Kombucha Jars: Brewing Kombucha in Glass, Plastic, Metal or Porcelain?

Kombucha Jars:

The Kombucha tea jars which are used to brew your Kombucha is a very important decision that you need to make before starting the process of making Kombucha tea. There are number of option available for Kombucha jars in the market, but in terms of material, advantages and disadvantages some jars are much superior to others.

Following types of Kombucha Jars are available in the market which is used as Kombucha containers:

1. Glass
2. Plastic
3. Ceramic
4. Porcelain
5. Crystal
6. Metal

Glass is 2nd best option of Kombucha jar available in the market. Glass has many advantages over others. Glass doesn’t react with the acidity produced by the brew. Glass doesn’t have BPA chemical unlike plastic jars. Glass jars are easily available in the market. Glass is cheap compared to other jar materials. Larger glass jars are good option than others.

We don’t recommend you to prefer plastic jar for various reasons. Plastic jar can get damaged or scratches due to which it will harbour bacteria which is not good for health. Plastic is made up of chemicals which can react with Kombucha tea resulting into acidity. In brief, plastic jar is not good enough to brew Kombucha in it.

Ceramic jars are not good to brew Kombucha tea as ceramic contain lead and is not good for your health. It is strongly recommended not to prefer ceramic as Kombucha Jars.
Food grade porcelain is best Kombucha brewing container available for brewing Kombucha tea. It is cheaper compared to other material. Food grade porcelain does not leach toxins while brewing Kombucha tea. Food grade porcelain insulates Kombucha tea better than glass jar. Food grade porcelain also blocks sun rays better than glass jar and protect Kombucha tea from heat produced by sun light. Food grade porcelain is also sturdier than glass jar. Prefer food grade porcelain which is lead free.

Crystal Jars are not suitable for brewing Kombucha tea because crystal jars have lead content in it.

Metal Jars shouldn’t be used as brewing vessel. The reason behind this is that metal jars are detrimental to Kombucha tea. Few people used stainless steel as Kombucha containers and had success in doing so. It is also better option than glass. But we don’t recommend you to use metal jars.



Miscellaneous factors involving selection of Kombucha Jars:-

Other than the type of material which is used to make Kombucha jars, there are various other factors which need to be considered before choosing a Kombucha jar for purpose of brewing Kombucha tea. Such factors are as follows:
1. Size
2. Surface area
3. Spigots
4. Lids
Size of the Kombucha jars is an important factor. Before selecting a Kombucha jar depending upon the size, consider the amount of consumption of Kombucha tea. Always keep in mind that you may need to make more to use as starter tea. Also consider the weight of the jar. Considering these factors porcelain jars are best option for brewing Kombucha tea. Porcelain is lighter in weight and you can have size depending upon requirement. In glass jar, weight is directly proportional to size of the glass jar. Thus, porcelain jars are the excellent choice as brewing container.

The size of the surface area which is exposed to air is directly proportional to the rate at which Kombucha tea brews. Thus, larger the opening of the Kombucha jars, the rate of brewing will be more. Porcelain jar offers larger opening which allows exposure of more surface area to air compared to other type of Kombucha jars.
 
Lid shouldn’t be used during the brewing process. But while storing Kombucha after brewing, lid can be used. The advantage of using lid is that, jars closed with lid can be transferred and stored anywhere you want to. Keeping this in mind, porcelain jar are most preferred because it is good insulator.

When plastic jar, metal jar, ceramic jar, or glass jar is used to make Kombucha tea, they are most likely to leach toxin. Toxin such as lead is one of the content of these materials. A porcelain jar which is lead free is the best container for making Kombucha tea.

Few people use stone crocks to ferment Kombucha tea. But everybody can't use stone crocks to ferment the tea. In place of stone crocks you can use porcelain jars to ferment Kombucha tea. Never use metal lids with porcelain jars. Few people also like to use container which has more width than its height, such people can go for porcelain jars. But make sure that the porcelain jars which you use as a container is big enough to hold one gallon of Kombucha tea. Never fill the porcelain container till the top, leave few inches between the Kombucha tea and top of the container.

You can find porcelain jar in pickle stores. Pickle stores have one gallon of porcelain pickle jars which is useful for making Kombucha tea at home. In many cities, store owners give them away to anyone who has use for them.  Using While using porcelain jars, you should be little cautious. Carefully ensure that there are no cracks, breaks, or chips in the finish of your porcelain jar. This is because; if there is any such kind of damage then that may come into contact with the fermenting liquid. Cracks, breaks, or chips can come in contact with Kombucha tea which may lead to heavy poisoning. Never use cheaper material with porcelain jar because it may contain substance which make Kombucha tea toxic.

After considering various factors, advantages and disadvantages of all the materials of Kombucha jars, you should stick with porcelain jar which is lead free in comparison with glass, metal, and other materials.