Kombucha question

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
881
Location
Ontario
First of all I want to thank you kombucha brewers for getting me interested in this. I have been brewing the continuous brew method since February. I don't know how to do without it! But because of the high acidity, my stomach was not feeling well so I did some experimenting. I wanted to add a base to neutralize some of the acid. First thing that came to mind was a pinch of baking soda. A very tiny pinch in a 10 oz. glass. It made it a bit more carbonated, was delicious and took care of the stomach thing. But then I began to wonder if that was harming the nutrition. So I tried calcium magnesium powder. Well, it floats around and finally sinks to the bottom, but doesn't seem to help the acidity and doesn't look nice. So what do you chemists think? Would neutralizing some of the acid reduce the nutrition and therefore not be as beneficial to the gut?
 
If it's too acid, you aren't going to drink it willingly and it can cause digestive problems. At least one person here has said she likes kombucha that is very acidic, but her doctor advised her to cut back because she was having health issues.

IMO, it's not the acid that's the beneficial element in kombucha. It's the various microbes that are helpful, and I don't think you need to drink kombucha that's puckeringly sour to get the benefit of those microbes. Adding sodium bicarbonate converts some of the acetic acid to sodium acetate, carbon dioxide gas, and water, similar to neutralizing vinegar (acetic acid) with sodium hydroxide when making soap.

That's no big deal, IMO, but if it was my kombucha setup, I'd try to manage the brewing conditions to produce kombucha that is less acidic. Why not remove kombucha more often from your brewing system when it's only slightly acidic and then refrigerate it to slow the fermentation? It sounds to me like you're letting it ferment too long at room temperature.
 
If it's too acid, you aren't going to drink it willingly and it can cause digestive problems. At least one person here has said she likes kombucha that is very acidic, but her doctor advised her to cut back because she was having health issues.

IMO, it's not the acid that's the beneficial element in kombucha. It's the various microbes that are helpful, and I don't think you need to drink kombucha that's puckeringly sour to get the benefit of those microbes. Adding sodium bicarbonate converts some of the acetic acid to sodium acetate, carbon dioxide gas, and water, similar to neutralizing vinegar (acetic acid) with sodium hydroxide when making soap.

That's no big deal, IMO, but if it was my kombucha setup, I'd try to manage the brewing conditions to produce kombucha that is less acidic. Why not remove kombucha more often from your brewing system when it's only slightly acidic and then refrigerate it to slow the fermentation? It sounds to me like you're letting it ferment too long at room temperature.

Thanks DeeAnna I appreciate your thoughts. I don't let it ferment too long and I certainly don't drink it "puckeringly sour." I want to enjoy it. It's just that my stomach is sensitive, I also have to be careful when eating salads with vinegar or pickled things. When I read the book "The Big Book of Kombucha" I just remember the authors talking about the "healthy acids." This is why I wondered if neutralizing them made it "less healthy."
 
When you said "high acidity," I took you at your word that it was higher acidity than what would be typical. When I think of kombucha that's "high acidity" that means to me something that's a lot more acid than a commercial brand. Based on your second post, I'd say your kombucha is probably within the realm of "normal" acidity.

I think if you want to drink kombucha that is within the realm of normal for acidity, but your stomach is sensitive to it, you have to do whatever you need to do to make it tolerable to your digestive system. It makes no difference if the common wisdom says the acidity is a necessary benefit -- it's not something your system can handle. If that means adding a bit of sodium bicarb, then do it. Or switch to a different fermented drink (kefir?) and see if that is easier for your system to tolerate.
 
I think if you want to drink kombucha that is within the realm of normal for acidity, but your stomach is sensitive to it, you have to do whatever you need to do to make it tolerable to your digestive system. It makes no difference if the common wisdom says the acidity is a necessary benefit -- it's not something your system can handle. If that means adding a bit of sodium bicarb, then do it. Or switch to a different fermented drink (kefir?) and see if that is easier for your system to tolerate.
Exactly, I agree. And that's what I am doing. Not going to change that. As I mentioned, I enjoy it so much I don't want to be without it. I'm just always curious about the workings of things and wondered from a chemists viewpoint if adding sodium bicarbonate would change the nutrition. I get it that that wasn't clear in my original post. The authors of the book invite correspondence so I emailed the question to them. They didn't think it would harm the nutrition but they admitted they didn't know.
 
