Talk about a party! The tartness of kombucha with the watermelon and lime transform this drink into a real fiesta for your taste buds. Perfect for the summertime heat! Speaking of heat, the cayenne pepper in this drink sneaks up on you right at the end. It isn’t overpowering, it just keeps it interesting and keeps you wanting more! Of course, you can add as much or as little cayenne as you’d like. It’s important that you enjoy it, so if you don’t like heat, you can literally add none, and it would still be delicious.
It’s important to note that brewing homemade kombucha is almost always a two-step fermentation process. Brewing kombucha is only a one-step process for those who prefer an unflavored flat kombucha. Otherwise, the steps consist of a primary fermentation and secondary fermentation.
Since this recipe is for the secondary fermentation, to make this recipe, you’ll need to have kombucha that has finished the primary fermentation and ready to bottle.
16 FL Oz Bottles
10
2-10 Days
This spicy watermelon kombucha recipe is for one 16 fluid ounce bottle. For a gallon batch, make seven bottles. To scale this recipe to a gallon batch, multiply the ingredients by seven or toggle the serving size up to seven above. Before bottling your kombucha, remove the SCOBY pellicle along with 12-16 ounces of kombucha starter tea from your brew, and reserve for your next batch.
16 Oz Kombucha from a completed primary fermentation.
2 oz Watermelon Puree or Juice
1/2 – 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/8 – 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper Powder
16 Oz Swing Top Bottles
Measuring Spoons
Blender
Using a funnel, add all ingredients into a bottle. (To make the watermelon puree, simply blend fresh watermelon in a blender until smooth)
Top the bottle off with kombucha, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of head-space. Tightly place the caps on each bottle.
Keep bottles at room temperature for 2-10 days; it will carbonate faster at higher temperatures and slower when cold.
Burp the bottles as necessary to release excess pressure. This is done by removing the cap to allow built-up pressure to escape then placing the cap back on.
Chill in the refrigerator once you’re happy with the carbonation levels. Based on preference, you can serve as is or strain before drinking.
