Continuous brew

Continuous brew is an approach to making kombucha that uses one larger vessel, often fitted with a spigot near the bottom, instead of starting a fresh batch in a new jar each time. Finished kombucha is drawn off from the bottom through the spigot, and an equivalent amount of freshly brewed, cooled sweet tea is added back into the same vessel to keep the culture going indefinitely.

This method suits people who drink kombucha regularly, since it removes the step of transferring a SCOBY between jars for every batch and lets the culture mature undisturbed over a long period, which some brewers feel produces a more stable, consistent flavor over time. A vessel with a reliable, food-safe spigot and enough capacity for the household's typical kombucha consumption makes the method far more convenient.

The main things to watch with continuous brew are keeping the spigot clean, since residue can build up in the narrow opening over time, and not drawing off too much liquid at once without replacing it, which can throw off the ratio of starter liquid to fresh tea that keeps the culture healthy. Occasionally cleaning the vessel fully and starting fresh is still a normal part of long-term maintenance.