20 Liter (5 Gallon) Oak Cask

20 liter (5.283 gallons) American White Oak Casks.  Produce the finest Kombucha Tea, Ginger Beer, Vinegar, Japanese Water Crystals, California Bees, Tibicous, Water Kefir  or your own special brew. Unit measures 15 high x 10 1/2 x 10 1/2.  Comes with cloth cover, wood spigot, sterilizing and conditioning kit and complete directions.

 

Made from the finest American White Oak.  Why OAK?

Oak adds a nutty, buttery flavor and additional tannins to the ferment. The tannins will be exhausted over the years.  Each year the beneficial probiotic bacteria and yeasts impregnate the wood, over time each cask develops a unique character of health and flavor. Used properly will last more than a life time. In our own tests using Silver Needle White Tea kombucha fermented in oak produced a smoother deeper flavor - very fine. It did reduce the overall gluconic acid when compared to Silver Needle White tea in a more traditional glass container. However it should be noted that overall Silver Needle White Tea fermented in a Oak Cask still produced far greater gluconic acid level than kombucha tea made with a black, green or combination of black and green tea fermented in glass. With our American White Oaks casks you can produce a fine ferment beverage rich in both taste and benefits.

 

There has been considerable discussion regarding what to make kombucha tea in. Plastic is affordable and versatile. But many claim that the kombucha leaches toxins. (In actual testing by independent researcher Michael Roussin kombucha is safe when made in Food Grade 1 or 2). Even ceramic used for centuries has fears of lead poisoning. (use of lead in ceramic has been outlawed for about 30 years now). Glass is considered the best by “experts” yet glass may contain impurities as well that may be yet leached by an active ferment. Hard woods, like American Oak or French Oak really stand-alone. Here the actual leaching process of an active ferment is encouraged and studied.  

 

Consider Balsamic Vinegar by many to be the “King of Vinegars”. The best Balsamic vinegar is aged between 10 and 30 years in wooden casks. Anywhere from 5-12 casks, all of different woods are used. Each wood gives a different aroma to the product.  Typical woods are oak, chestnut, cherry, juniper and mulberry. The wood becomes impregnated with vinegar bacteria and helps maintain the ideal ferment. The aromas released by the barrel wood enrich the ferment.

 

For Kombucha Tea the intent is to produce in a very short time a balance between extreme sweetness and extreme sharpness.  This is best achieved by our Continuous Brewing Method, which also produces the ultimate in health benefit potential.

 

 

The Continuous Brewing Method is simply the easiest method to ferment kombucha. Once under way just add fresh pure water, sugar and tea. See below for our specials on organic and premium teas, which have been specially selected for optimum kombucha brewing. Of course you may use this art piece as the more common single stage  method but do consider the advantage of the Continuous Brewing method. The  “optimum” health benefit of the nutrients are more readily available. Another advantage is that there is no need to do weekly cleaning, no need to worry about the kombucha mushroom, mold is less likely to form , Great Kombucha Tea is readily available, and there is less need to do bottling or extra storage. Simply pour off a cup of perfect KT. 

 

Only continuous brewing of the kombucha allows the formation of different acids that are constantly being produced and broken down through out the active ferment time.  Kombucha Researcher Mike Rousin indicated that at 80o F and 7 days the ferment has the greatest variety of health benefits (vitamins, oxylic acid, etc). However, he also noted that the longer fermentation proceeds the more beneficial acids have a chance to form. Some of these acids don't even appear until 14-21 days in the process.  These acids are largely responsible for the detoxifying nature of KT and are the catalysts we seek in K-Tea. Glucose content maximizes around the 8th or 9th day. This implies that gluconic acid production could not peak until after that point. Gluconic acid is the biggest single contributor to the detox effect.

A longer brewing cycle, say 20-30 days, may deplete the total sugar or reduce the caffeine content, but the taste (unless finely filtered) is pretty much undrinkable.  The complete range is always present and can be maintained by bottling. Bottling or drinking the brew should be done prior to adding the fresh sugar and tea. If one person wishes a more sour tea simple draw off and allow fermenting longer in a separate uncapped bottle.

Setting up your new American Oak Cask

Place in an area that will allow for some leakage (like in the tub)

Push in the wooden spigot. Add a few light taps with a hammer.

or if using the plastic spigot the washer may go on the inside or outside. Hand tighten only be careful not to overturn and strip the plastic not.

Fill 75% with warm water. Avoid getting the outside of the barrel wet. Black spots mauy appear. Rinse off with vinegar and dry.

Leave for 48 hour, util any leaks stop and the wood has properply swollen.

Next, drain the barrel and flush it with clean water until water runs clear from the barrel.

Then add the camden tablets. One tablet per gallon

Swish and around so it comes in contact with all the interior of the barrel.

Drain the solution,

rinse the barrel well .

You are now ready to fill with kombucha, Ginger Beer, Japanese Water Crystals, Water Kefir, California Bees, Tibicous or your favorite ferment.

The barrel should be filled and maintained at 75-80% level.

Note: the interior of the barrel should ALWAYS be moist and should not be allowed to dry out. A dried out barrel will leak. If you decide not to use the barrel for awhile, fill with water, cover and set in a clean cool area. Add camden tablet (one per gallon) for storage, or add a few cups of vinegar. If possible mainatin the water below a pH of 4.0.

At this time our Kombucha Tea is the only know cure for EBS.

Additional Information

 

 

 

 

Continuous Brew Guide, Step by Step with pictures