Our picture shows IC Filling Systems' technician Giuliano, along with Jiří Růžička, Tomáš Safarik and Zdenek Safarik beside our Microblock 661 manufactured for JZT Ferments in the Czech Republic. 

JZT is named after the three founders. They were childhood friends who first encountered kombucha during their student days in North America. After returning home – like many others in parts of the world where kombucha is not well known – they searched in vain for something similar.

It started in the kitchen

Jirka started making kombucha in his kitchen. Everyone loved the taste. Soon, the three friends decided to start a company and prepare kombucha on a large scale. They were able to research the information they needed to produce at scale from YouTube videos and Googling online resources. They also teamed with other Czech kombucha brewers to discuss marketing and retail strategies. It took them a year to find a suitable building in Prague to house their brewery. 

JZT approached IC Filling Systems 18 months ago looking to upgrade their existing manual kombucha bottling operations to something more automatic. 

Following a successful site visit site to Italy, they opted for a complete glass bottling line which included a Rinser/Counterpressure Filler/ROPP screw capper, self-adhesive labeller with date coder & conveyor system which will allow them to produce up to 1,000 bottles per hour on 330ml bottles with just two operators.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is fermented tea! It has been around in one form or another for nearly 2,000 years. First brewed in China, it then spread to Japan and Russia. In the early 20th century, it became popular in Europe — following World War One, soldiers brought it back from Russia to Germany, Poland, and elsewhere.

It is a healthy and refreshing beverage full of B vitamins, organic acids, antioxidants, and trace amounts of alcohol.

How is kombucha made?

To make kombucha, starter liquid and a “kombucha mother,” or “kombucha mushroom,” also known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is added to sweetened tea. After a fermentation period lasting 10-30 days or more, the liquid becomes increasingly tart. The sugar and tea are the primary food sources for the bacteria and yeast in the fermentation process.

The yeast in the SCOBY floating on the surface of the liquid ferment the sugar and produce alcohol while breaking down the sucrose into glucose and fructose. Simultaneously, the bacteria feed on the trace amounts of alcohol and convert it into beneficial acids and nutrients, producing a pleasant, healthy, and naturally carbonated drink. Yeast and bacteria consume the nitrogen from the tea and carbon from the sugar to make kombucha.

Find out more about this machine

Visit our website for more details on the Microblock 661 or reply to this email for more information.