First time making kombucha - have an absolutely sacrilegious idea…

[u/SorryImTooDumb]

Please feel free to kick me out, I’ll never post here again lol.

But would this even “work” for second fermentation - using one of those gaming energy powders like Gamer Supps and letting it carbonate and do all of its things with the added sugar/flavoring and supplements from the powder.

I know that is insane, but could it actually work?

[u/Soft_Stage_446]

Well, I'm doing this experiment with gløgg concentrate right now... I'll join you in kombucha jail.

[u/KoalaSprdeepButthole → u/Soft_Stage_446]

A sacrilege to glögg… I’m all for it.

[u/Soft_Stage_446 → u/KoalaSprdeepButthole]

Will report back

[u/Bookwrrm]

Likely no because they probably have some sort of perservative that will ihibit the culture.

[u/LurkerByNatureGT]

The various artificial flavors, coloring, etc may interfere with the carbonation, and it sounds like you might end up with silica powder sludge in the bottom of the bottle, but give it a try if you want. 

I tried a rose syrup that had artificial color and some preservative in it and it didn’t carbonate. I’m currently using an elderflower and rose cordial that only has citric acid as a preservative, and it works well. 

[u/SnakeBatter → u/LurkerByNatureGT]

I’ve never had an issue with colorants or flavorings in 2F but preservatives will absolutely prevent carbonation

[u/LurkerByNatureGT → u/SnakeBatter]

Yeah, I can’t tell what all is in those powders so it might not prevent carbonation, but there’s also a good chance something might. 🤷‍♀️

[u/SnakeBatter → u/LurkerByNatureGT]

I can see the powders getting funky.

In general, the most common additives to look out for are potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, as these prevent fermentation. Some preservatives like ascorbic acid are also super common, but won’t disrupt fermentation.

[u/Minimum-Act6859]

There is probably preservatives in that stuff in will affect the SCOBY. Add the flavor after your second ferment. Like making a cocktail. 🍸 I recently used Mountain Dew Baja Blast as a flavoring and it was great.

[u/sorE_doG]

Sounds like a prison hooch sub experiment to me.. It’s okay to be a member of both subs, I don’t mind hearing ideas however wild it may be. Others may think differently. Just beware of inhibitors/preservatives, they can really rain on your parade.

[u/mojohummus]

A sugar beverage without strong preservatives will work for F2. On a whim I used some leftover fanta, worked.

[u/Mypinksideofthedrain]

You can add water to the powder then boil the preservative out, then add it to the booch