STORAGE
GUIDANCE
Always refrigerate GINGER SENCHA 250ml and SPARKLING KOMSECCO 750ml and ensure you have enough fridge space before ordering. Refrigerate all varieties where possible to enjoy GO Kombucha at its absolute best!
GO Kombucha is a holistic living tea that faithfully replicates an Ancient Chinese recipe. As such our kombucha requires special care when storing and opening compared, say, to a canned “kombucha” variant that has had its beneficial microbes removed, or been hyperprocessed and/or pasteurised for mass production and supermarket shelf stability.
At GO Kombucha we’ve honed and finessed our brewing process over 22 years to ensure a stable balance of yeasts and bacteria. And because we don’t add fruit sugars before bottling most of our tea flavours can be stored out of the fridge if kept cool during spring and summer months and sealed in their packing cases, which provide some insulation,
Following this guidance and being sure to always chill all bottles before serving will enable you to enjoy our real kombucha at its very best!
How to ‘burp’ bottles
Learning how to ‘burp’ a bottle is rule no.1 when choosing authentic, 100% raw, holistically wholesome kombucha. For over 22 years we’ve only bottled in glass because it’s the best and safest option for transiting low pH drinks to the end consumer. Like our kombucha itself, glass contains only 4 key natural ingredients and there is zero risk of our low pH, acidified tea leeching any chemicals, aluminium from cans or microplastics into our high ‘schumann resonance’ tea brewed with naturally purified water drawn from our on site spring well.
Real, authentic, small batch kombucha is by nature lively. Because we don’t filter the yeasts or pasteurise, the level of natural fizz varies from batch to batch compared to stabilised mass-produced supermarket kombuchas. Therefore we advise customers to always open each bottle slowly; if fizz immediately fills the neck space, close quickly and ‘burp’ bottle by repeating the process until fizz recedes.
Storing GREEN SENCHA & RED PU-ERH 750ml
Refrigerate Green Sencha and Red-Pu-erh to ensure no onward fermentation occurs and to maintain alcohol at <0.5% (defined as non-alcoholic and the point at which it was bottled, then chilled before reaching you). If you don’t mind the alcohol creeping into the low-alcoholic region (0.5-1.2%) - below the level of intoxication for most people not sensitive to alcohol - you can store bottles upright in their closed card cases which provide some insulation and away from light and heat sources; such as an unheated room during the warmer months of late-March through late-September, or in a shed or garage between the cooler months of late September through late March. Remember to always chill each bottle before serving.
If the storage area is 8C>, over a few weeks a minor impairment in taste may develop due to onward fermentation occurring inside the bottle as the remaining sugars are slowly consumed. Over several weeks the taste may become more beer-like and slightly alcoholic; conversely, refrigerating maintains stability, taste and alcohol generally at around 0.5% for many months.
Overriding a stuck 750ml neck sleeve cap
Depending on temperature stored outside of fridge, outward CO2 pressure on the cap caused by any onward fermentation will force the cap seals to release slightly to allow excess CO2 gas to escape; a safety feature that prevents the glass bottle itself exploding. This can cause the neck sleeve cap to “jump” a groove making the cap itself tricky to break away from the neck sleeve. If so, grip the neck sleeve firmly while twisting the cap quickly to separate.
The cap may occasionally detach from the neck sleeve and rotate without removing from the bottle due to falling out of synch with the groves on the bottle. If so:
i) wipe cap to thoroughly clean and insert a sharp, pointed knife directly into cap top to puncture and cut hole through which the tea can be poured, or;
ii) grip bottle firmly and remove the cap with pliers.
You can make the hole air tight with cling film or tin foil to maintain fizz and freshness.
CAUTION: We do not advise cutting into the neck sleeve itself due to the jagged and sharp edges that result.
SPARKLING KOMSECCO 750ml - straight in fridge!
Our limited edition champagne format Sparkling Komsecco is corked and caged with no screw cap so can’t be “burped” to release excess CO2. Therefore bottles must be refrigerated on receipt at 0-3C to avoid pressure build-up. Please ensure you have enough fridge space if ordering several bottles.
Storing CHINA WHITE, YUNNAN GOLD, DARJEELING 250ml
If you have room to refrigerate China White, Yunnan Gold and Darjeeling Black at all times alongside Ginger Sencha this will ensure no forward fermentation and maintain alcohol at <0.5% (defined as non-alcoholic and the point at which it was bottled, then chilled before reaching you). If you don’t mind the alcohol creeping into the low-alcoholic region (0.5-1.2%) - below the level of intoxication for most people not sensitive to alcohol - you can store bottles upright in their closed card cases which provide some insulation and away from light and heat sources; such as an unheated room during the warmer months of late-March through late-September, or in a shed or garage between the cooler months of late September through late March. Remember to always chill each bottle before serving.
If storing out of the fridge in ambient temperature then over time some impairment in taste may occur and outward CO2 pressure can cause the 250ml cap to expand, break its seal and, eventually, “pop”. If stored over 10C check the cap seals every few days for any sign of outward bulging; in such an event hold cap end of the bottle pointing away from you, and either break the cap seal on each bottle by slightly opening to emit excess CO2 and screw back tight, and refrigerate or return to enclosed card case.
GO Kombucha is 100% raw and live so thanks for appreciating why it has to be treated with special care. Following this guidance will ensure that our uniquely authentic kombucha that honours the heritage and legacy of a tradition that began in Ancient China over 2200 years ago will, in turn, take care of you - as well as being the most refreshing and thirst-quenching taste experience bar none!
For some frequently asked questions, click here
Any questions of your own? Please email sales@gokomucha.co.uk