Container
It gives several materials of which the container may be made of: glass, plastic, ceramic, porcelain, crystal, or metal. Of these, only glass is recommended for use, as glass won't react to the acidity of the kombucha cultures, nor contaminate with chemicals such as BPA. Many glass jars also have a spigot, which is helpful when filling the bottles for carbonation. Porcelain, while not ideal, is a usable alternative, though some porcelain jars may not be suitable for use with food. The source also notes that "the surface area at the top of liquid will influence the rate at which kombucha brews." The higher the surface area, the faster the kombucha will brew.
I've decided to use a large glassware container for brewing. Originally, I was to use an Aladdin glass jar. However, the spigot proved defective and leaked nearly half of the trial brew onto the counter overnight. The new jar has worked without problems to this point.
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| The glass jar |
Breathable Covering
Another necessary component of the brew set-up is the breathable covering. This will keep out insects such as ants or fruit flies that may be attracted to the tea while also allowing in air for the aerobic processes of the SCOBY. Loose-weave fabrics or cheese clothes, however, may allow bugs in.
I've decided to use cotton handkerchiefs for this.
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| The handkerchiefs |
For the second fermentation, the bottles used must be airtight. For this component, I will use empty kombucha bottles. These have been accumulated over the past few months. These may or may not be completely airtight, though they will be tested later on. In the future I hope to use Grolsch-style flip top bottles as recommended by many of the sources I have used.
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| The bottles |
Below is an image of all of the parts of the set up together. (The jar is full with the first batch of kombucha.)
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| The set-up |
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