Mango Turmeric Kombucha Recipe: 5 to 33 Gallons
Golden, tropical and earthy. Mango is high in sugar, so it carbonates quickly.
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Mango Turmeric Kombucha at a glance: Golden, tropical and earthy. Mango is high in sugar, so it carbonates quickly. Thick, golden and tropical, with a gentle earthy warmth from the turmeric.
Bräu Supply recipe · Kombucha
Mango Turmeric 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
| 25 oz (709 g) | Ripe mango, puréed | |
| 25 g | Fresh turmeric, grated (or 1 g ground) | |
| 1 g | Black pepper, a pinch | |
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
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
- Use very ripe mango: the riper it is, the more flavour and sugar it brings.
- A pinch of black pepper is traditional with turmeric. It’s optional.
- Turmeric stains silicone gaskets and hoses yellow. It’s harmless, but expect it.
Frequently asked questions
Fresh or ground turmeric?
Fresh turmeric root, grated, tastes brighter. Use about 1 g of ground turmeric per gallon instead if that’s what you have.
Can I use mango juice?
Yes: mango nectar works, but it often has added sugar, so use about 1 cup per gallon and taste early.
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, peach jasmine kombucha.