Kombucha 101

Have you wanted to try making your own kombucha at home? I have written out some instructions here!

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I have loved kombucha for the past ten years. The process always seemed too complicated for me to do, but once I learned how it became very simple! Below are the instructions to make your own kombucha at home:

What You Will Need

• 14 Cups of clean water
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 8 bags of green or black tea
• 2 cups of unflavored kombucha (from a previous batch)
• 1 or 2 SCOBYs (1 per container)
• A large glass container (preferably one with a spout for tasting)
• Tightly woven cloth (coffee filters, napkins, cheese cloth)
• Rubber band

1st Fermentation:

1. Bring water to a boil in a clean pot. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it.
2. Add tea bags and allow to steep while mixture cools to room temperature. (Hot water will kill your SCOBY)
3. With VERY CLEAN hands – with no jewelry – gently remove your SCOBY from it’s jar and put it on a VERY CLEAN plate or bowl. You can rinse out the jar, but it isn’t always required.
4. Pour the room temperature tea into your jar, then pour the unflavored kombucha.
5. Gently place SCOBY into jar and cover with the tightly covered cloth.
6. Set jar somewhere dark, still, and room temperature (70 – 75*F) for 6- 10 days. Taste on the 6th day to test. It should be mildly sweet and slightly vinegary.
7. Reserve 2 cups from this batch to use as starter for next time. The rest can move to the 2nd Fermentation.

2nd Fermentation

1. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles with a tight seal. Leave 1.5 inches from the top.
2. Add chosen sweetener and seal tightly with the lid.
3. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for 3-10 days. Place in fridge to slow fermentation process.
4. Strain fruit and enjoy your kombucha!

Tips, Tools, and Recipes

• If you are not sure where to start for recipes, pinterest has so many! I have made a board here for you to check out some ideas.
• I use a container with a spout like this one! There are so many in stores around the summer time, just make sure it has a plastic spout. Thrift stores can often have them for fairly cheap as well.
• These bottles are the best kind for the 2nd Fermentation. I know the Weck bottles are pretty, but they don’t have as tight of a seal.