My first batch of Kombucha turned out awesome. Have a second one going right now.
Brian on the forums, who releases youtube videos as Benham Brewing has also made an adapter that can be 3d printed to hold open the pressure release. The actual built in Kobucha mode on the F1 is broken right now. The DIY option under Kombucha does work though.
The Kombucha mode on their new cheaper S1 unit apparent has the ability to inject oxygen right into the keg, so you dont need to open it at all, but as far as I can tell they have not put that ability into our F1 units yet. They released an official iGulu youtube video showing how to make Kombucha on the S1, and you apparently just click the Kombucha button, then press a air button on the back of the unit, and it turns on the air pump.
I just brewed the tea, added the sugar, cooled it down, put it into the keg, added the scoby, used his 3D printed pressure relief, and ran DIY mode for 12 days at 78 degrees which was my preferred flavor profile. Removed the scoby and the pressure relief adapter, added peachs and peach juice, and ran it for another 3 days for a second ferment at 80 degrees. Pressure built up to around 38. I then switched the unit to cooling mode, and tested it out. 38 pressure all the way down to around 20 pressure just spits out foam. 16-20 gives out around 50% head. 10-15 pressure is the perfect level for dispensing I found. I am using a floating dip tube with the Kombucha so I can just dispense with all the peaches still in there. Absolutely love being able to dispense the Kombucha from tap. Have a second keg fermenting right now sitting next to the iGulu while the first one is still in Cooling mode while we finish it off. Next one will be pineapple.
What is left of my peach Kombucha:
Second batch currently going well, on day 5 with the 3D printed pressure relief:
Posted this in reply to the other Kombucha post. This is how much carbonation I get with the PSI near 16:
