Mom, You Have Grandchildren

So I’m still pondering why my second ferment in the bottles didn’t work. I think perhaps I left too much airspace. In the initial second ferment I did for birthday kombucha, I left very little air space. In this one, i left about 2 inches of air at the top. Today’s research suggests that I might need an airlock, which is available at a brewing shop. I’ve seen them in action but don’t have one for myself. I did go into the fridge and open the bottles today to show my mom and they hissed at me like they had a lot of pressure in them, and yet I still didn’t get the bubbles I so desired. Plus I’m a little afraid of whatever clear gloppy thing came out of it. 

On that note, I was afraid of telling my mom about the kombucha. She’s a nurse and is weirded out by these things. As predicted she said “you know I’m a nurse and I’m wary of these things.” She also proclaimed that she never should have sent me to live in Madison. Apparently I’ve become too much of a hippy for dear mom to handle well. 

Anyway, I’ll follow up with those other bottles I brewed up. I’ll check out the airspace and see if any of them turned out fizzier than the first. I’ll also try the jar method again and see if that works out. I’m thinking thus far that the best way to drink kombucha is straight off the mother and down the gullet.