This interview follows on from the April 13 guest posting by Stout Tanks on the equipment options and costs available to home brewers who are thinking of scaling up their operation. We were in the room at KombuchaKon in Long Beach when Stout Tanks took to the stage with the co-founders of Bare Bucha to announce a new kombucha brewing vessel based on trays, rather than cylindrical tanks.

The Symbiosis Fermenter enables kombucha brewers create a product with under 0.5% ABV alcohol content in a shorter time. These slides from their KombuchKon presentation compare Symbiosis and Traditional fermentations.

Bare Bucha, working in partnership with Stout Tanks, developed the new technology over the course of a year.

Their literature explains:

The Kombucha-specific shape of this commercial kombucha brewing vessel provides a balanced environment for both the Saccharomyces yeast and the Acetobacter bacteria strains.  This new kombucha brewing equipment was developed to help companies and commercial kombucha producers remain in compliance with alcohol laws while maintaining the authentic, traditional, live and raw kombucha product that we all love … The unique, kombucha specific shape allows ethanol to be metabolized to acetic acid much faster, promoting faster and more complete fermentation.  Balance of Symbiosis is shifted toward bacteria, reducing overall alcohol production, and yielding better flavor profiles.

The trays are available in racks, sized to produce anywhere from 2 barrels (for a cost of $2,749) all the way up to 10 barrels (for a cost of $6,749).

Earlier this week I took the opportunity to speak with Bill Nootenboom, the President of Stout Tanks, together with David Aycock and Toby Tull, the co-founds of Bare Bucha. Click on the podcast icon below to hear them describe how and why they developed the new system. You’ll also hear them explain why they did not keep the new technology to themselves and their opinions on future innovations in cylindrical vessels for brewing kombucha.

More information is available on the Stout Tanks website, with updates on the Stout Tanks Instagram and Bare Bucha Instagram.

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“A few miles south of San Francisco, California’s Highway 1 passes under Devil’s Slide, and just past the Montara Lighthouse, a small seaside town emerges. To the east, the foothills of Montara Mountain are home to horse farms on Sunshine Valley Road, reminders of the days of the Ranchos when the Spanish mission system had run of the land. West of the highway, majestic Monterey Cypress trees stand sentinel as cold water from the Pacific, having traveled the world, is reduced to mist as it crashes into Moss Beach’s rocky cliffs. In this mist, and the fog created when cold air of the northern Pacific meets heat from California’s central valley, Moss Beach Kombucha is grown.”

There are few more attractive areas closer to a major city than the small town of Moss Beach, a mere half hour south of San Francisco Airport. It’s here that Douglas Nelson brews his uniquely Northern California flavors of kombucha.

He blends Meyer Lemons with Ginger and Cayenne; Hibiscus and Lime; Turmeric and Black Pepper; and Celery with Lavender.

The bottles are available locally, in and around San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

We stopped by to take a tour of the brewery (something he invites anyone visiting the Bay Area to do) and were impressed with a production facility that, while small scale compared to some, produces big flavors.

Moss Beach Kombucha uses all organic ingredients and no artificial extracts or flavors.

To hear Douglas describe each of his flavors in detail and the journey that led him to start the company back in 2017 click on the podcast icon below.

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On the final day of KombuchaKon 2019 we visited a random selection of vendors exhibiting at the event and asked for a quick summary of their offerings.

We spoke with American Beer Equipment, Lincoln, Nebraska; Vitbot, Barcelona, Spain; In-line Packaging Systems, Charleston, South Carolina; Kegstar, San Diego, California; Lightweight Containers, Chicago, Illinois; Petainer, London, UK; Blue Label Digital Printing, Lancaster, Ohio; Applied Food Sciences, Austin, Texas; Lake Missoula Tea Company, Missoula, Montana; and Teatulia Organic Teas, Denver, Colorado.

To hear what they told us, click on the podcast icon below.

Our apologies for the companies we did not have a chance to talk with. Here’s a complete list of all 58 exhibitors at KombuchaKon 2019:

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Following the Wednesday evening welcome reception, KombuchaKon 2019 kicked off in full force on Thursday at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Over 300 attendees heard presenters address issues such as the need for stricter industry standards, current numbers on US retail sales, and new equipment for brewing compliant ‘booch.

As people gathered around the ‘booch tasting bar at the end of the day, we asked what were some of the big takeaways.

Click on the podcast icon below to hear attendees from the La Rioja Region of Spain; Happy Leaf Kombucha, Denver, Colorado; Green Flow Power, Louisiana; Buchi Kombucha, Brisbane, Australia; Bici Kombucha, St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Buddhas Brew, Austin, Texas; High Country Kombucha, Eagle, Colorado; andProbio Drinks, Barcelona, Spain.

The post KombuchaKon 2019 — Day 2 Impressions appeared first on 'Booch News.

Attendees at KombuchaKon 2019 certainly put the “International” in the Kombucha Brewers International annual gathering.

Click on the podcast icon below to hear what people who came from The Netherlands, Uganda, Finland, Thailand, Japan, and as far away as Colorado and Florida hope to get out of the event.

You’ll hear from the owners of Bob’s Kombucha, Gorssel, The Netherlands; Nutricom, Kampala, Uganda; The Good Guys Kombucha, Pirkkala, Finland; The Green Geek, Bangkok, Thailand; Kombuchaship, Saitama, Japan; and last but not least, Turtle Mountain Fermentery, Ft. Collins, Colorado; and Kombucha 221 BC, Sarasota, Florida.

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KombuchaKon 2019 kicked off this evening with a reception in Long Beach, California. This was the 6th Annual KombuchaKon. It started as a meeting of 40 founding companies, and has now grown to attract 400 participants at this years event.

I was fortunate to meet Hannah Crum, the original “Kombucha Mama”, author The Big Book of Kombucha, and founder of Kombucha Brewers International. I took the opportunity to ask Hannah about developments in the industry.

To hear what she told me about the growth in kombucha brewing, the latest trends and need for standards, as well as advice for home brewers who are thinking of taking the leap to commercial production, click on the podcast icon below.

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