmonizes perfectly with the fruit and with all the fruit juices added for a second fermentation.

The procedure is quite simple: First of all, you let your Kombucha fungus (Scoby) of Wellness-Drinks ferment as usual, as described in our Kombucha recipe. Then remove the Kombucha fungus, which you will need again (together with some liquid) for the next "normal" preparation. Your Scoby doesn't like the cold of the fridge and could also spoil with fruit and fruit juice. Only the finished Kombucha drink is therefore used for the second fermentation.

Add fresh raspberries, strawberries, cherries, elderberry blossoms or raisins and other dried fruits to the finished fermented drink. Or fill a bottle of Kombucha two-thirds full with ready-to-drink fruit juices. Just taste for yourself what you like! The drink gets a different color and takes over the fruit flavor.

The trick in the second fermentation is to briefly increase the sugar content in the finished Kombucha drink. The numerous microorganisms in the drink find new food again and very quickly start to produce carbonic acid diligently.

The new nutrients for the Kombucha culture result in a second, faster fermentation. If you don't have any fruits or juices at hand, you can simply add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to the bottle.

If you keep the Kombucha in a slightly closed bottle during the second fermentation, it will become sparkling and fizzy within 1-2 days.

But be careful: Excess pressure should still be able to escape. Always keep the finished mixture in the refrigerator.