We get a lot of questions. And we love answering them. One of the most common questions revolves around whether Remedy Kombucha is ok if stored out of the fridge. The short answer is YES! We are fridge-flexible! But the same doesn’t apply to all raw, unpasteurized kombucha. Wanna know why and how? Read on, friends…
Before we dive into the detail, it’s important to firstly flag that not all kombucha drinks are created equal and so the following only applies to Remedy zero sugar kombucha.
From the ingredients used, brewing method and how long it is brewed for, to the type of live culture used and how much sugar is left, the final product can be quite different in terms of not only the taste and fermented goodness within, but also how it can be stored.
There are three key factors that make Remedy the tastiest raw, live cultured, sugar free kombucha around, and allow it to be a-ok out of the fridge (which is why you will see our 4-packs sold in the drinks aisle, instead of the cooler.)
1. REMEDY CONTAINS NO SUGAR
At Remedy, our 30-day long aged small batch fermentation process results in kombucha that contains no sugar. We test every batch to make sure of it.
This is not the case for all kombucha bottles. If a kombucha is raw, live and unpasteurized and still contains sugar or has sugar added then it could re-ferment if left out of the fridge (which can lead to exploding bottles and/or boozy booch).
When it comes to Remedy Kombucha, ALL of the sugar is brewed out during our small batch, long-aged fermentation process. Leaving none in the kombucha can. De nada. Zilch. Which means there’s no risk of re-fermentation.
2. OUR LIVE CULTURE IS SUPER RIPPED
When it comes to gut health, the live culture we use to make Remedy Kombucha is extremely strong, and healthy.
Every single batch we brew uses a descendant of the first kombucha culture (aka SCOBY) that Sarah and Emmet started out with on their kitchen counter. Over time, thanks to the love and care we give our brewing process (we have been known to hug our small batch pots), this fermented culture has grown incredibly strong, healthy and right at home in our kombucha.
It’s a myth that all live cultures need to be kept refrigerated to stay alive. When it comes to Remedy, our live culture is totes cool with being fridge-flexible. We’ve tested throughout shelf life to be sure. Here’s why:
During the Remedy Kombucha long aged fermentation process, our SCOBY uses sugar as a food source for the live cultures to grow in number and produce metabolites such as organic acids.
At the end of the 30-day process, the sugar is all gone, but the culture is still very much alive. While it doesn’t have any sugar left to feed off, it conserves energy within its cells.
Because these live cultures are the same ones that have conducted the fermentation, they are very happy in that environment and that contributes to how and why they stay alive.
And if you’re worried about good bacteria turning bad, fear not. There is never any risk of the good bacteria in our Remedy Kombucha turning bad. Our live culture thrives in our low pH fermented tea environment, and it inhibits the growth of bad bacteria.
3. WE’RE CRAZY ABOUT QUALITY
We test every batch we make to ensure it’s the best organic booch around. We test on both quality and taste. This includes checking the sugar content and live cultures, along with several other factors.
We’ve also completed methodical shelf-life testing which shows that our live cultures survive in and out of the fridge, right throughout shelf life.
