Pitching kombucha starter instead of yeast

My friend recently gave me the idea of making a kombucha-inoculated beer. Having never done it before, the principle seems fairly straightforward to me (this is my own guesswork):

  1. Ferment kombucha as normal (done!)
  2. Prepare base beer recipe/wort, let it cool
  3. Pitch enough kombucha starter to inoculate wort (for my 8L batch, about 1L of starter according to normal kombucha ratios)
  4. Let it ferment normally as with any other yeast pitch

It seems that this would inoculate the wort with the bacteria and yeast I want (Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces). It, in theory, should slightly sour and acidify the wort, and of course ferment it. Let's assume I have an OG of about 1.060 using primarily 2-row malt, nothing too high.

There are a few things I'm not sure about:

  1. Is approximately 1/8 wort volume enough kombucha starter to get fermentation going (1L for 8L of wort)?
  2. Can the kombucha SCOBY actually ferment down the beer appropriately (e.g. below 1.020) - or do I need to pitch additional yeast?
  3. Will hop additions during the boil later kill the bacteria in the SCOBY when I pitch?
  4. Am I doing this all wrong and there's a better way?

I think that the end product should be a fermented, slightly sour and acidic wort with more or less the same qualities as kombucha in terms of flavor, but with a slight malt backbone.

PS - I could use some other Lactobacillus-laden product to sour the wort, but I thought that since I have mature kombucha sitting on my counter I may as well use it!

Topic kombucha bacteria yeast fermentation beer homebrew

Category Mac


If you want to play it safe, over-pitch (sorta) by pitching a regular amount of yeast to ferment the beer, and as a secondary fermentation pour in a bottle of your favorite basic kombucha with no flavor additions after the first fermentation has completed. The hops may slow the souring, but in reality, that's probably a good thing unless you're aiming for a malt vinegar flavor.

I'd definitely drink it fresh and not wait long. Carbonation is going to be an exciting roller coaster of experience with this one. As a side note, I'm curious to hear of your experience when you taste it.

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