Deluxe Kit

I wanted to start brewing kombucha at home and bought this kit to make it easier to just get started without worrying about buying all the right equipment. This kit had everything I needed and almost everything was extremely high quality. (The lone exception was the tasting pipette which I have stopped using anyways). The scoby worked right out of the bag, the instructions were super clear and detailed and the funnel is large and sturdy for easy bottling. My favorite thing is actually the bottles - they're 16 oz bottles that are short and wide instead of tall and narrow. These bottles dry better in my dishwasher than the taller and narrower bottles I bought separately off Amazon once I started increasing my brewing volume. If I buy more bottles in the future, I'll look for bottles like the ones included in this kit. I'm now 6 batches into brewing kombucha and have upgraded my glass jar from this kit for a larger one (which is the one pictured), but I still use all of the rest of the equipment I got. I've also recommended this kit to friends who want to get started bottling too!

I started brewing my kombucha a bit over 2 weeks ago. At the 2 week point I found it tart/sweet enough to bottle and already there was considerable fizz in the large jar. That's a good thing, as in the past I never got more than a suggestion of fizz. I used to brew Kombucha maybe 15+ years ago and was doing it more on a whim. But now I've had some gut issues and I thought the pre and prop biotic properties of Kombucha could only help. And honestly, while there is never a chance that I'd down a 6 pack of this stuff in 1 day, it's really not that bad; in fact it kind of grows on you. I like that this kit has almost everything I needed. I did buy a strainer/funnel. I'd also never tried flavoring my Kombucha in the past, and the website for the Kombucha Store includes detailed instructions for the handling of your growing SCOBY, bottling, 2nd fermentation, and adding various flavorings. I currently have assorted berries in my bottles and am curious as to how that will enhance the flavor. I may have to get a 2nd large jar (and possibly more swing top bottles) so I can have a continual Kombucha flow, but I'm going to see how this first batch tastes. I just started a new batch, so shortly after I drink up my current bottles,. the new jarful should be almost ready. Initially I'm going to drink half a bottle a day. I've heard that if you start drinking large amounts at once, you may wind up running to the bathroom, so I'm going to ease into it. It's kind of fun creating this concoction, kind of creepy seeing the SCOBY grow another disc, and really creepy seeing the yeasty brown threads hanging down from the SCOBY (I know those threads are a good thing but I can't help it, I throw them away, because they make me want to start maniacally cackling "it's alive... IT'S ALIVE!!!!" Anyway, great product and great website w/ great instructions from the Kombucha Shop.

I wanted to try making homemade Kombucha after growing tired of paying basically $3.50 for a single 16oz bottle! I was extremely confused and pretty worried about trying it myself until I got this kit. It explained everything and made the entire process a breeze! My first batch tasted fantastic (except it had a slight eggy smell, which I’ve heard can happen sometimes and doesn’t affect the quality of the drink). I liked it so much I bought a second gallon jar and so that I can have two batches going at once! My only complaint is some of the terminology threw me off. It refers to the pellicle as the scoby and to save it during each brew. After researching online I found loads of people say this is a mistake and that they are two separate things. The scoby is essentially in the liquid itself, and the gelatinous blob is the pellicle and does not need to be kept.

The deluxe kit came quickly and nothing was broken. Packaging and labeling were nice. Instructions for first and second fermentation were detailed. The packaged SCOBY and starter tea were fresh per date. I have written this review after completing two batches. The first thing I noticed after starting my batch (in a Midwestern winter), was that I didn't have a warm enough spot. Used my seedling mat which raised the temp by 10 degrees. I would recommend this inexpensive item to guarantee a consistent brew temp in such a situation. My setup is on the refrigerator. Second, I found the included documentation, websites (there are plenty), including the sellers, for FAQs that are very helpful in researching the happenings and expectations of brewing kombucha. Third, I found the only product problem when bottling my brew for second fermentation into the provided bottles. The nice stainless steel funnel with filter did not fit into the bottles. I did have a small plastic funnel that fit the bill. I did buy the mini auto siphon with hose from seller after my second batch to bottle. This worked much better as the hose fit into the bottles, but required some practice on controlling flow when moving to the next bottle. Fourth, I decided to buy a two jar set complete with temp strips and cloth from Amazon to expand my production and start a SCOBY hotel. Overall the Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit from this seller is well put together and was not intimidating to use for a beginner as myself. My only regret for this product was the funnel that could not be used. A simple test by the packager for compatibility between bottles and funnel should be easy enough to do. This appears to be only a blemish to an otherwise well put together product. 30-JAN-2019 A replacement funnel was quickly sent to me from the vendor upon informing them.