The first batch of Kombucha Tea wine I made was a hit. Arguably even tastier than plain black tea wine (which is good in its own right), it had a delicately fruit-forward flavor that balanced the complex, pleasingly tart edge to the brew. How will batch #2 turn out?
I used the same basic recipe as I did for batch #1, but this time I used apple juice instead of Concord grape. I expect that this will result in a slightly drier and crisper finished wine.
The process starts with an extra-yeasty starter and extra sugar in the sweet tea, creating a very strong kombucha brew. Once that brew is ready (in about 10 days), the yeast, sugar, and a cup of fruit juice is added. I leave it in the primary fermenter (food grade bucket) for 5 days to monitor the yeast’s activity level and aerate it periodically, then move to a secondary (glass jug).
Sneak peek: I sampled the wine while racking to the secondary today. It’s still fermenting, so there’s noticeable yeast flavor, but it’s definitely drinkable even now – I could taste both the apple and kombucha flavors, and they married nicely. I have a good feeling about this one!
Will it be a winner? Stay tuned for updates on this wine’s progress!
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