A kombucha tracking app for Android
If you brew kombucha at home, BrewNote is a free Android app for logging each batch: the tea and sugar you used, when first and second fermentation started, the flavors you added, and how it tasted. Reminders tell you when to taste, bottle, or burp bottles. It works offline and needs no account.
Kombucha is a continuous hobby. There’s almost always a batch on the counter, and the difference between a great batch and a vinegary one is often a day or two and a few degrees. Writing down dates, temperatures, and tastes is how you learn your own timing.
What to log for each kombucha batch
- Tea type and amount, sugar amount, water, and batch size.
- How much starter liquid you used, and where the SCOBY came from.
- First fermentation (F1) start date and room temperature.
- Tasting notes during F1, so you know when it’s ready.
- Second fermentation (F2) flavors, such as fruit, juice, or ginger, with amounts.
- F2 start date, how long you left it, and how fizzy it got.
Typical kombucha timing at room temperature
| Stage | Typical length | What you’re watching for |
|---|---|---|
| First fermentation (F1) | 7–14 days | Balance of sweet and tart |
| Second fermentation (F2) | 2–4 days | Carbonation and flavor |
Timing depends on temperature, starter strength, and taste. Warmer rooms ferment faster. F2 bottles build pressure, so open one to check, and refrigerate once it’s fizzy enough.
How BrewNote handles kombucha
Start a batch as a kombucha. Save your usual tea and sugar ratio as a recipe so each new batch starts pre-filled, and keep F2 flavors as ingredients or notes.
Use dated notes for F1 and F2 tastings, and set reminders to taste, start F2, burp bottles, or move bottles to the fridge. Reminders can notify you and go on your calendar.
If you measure gravity, you can log readings and see them on a chart. Many kombucha brewers go by taste instead, and BrewNote works fine without readings.
Rate each batch and compare flavors and timings across batches to find what works.
What BrewNote doesn’t do
- ABV for kombucha is a rough estimate. Bacteria turn some of the alcohol into acid, so a gravity-based ABV overstates what’s in the bottle.
- BrewNote doesn’t track a continuous-brew vessel as a single ongoing batch. Log each draw as its own batch.
- BrewNote is Android only for now. There is no iPhone version.
- It doesn’t connect to digital hydrometers or Bluetooth sensors. You type in readings yourself.
- There’s no cloud sync between devices. You move data with a zip backup instead.
Free tools for kombucha makers
Frequently asked questions
Is there an app to track kombucha brewing?
Yes. BrewNote is a free Android app with a kombucha batch type. Log tea, sugar, F1 and F2 dates, flavors, and tasting notes, and set reminders for when to taste or bottle. It works offline with no account.
Can BrewNote remind me when my kombucha is ready?
Yes. Add a reminder to a batch for the day you want to taste it, start second fermentation, or burp bottles. BrewNote sends a notification and can add the reminder to your calendar.
Do I need a hydrometer to use BrewNote for kombucha?
No. Gravity readings are optional. You can track kombucha with dates, notes, and ratings alone.
How much alcohol is in homemade kombucha?
Usually very little, often around 0.5–1%, but it can run higher, especially with a long or warm second fermentation. A gravity-based estimate overstates it because bacteria convert some of the alcohol to acid. Only a lab test gives an exact number.