“Bright beer” is beer in which the yeast is no longer in suspension meaning that it has dropped to the bottom of the tank leaving a bright and shiny beer with little particulate. There are several methods used for allowing the yeast to filter out including “dropping bright”, filtering, fining, etc.
In Kombucha, some of our yeast will naturally flocculate (fall to the bottom) when they have finished their process but some will remain agitated in the liquid or near the top next to the SCOBY. To help control alcohol (by removing or preventing yeast from creating alcohol), some brands will use bright tanks.
Finings commonly used in the beer industry include isinglass (made from fish bladders) and gelatin. Particles “get stuck” to the heavier fining material and drops them to the bottom where they may be removed resulting in a visually clear product.
Another method to reduce particulate and yeast in beer is to “cold crash” the product. Since yeast are temperature sensitive, if you bring the temperature down, they will fall to the bottom of the vessel. Many Bright/Brite tanks may be fitted with a glycol chiller to allow for cold crashing. The excess yeast is then removed by a valve at the bottom of the vessel.
If this were a perfect solution, presumably everybody would be doing it. But it does have it’s own drawbacks when it comes to Kombucha.
BENEFITS
- Reduced particulate
- Minimize presence of yeast
DRAWBACKS
- Drier, crisper flavor
- Reduced nutritional benefit (yeast contain B vitamins)
- Imbalance between bacteria and yeast can lead to off flavors in raw products
Most homebrews have a round, full flavor as yeast also creates aldehydes or flavor components that yield a richer mouthfeel. In my own experience, dry Kombucha are much like “tea soda” and often lack the bite of unfiltered brew. So depending on what flavor profile and weighing options for minimizing spoilage (i.e. excessive alcohol content) you may want to try using a tank to condition your booch.
