low sugar and caffeine

During the fermentation process, yeast consumes sugars in the sweet tea mixture and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide through a process called alcoholic fermentation.

So the final brewed kombucha will typically have 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar for every 330ml bottle. This compares favourably to Coke which has about 7 teaspoons of sugar for every 330ml can.

Sugar Free kombucha is created by using concentrate and adding sweeteners to the product. My view is this makes for a less authentic kombucha.

During the fermentation process of kombucha, a large portion of the caffeine present in the initial sweetened tea is consumed due to the metabolic activity of the microorganisms. 

However, it's important to note that there is a small level of caffeine present in finished kombucha, similar to that of a decaffeinated tea (which also has very low levels of caffeine, believe it or not).

The level of caffeine does depend on the tea used within the brew. Guttzee uses three main tea types to create different flavour profiles.

White Tea - I use Pai Mu Tan from Butterworths - has the lowest levels of caffeine since  it has lower processing levels than green and black teas. In the context of tea, 'processing' means the oxidisation and fermentation process once being picked. For anyone looking to consume low levels of caffeine a Kombucha made with white tea will be the best option.

Green Tea - Sencha - sits between white and black tea in terms of caffeine levels.

Black Tea - I use Suffolk Special Blend® from Butterworths  - has the highest levels of caffeine of all the teas due to the high level of oxidisation.