Raspberry Hibiscus Kombucha Recipe: 5 to 31 Gallons
Ruby red and tart. The hibiscus goes in with the fruit in the second ferment, not in the first, because the culture needs real tea.
In this post
Raspberry Hibiscus Kombucha at a glance: Ruby red and tart. The hibiscus goes in with the fruit in the second ferment, not in the first, because the culture needs real tea. Deep red, berry-tart and floral. Strain before kegging; raspberry seeds go everywhere.
Bräu Supply recipe · Kombucha
Raspberry Hibiscus Kombucha
First ferment · for 5 gal
| 4.28 gal (16.2 L) | Filtered water | |
| 40 g | Green tea, loose | 8 g/gal |
| 2.09 lb (0.95 kg) | White sugar | 190 g/gal |
| 0.6 gal (2.3 L) | Starter liquid: plain kombucha from your last batch | 12% |
| 1 | SCOBY |
Second ferment: flavour and fizz
| 30 oz (850 g) | Raspberries, puréed | |
| 5 tbsp | White sugar | |
| 15 g | Dried hibiscus | |
Process
- Steep: 175°F (80°C) for 10–15 minutes, then dissolve the sugar
- Cool: below 85°F (29°C) before the culture goes in
- Culture: starter and SCOBY; pH below 4.6, ideally 4.2 or lower
- First ferment: 78°F (26°C), open under a cloth, 7–10 days, to pH 3.0–3.5
- Second ferment: 75°F (24°C), sealed, spunding valve at 12 psi, 2–5 days
- Cold crash: 36°F (2°C) for 1–2 days
- Carbonate: 2.8 volumes: about 13 psi at 36°F
Make it in
Per US gallon of finished first-ferment kombucha. Water allows for the room the sugar takes up and the water the tea holds back. Sugar in juice and fruit varies: taste, and watch the gauge in the second ferment.
How to make it
- Fill the fermenter with the full batch of filtered water, heat it to 175°F and steep the tea in the basket for 10–15 minutes. Lift the tea out and stir in the sugar.
- Cool the batch below 85°F, through a counterflow chiller or overnight with the lid sealed.
- Add the starter liquid and the SCOBY. Check the pH: below 4.6 right away, ideally 4.2 or lower.
- Ferment open to the air under a tight cloth at 78°F for 7–10 days. Taste from the sample valve from day five; it’s ready when sweet and tart balance, around pH 3.0–3.5.
- Dump the yeast from the cone and save starter liquid and the SCOBY for the next batch.
- Add the second-ferment ingredients through the top, seal the lid and set the spunding valve to 12 psi. Hold 75°F for 2–5 days, tasting as you go.
- Crash to 36°F for a day or two, then set CO₂ to about 13 psi to reach 2.8 volumes, or keg it and carbonate in the keg. Strain out fruit and herbs before kegging.
Making a different amount, or your own flavour? Open this recipe in the kombucha calculator: it scales the tea, sugar and starter, and works out the second-ferment sugar, carbonation pressure and alcohol.
Tips
- Raspberries are low in sugar, so this recipe adds a little sugar to the second ferment for carbonation.
- Steep the hibiscus for 5 minutes in a cup of hot water and add the cooled tea with the fruit; dried flowers float and are hard to fish out.
- Strain through a fine bag before kegging or bottling. Raspberry seeds block poppets and bottle necks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Yes. Frozen fruit breaks down better than fresh when it thaws. Thaw it, purée it, and add it with any juice.
Why not put the hibiscus in the first ferment?
Hibiscus has no caffeine or tea nitrogen, and it lowers the pH quickly. In the first ferment that can weaken the culture; in the second ferment it only adds colour and flavour.
Is there alcohol in homemade kombucha?
A little. The first ferment usually leaves 0.2–1% ABV, and every gram of sugar per litre that ferments in the second ferment adds about 0.065%. In the US, 0.5% ABV or more is regulated as alcohol, so if you sell kombucha, crash it cold, keep it cold, and test every batch. The kombucha calculator shows how much your second ferment can add.
Related
How to make kombucha in a stainless fermenter, the kombucha calculator, classic black tea kombucha, half black, half green house blend, blueberry basil kombucha.