After Moldageddon happened, I lost my beloved Kombucha Crock. I was devastated. I had it custom made and it was one of those special things to me. A one of a kind piece that I could never replace.
With all the upheaval I actually stopped brewing my own Kombucha. But after we got settled in Arizona and I took a look fell over at the price of Kombucha here, I knew I needed to get back to brewing my own.
I wasn’t sure what kind of vessel I wanted to get for my continuous brew kombucha. I waffled back and forth between going for uber affordable and just using mason jars or something similar, to investing in something with a spigot that was lightweight and wouldn’t be a pain in the arse to move (both around the kitchen and wherever life would take us (which turned out to be 8 places in one year).
I decided I didn’t want to brew in glass because I would have needed to keep it away from light and my cabinet space is at a premium. Although there are some REALLY cute “t-shirts” that you can slip right over your vessel to block the light, my counter space is virtually non-existent in this tiny kitchen. I started to look into a whether or not you can brew Kombucha in stainless steel and was quite surprised to learn that it is a really great option, especially for those looking at affordability and practicality.
While it is very true that you want to avoid brewing kombucha in metal, stainless steel, PURE stainless steel, is the exception. You absolutely can brew Kombucha in stainless steel.
Kombucha is a powerful substance. If brewed in an environment that has any sort of impurity (like lead or aluminum), it will leach those chemicals right out of the vessel and into the kombucha. You in turn drink that right up. Obviously not what most kombucha drinkers want in their brew.
Stainless steel is non-ferrous meaning it has no iron. There really is nothing to leach out of it. It is free from chemicals found in plastic vessels. It has no lead (which can be found in some glass containers as well as in crystal ware.) It is aluminum free. And it won’t rust or develop mold growth.
While is obviously would keep the light out, I was worried about two things. Temperature regulation and flavor. My handmade crock did an excellent job of keeping my brew at an ideal temperature, even when the house was warm. Additionally, the flavor was always spot on. There was no residual flavor from the material in the crock. How would stainless steel fare?
I decided to take the leap and I ordered the Continuous Brew Stainless Steel Crock from Kombucha Kamp. I trust them and they agreed that this was probably best for my needs today.
I’m glad I trusted my gut! While I loved my handmade crock, I think I actually love the ability to brew kombucha in stainless steel even more. First, it is incredibly lightweight, even when completely filled. Second, it fit perfectly under low-profile cabinets, even on its stand. Third, there is NO change in the flavor of my brew. There is no metallic taste and when you think about it, there shouldn’t be! It isn’t leaching anything from the vessel.
I am really thrilled to be back brewing my own kombucha. Be sure to check out some of my favorite kombucha flavors including:
If you want a laugh, be sure to read all about my SCOBY fails. Yes, these are things NOT to do with your extra SCOBY babies.
If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of Kombucha or how to brew your own, head over to Kombucha Kamp and sign up to get their Free Kombucha Recipe Guide and Brewing Logs. This is a free and super informative way to learn if brewing Kombucha is right for you.
If you are really ready to dive into Kombucha making, grab this awesome Big Book of Kombucha.
Do you brew your own Kombucha? What type of vessel do you use and love?
Can the large glass jars with metal spigots be used?
Yes, they sure can!
Dear Jennifer,
Eventually I would like to buy astinless steel vessel butmoneywise I want to start with something cheaper. Now can you tell me why the glass container with a metal or plastic spigot can be used since I read that Kombucha will break down and absorb those substances..
Love!
If glass is the best you can do, then go for it. Just make sure it is lead free glass with a metal spigot.
Stainless steel is not non-ferrous. It does contain iron, like all steels. It’s still the best option for kombucha storage though – better than wood/ceramic/glass/plastic, all of which can leach soluble material into an acidic solution like kombucha.
I would avoid all metals and stick with glass with no spigots or if you can find one a wooden barrel with a wooden spigot
That sounds like a terrible idea as wood is porous and bacteria can reside in it
hey why does everyone say stainless steel is non ferrous including you? it contains iron??
Your claim that, “Stainless steel is non-ferrous meaning it has no iron.” is erroneous. All steel has iron, and stainless steel has extra metal, namely chromium and sometimes molybdenum. Please correctt this misinformation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel