kombucha and hydrometers

Hydrometer and specific gravity readings are standard practice in brewing and winemaking. If you're non familiar with hydrometers and how to employ one, jump over to our post on how to use a hydrometer. In short, hydrometers are used to determine the density of a liquid and, ultimately, the booze content of your beer, wine, cider, etc. Since hydrometers are used to determine fermented beverages' booze content, it'southward ofttimes assumed that a hydrometer will piece of work the same when brewing kombucha. So does information technology?

Can you apply a hydrometer to determine the ABV of kombucha?

No, you lot cannot accurately determine the alcohol content of kombucha with hydrometer readings. Nosotros'll explicate beneath.

Can you accept gravity readings on your kombucha brew?

Yes, you can take specific gravity readings to gauge sugar content. But the gravity readings (Original Gravity & Final Gravity) cannot be used to summate ABV as with other ferments like beer, wine, cider, mead, etc.

Why can't you use a hydrometer to determine the booze content of kombucha?

Kombucha is much more than complex than other fermented beverages. Beer, vino, ciders, and other traditional hard beverages are mainly fermented using yeast only. Meanwhile, the Kombucha SCOBY, the culture used to ferment kombucha, contains both yeast and leaner. What is a SCOBY? The bacteria in the kombucha culture make the primary fermentation a ii-footstep fermentation rather than i-step yeast-just fermentation.

What is a Hydrometer Reading

Yeast (just) Fermentation

In a typical wine fermentation, the yeast consumes the available sugars in the must – (winemakers lingo for juice) with the byproduct being alcohol and CO2. By taking hydrometer readings, we tin can expect at the starting amount of sugar in the liquid, and the amount of sugar left after fermentation. By comparing these two figures, nosotros see how much of the sugar was consumed by the yeast. This tells us how much of the sugar was converted to booze. Now nosotros can calculate the ABV of the drink.

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Kombucha – Leaner and Yeast Fermentation

In a kombucha mash, like in vino, the yeast begins consuming the bachelor sugars and kicks out alcohol and CO2. At present, the bacteria consume the alcohol created by the yeast and convert information technology into beneficial acids. This consumption of alcohol is why hydrometer readings can't be used to make up one's mind the alcohol content.

Here is why: Gravity readings tell us the density of the liquid, or the dissolved saccharide content, before and after fermentation. In a single yeast ferment, like beer or wine, the calculations are straight-forward to determine that the consumed sugar is now alcohol. In a mixed culture ferment, like kombucha, there are more variables involved, similar organic acids, which have similar density to alcohol. So, while nosotros tin measure out the decrease in carbohydrate content, nosotros can't tell how much of that converted saccharide is still booze, or if it has been converted to acids by the bacteria. Since we tin can't tell them apart, we can't determine ABV.

Nosotros hope it's at present articulate why a hydrometer is excellent for beer, wine, cider, or mead just can't accurately exist used to measure the booze content of kombucha. Have a question? Be sure to drop a comment in the section below.

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