I wondered if kombucha could eat different sugars than sucrose. So I brewed a batch of kombucha with dry malt extract (DME). It was not a problem at all it seem. Although there is one noticeable difference. When the CO2 is generated and bubbles out of the liquid, the DME is foamier than sugar. And you can see the dried foam along the edges. The taste also has a slightly different mouth feel.