More and more people have started to enjoy kombucha in recent years, but if you aren’t used to making it, you might be concerned about what is a good smell and what isn’t. It’s important to be careful with any fermented products, as spoiled kombucha could contain harmful bacteria.
Kombucha should have a distinctly vinegary smell when it is fermenting. Sometimes, it will also smell like sulfur, which some people describe as a rotten egg aroma. This is also not a problem, and the drink should still be fine. However, if you see mold in your SCOBY or on the surface of the drink, the kombucha is not safe.
In this article, we’ll explore everything about the aroma of kombucha. We will also look at some of the top signs that your drink is no longer safe to consume.
Why Does My Kombucha Smell Unpleasant?
It can be very difficult to define what sort of aroma you are smelling from kombucha, as we don’t have a lot of words for scents, and this can be frustrating.
The smell is a key indicator of how healthy your SCOBY is, so what should kombucha smell like? The answer is that it should generally smell sweet and sour, like a fruity kind of vinegar.
This scent should develop a few days after you start brewing the drink, although it may take longer if your home is cool. If it doesn’t start to develop, there is a high chance that the SCOBY is not working as it should be, and your drink isn’t fermenting.
A lot of people count the sweet and sour smell as unpleasant, but it doesn’t indicate that anything is wrong with your kombucha. It simply indicates that the bacteria are using up the sugars and converting the liquid into the fermented product that you want to drink. You should only smell it when you take the lid off or when you go close to the jar.
Why Does My Kombucha Smell Of Sulfur?
Some people also find that their kombucha produces a smell like sulfur, which can be off-putting. Sulfur smells like rotten eggs, so this misleads a lot of people into thinking that the kombucha has begun to rot. However, that’s not the case!
There are a few possible explanations for the sulfur smell, and they all relate to the ingredients you’re using. Sometimes, it will be caused by nitrogen in your tea leaves or hydrogen sulfur in your water. Try changing both your tea and (if possible) your source of water the next time you make kombucha, and see if this solves the problem.
Sometimes, a sulfur smell indicates that airborne yeasts have got into the brew and affected it while it is fermenting. If this has happened, it is unlikely to happen again, but try to work in a clean environment next time and you will reduce this risk. Put your kombucha somewhere with good airflow but minimal chance of cross contamination.
None of these are unsafe, but they may alter the flavor of the kombucha. Unfortunately, the SCOBY can take on the new flavor and may affect future batches even if you change your other ingredients. You may need to start again with a new SCOBY in this case (although this will not always happen, so check before replacing your SCOBY).
What Counts As A Bad Smell?
You should be wary if you detect other scents in your kombucha, especially if they are unpleasant. It is important to pay attention to smell because this will help you determine whether something has gone wrong. If your kombucha smells off in a way that turns your stomach and makes you want to throw it away, trust your instincts.
You can also check for other signs that something has gone wrong with the brew. The biggest thing to look out for is mold. If your kombucha smells strange, closely inspect the surface. Can you see any black, white, green, or blue fluffy specks forming there? If you’ve used the wrong quantities of yeast and sugar or if airborne mold has got into the jar, this is quite possible.
Mold will almost always be fuzzy, so don’t take small spots of discoloration as a sign that you need to throw the brew away. However, if you are seeing small, fluffy spots and the kombucha smells bad, it will need to be discarded; you don’t want to risk drinking it if it contains mold. Be wary and compare it with online pictures if you are in any doubt.
Conclusion
Kombucha should have quite a strong scent of vinegar while it is brewing, but it may sometimes smell of sulfur instead. A lot of people dislike the smell of kombucha, but as long as you are smelling something sour with a hint of sweetness, it should be fine to drink. If it has a different aroma, check for mold and be cautious about drinking it.
