I used to make kombucha, about 10 years ago, but my SCOBY (synergistic combination of bacteria and yeast) got moldy and I didn't have a good source for another. I did single batch and didn't bother with the secondary fermentation to flavor it back then.

So, I recently went to a perma-culture gathering and took in a workshop on kombucha. Got to taste some different flavors and got a new SCOBY. Those flavors make a world of difference.

I've since bought a bottle from Kroger, and home made is better tasting than store-bought. The bottle cost $3.20 and when I priced reusable bottles they cost $3.00 a piece. That's for bottles to take the pressure of carbonation. We've found that we like the un-carbonated better. If you get the right balance of sweet and sour you don't need the fizz. Mason jars work fine for that. And you can make it for a lot less than 20 cents a pint.

So, anyway, for my first batch I tried using fresh figs for flavor. I was right at the end of my crop and figured if I didn't try it now it will be a most of a year before I can try again. Unfortunately, I didn't use enough and the fig taste didn't come through. It gave it a flavor, and it tasted good, but even knowing what it was you just couldn't say, yes, that's fig. If you want a mystery flavor for kombucha go light with fig. Next year I'll report on whether the full fig flavor was worth waiting for. Or, if anyone else has tried it please let us know.

I'm using the rope lights I got for the fig humidity chamber, in an ice chest, for a kombucha warmer. We're heating with wood and have wide temperature fluctuations so I need a smaller space that I can keep at a steady warm... like with the fig cuttings.

I'm going continuous batch this time. I'm using glass cookie jars from Walmart for crocks. they have a deep indention just below the rim that's perfect for holding the elastic to keep the cloth in place over it. I got them to make apple cider vinegar. Just wish I had bought the 2 gallon size instead of the one, I want to make more kombucha than I did vinegar. They say you need a faucet in the side to draw off the finished kombucha in continuous batch. Since it's down in the warmer where I couldn't get to a faucet anyway I'm using a piece of small clear plastic hose to siphon it off instead. Works fine, and, like with the bottles they charge outrageous prices for crocks with faucets.

Kombucha is a lot more popular now than it was 10 years ago. If I had thought about it I could have got back into making it easily within the last few years. You can start a SCOBY from a bottle of store-bought, or probably find one on Craig's list. Or, get one from me... anyone who is making kombucha is making SCOBY as a byproduct. It should be cheap, but it's another thing they're charging outrageous prices for.

Keep us posted on the next batch of fig kombucha! I love kombucha but never though about fig kombucha. I have been interested in making my own for a while, only if I had enough time....

I had the mould problem, too, and got discouraged. You have persuaded me to try again. I have got more confident recently, inspired by amazing success with kefir.

I often put chunks of ripe fig in the kefir and blend it with my wand blender, which just fits perfectly into the jars I am using. Tastes like fig pudding. Just lovely!

I actually started my first batch of Kombucha this weekend with a SCOBY I made from a bottle of store bought Kombucha. After the first round of fermentation is done I was going to do a second round with a flavor. Originally I was thinking of mixing with some juice Just because I thought it might be easy, although after your suggestion I might give it a try with figs. Just about all of my figs have been harvested so maybe I will give it a try with dried figs and see how that turns out.

Great post, Tom. I haven't tried fermenting kombucha yet, but I have multiple jars/crocks going with beets, sauerkraut, and hot pepper mash.

There are free ebooks available here on making kombucha and other fermented things. I've made vinegar's, sourdough, and sauerkraut in the past. Sauerkraut has mostly been a disappointment but the others worked out well.

So far I like the continuous batch method for kombucha. I'm drawing off every three days. I make up a big batch of tea concentrate and keep it in the fridge so i don't have to do that every time. It still feels like I'm constantly shuffling jars and fluids around. But, it's great not having to wait two weeks between batches when you're running experiments on how much of something to add to get the best flavor. It's fun getting to try something new each day. We are still early in the process of adjusting how much of what goes where. A quart fills a quart mason jar right to the rim, and, while it's working you want to keep it down past the shoulder to give more surface area so it seems like you're taking out more than you're putting in because you have to start another jar with that extra. And then, the amount of flavoring you add varies, so nothing ever seems to come out even. It's a challenge to my OCD.