Massive chhyang-making and kombucha bottling project completed

On Saturday, earlier today, I completed the largest batch of chhyang making I've ever undertaken.

And yesterday, Friday, I bottled the largest batch of kombucha ever: a smidge under 2 gallons, or 14 bottles of 16 ounces of Kombucha each. While my batches in Boston were more consistent, I'd never made it in 'proper' containers like the gallon jars I've used, I didn't have enough containers to store the finished product, and not sufficient fridge space to store the cold drink. Now that I've got my own space, and in my domain, I felt like it was time. Plus, this was the first batch of perfect Kombucha since I moved to Seattle, so it was about time I committed to the project. And oh what a commitment it's been! That was exciting.

The chhyang-making was a lot more involved. Yesterday I set out 10lbs of sweet rice on soak, and this morning 5 batches of rice were steamed. Four were put into gallon containers (one for each batch) and the fifth batch which was only a fourth the size of other batches was mixed with sugar and yeast balls, for the bhaati dessert, when friend NG is here in a couple of days.

I'm concerned about one of the batches because I bottled it before I put the enzyme and yeast, but it's going to be fine I think, there wasn't a lot of contaminants, and since it's all going to mix in the bottom anyway the rice on the bottom of those jars is just going to get a slow start.

So the next step is to add water to the jars in a week, and wait for months.

Also, the 10lb, or was it 20lb...jar of sugar I bought last year(?) or the year before is finished, somehow(!) so I need to get on that. What a thing, to have run out of all that sugar!

After bringing the sugar in, will start a new batch of kombucha. Much more relaxed this time around, because I won't have as many bottles to do secondary fermentation later.