What Kind of Sugar Should I use when Brewing Kombucha?

With only a few ingredients in kombucha, it’s essential to understand the role that each one plays. Not to say that if you don’t know what sugar’s purpose is, it won’t ferment. The knowledge allows you the freedom to play around and tweak your recipes to make your kombucha brewing experience truly your own.

Why do you need to use sugar?

Sugar is food for the yeast and bacteria and them eating and breaking it down is the essence of the fermentation. The yeast breakdown the sugar and convert it into carbon dioxide and alcohol–The bacteria break it down into healthy acids. Without sugar, there would be no fermentation.

By the end of the primary fermentation, the majority of the sugar has been eaten up. It’s important to realize that the sugar in kombucha isn’t there for you–it’s there for the micro-organisms. In many store-bought brands, you may have noticed that the sugar content or carbs are higher than you’d like. This comes mostly from flavors added in the second fermentation, which is after the kombucha has finished fermenting. One of the beauties of brewing your own kombucha is the sense of control that you have over the final result. If you’re trying to avoid sugar, caffeine, alcohol, etc., your brew can be tailored to suit your individual needs and goals!

What type of sugar is best for kombucha?

Organic cane sugar is the best option for brewing kombucha. It is easily broken down by the yeast and bacteria with consistent results. When sugar is more complex, it is less available for microbial consumption, introducing extra variables that can affect brewing duration, flavor, and overall success.

Can you experiment with different types of sugar?

I encourage you to experiment with the different variables in your brewing to see what works best for you. 

Before you ferment, though, I would recommend brewing a few times following the basic kombucha recipe until you understand the basic principals. Keeping a SCOBY hotel or backup of kombucha starter tea is good practice when you’re experimenting with different key ingredients. This way, you have a backup plan to start fresh if and when something goes awry with your experiment. In essence, a simple jar with 3-4 cups of matured kombucha starter tea will do, covered with a breathable cloth.

What are some different types of sugar that you can use?

Pro Tip: Before experimenting with any brew it, you should have a backup kombucha starter culture to start fresh in case something doesn’t work out as planned. 

Are there any sugars that you should never use in kombucha?

There are no real limitations on the types of sugars that you can use as long as they’re real sugars. There are a lot of “sweeteners” in the market that chemically mimics sugars, but the yeast and bacteria do not recognize them as sugars and, therefore, will not ferment. This includes sweeteners like Sweet n Low, Xylitol, Stevia, Splenda, etc. These work great for “back sweetening” if you want to add sweetness after the fermentation without restarting the fermentation. This is common in homebrewing wine, champagne, mead, and cider to add sweetness to a completely dry end product.

Is there a sweetener that you use, or have a question about one not listed here? Let us know in the comments below!

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