Frankly, I'm skeptical of anyone who makes grand nutritional claims and can't back 'em up with science. If these authors believe the acidity in kombucha is important and have even written a book that includes this claim, then they should KNOW whether reducing the acidity makes a difference.

From a chemistry perspective, kombucha's acidity comes from acetic acid, so it stands to reason a person could get the same results by drinking plain vinegar or eating a pickle. I mean acetic acid is acetic acid. But that's just my perspective, and I freely admit I am not any authority on the nutrition of kombucha. <...shrug...>
 
Acetic acid is only one of the acids in kombucha. Besides the acids there are healthy bacteria and yeast. So no you wouldn't get the same result from eating a pickle. I'm sure you're not interested but "The Big Book of Kombucha" is a good read and very informatiave.
 
So no you wouldn't get the same result from eating a pickle.
It depends on the type of pickle, really. If you're eating a pickle that's been pickled in vinegar then, no, you won't get the healthy probiotics. However, if you're eating a pickle that's been allowed to ferment (brine) then, yes, you will get the probiotics.

As to your question, I really don't think that adding sodium bicarbonate is going to neutralize the nutritional value but that's just my opinion. I am not a nutritional scientist by any stretch of the imagination. I do think I'd be bottling it sooner, not allowing it to become too acidic rather than adding baking soda.
 
It depends on the type of pickle, really. If you're eating a pickle that's been pickled in vinegar then, no, you won't get the healthy probiotics. However, if you're eating a pickle that's been allowed to ferment (brine) then, yes, you will get the probiotics.

As to your question, I really don't think that adding sodium bicarbonate is going to neutralize the nutritional value but that's just my opinion. I am not a nutritional scientist by any stretch of the imagination. I do think I'd be bottling it sooner, not allowing it to become too acidic rather than adding baking soda.

Thank you for your perspective. Yes I agree about fermented pickles but a pickle from the grocery store pickled with acetic acid has no benefit. For me the problem with bottling sooner is that it's too sweet. Sure it tastes good but I want more of the sugar to get used up. I've found that tiny bit of baking soda after a 4-5 day first ferment and a 3-5 day second ferment is so much more flavourful. I supply my son and his wife with kombucha. Last night they said the last batch was the best they ever tasted. The only difference from before is that I added a pinch of baking soda and all I had in it for the second ferment was ginger, then I added 1/4 c. pure juice per liter after second ferment instead of before. The juice isn't fermented but at least you can taste it.
 
Acetic acid is only one of the acids in kombucha. .... So no you wouldn't get the same result from eating a pickle....

Okay, so I was over simplifying to exaggerate my point. I shouldn't have done that.

No one can really answer your question because no one here is an authority on this subject, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is you have developed a method that works for you. That's good!
 
So I keep hearing about this Kumbacha thing. Being a breast cancer survivor now 6 years. I think I would like to try it. Any recommendations on a tutorial and recipe on how to make it?
 
You normally need to obtain a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts) to begin making kombucha. (Although I'vee seen cases where people have started their own from unpasteurized kombucha). You can either get one from a friend or order one online. (As you start making kombucha, you end up growing more of them.)
It's basically a fermented tea that uses the SCOBY which is like the "mother" that forms on vinegar.
You can read more about how to make kombucha here.

I was going to say that we usually drink kombucha that has gotten too sour by diluting it with carbonated water. It ends up being very tasty that way, even if it was too sour to begin with. I've also found that the sourness can be reduced by doing a second fermentation with fruit.
That said, all of that is more about the taste. I'm not sure if either of those things would make it more tolerable to a sensitive stomach. (I'm guessing carbonated water may be upsetting to some people too.) You could try diluting with regular water instead, though, if you are having issues.
I saw it recommended to do that for people who are sensitive to apple cider vinegar but who still want to take it. I think they recommended to dilute a couple of tablespoons of ACV in a cup of water.
I don't know if it actually works, but it's worth a try. Good luck!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top