How To Make Kombucha

I am now also making kombucha. Oh my…

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Making homemade kombucha has three main steps (click the jump links below to their respective section):

1. Making the SCOBY (1 to 4 weeks) – make the “mother”
2. First Fermentation (6 to 10 days) – make the actual kombucha tea
3. Second Fermentation (3 to 10 days) – carbonate the kombucha tea

Making The SCOBY

The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) is a pellicle that forms on top of the brew. The SCOBY is the “mother” that kickstarts each batch while also protecting the kombucha from contaminants like dust and debris. While you can buy a ready-made SCOBY online, it’s easy to make it yourself!

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A SCOBY

• 7 cups (1.6 liters) of water (tap water should be fine)
• ½ cup (100 grams) of white sugar (sugars you can use in kombucha)
• 4 bags of black tea (teas you can use in kombucha)
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) of unpasteurized, unflavored, store-bought kombucha

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE A SCOBY

• A large glass or ceramic container (should hold at least 1 gallon or 3.7 liters)
• Tightly woven cloth (coffee filters, paper towels, napkins, cheesecloth)
• Rubberbands
• Large pot for boiling water

STEPS TO MAKE A SCOBY

1. Make Sweet Tea: Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it. Add the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least 20 minutes (or until the tea has cooled).

2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature. Quicken this process by boiling just 2 cups of water, dissolving the sugar, and steeping the tea for 20 minutes. Then, add the remaining 5 cups of cold water, which will bring the mixture to room temperature faster. Test that the tea is room temperature by drawing out some tea with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the kombucha in the straw.

3. Add Starter: Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then pour store-bought kombucha in, making sure to include any gunk at the bottom of the bottle. These are great for kickstarting the fermentation!

4. Cover: Cover with a few layers of tightly woven cloth to keep out bugs and debris, securing with a rubber band.

5. Ferment: Set to ferment in a somewhere dark, still location at a room temperature of 70-75 degrees F, 21-24 C for 1 to 4 weeks, until a ¼ inch (½ cm) SCOBY has formed.

Outcome: You now have a SCOBY! The SCOBY should live and grow for years if treated with love. Allow the SCOBY to remain in this liquid until you are ready to use the SCOBY for the next step, the 1st fermentation.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING A SCOBY

• No decaf: The SCOBY doesn’t like decaf tea and will not grow as well if fed it.
• Only black tea: The SCOBY doesn’t grow well with green or fruity teas. Once your SCOBY is larger, you can use green tea, but for now, stick with black.
• No honey: Honey can contain botulism bacteria that can be dangerous when grown exponentially, and it may, as bacteria and yeast tend to do in kombucha. You can use honey in the second fermentation once there is a higher number of good bacteria to fight off the bad, but for now, stick to sugar.

First Fermentation

So you’ve got a SCOBY. The first fermentation is where you make the kombucha you’ll be drinking!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FIRST FERMENTATION

• 14 cups (3.3 L) water (tap water should be fine)
• 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
• 8 bags of black or green tea
• 2 cups (480 mL) unflavored kombucha (either from a previous batch or unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha)
• 1 SCOBY

SUPPLIES FOR THE FIRST FERMENTATION

You may already have some of these items from Step Making a SCOBY

• A large glass or ceramic container (should hold at least 1 gallon (3.7 L))
• Tightly woven cloth (coffee filters, paper towels, napkins, cheesecloth)
• Rubberbands
• Large pot for boiling water

FIRST FERMENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make Sweet Tea: Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it. Add the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least 20 minutes (or until the tea has cooled).

2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature. Quicken this process by boiling just 4 cups of water, dissolving the sugar, and steeping the tea for 20 minutes. Then, add the remaining 10 cups of cold water, which will bring the mixture to room temperature faster. Test that the tea is room temperature by drawing out some tea with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the kombucha in the straw. (Don’t be impatient here – hot water will kill your SCOBY).

3. Empty the Jar: With very clean hands, transfer SCOBY to an equally clean plate. If this is your first round of kombucha, reserve 2 cups of the liquid the SCOBY was growing in (that can be your starter kombucha), discarding the rest of the liquid (it is very acidic and not nice for drinking).

4. Add Starter: Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then pour in unflavored starter kombucha. With clean hands, place SCOBY into the jar.

5. Cover: Cover with a few layers of tightly woven cloth and secure with a rubber band.

Second Fermentation

This is the final and most fun step in the homemade kombucha-making process! The second fermentation is the real magic, flavoring and carbonating your kombucha into effervescent bliss.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SECOND FERMENTATION

• Homemade kombucha from the first fermentation
• Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar). While there are many flavor combinations here on Brew Buch, we generally work with a ratio of 1 cup of kombucha to:
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp mashed fruit or fruit juice
  • 1 to 2 tsp honey or sugar

SUPPLIES FOR THE SECOND FERMENTATION

You just need a few flip-top fermentation bottles for the second fermentation. These bottles are meant for fermentation and have an airtight seal, which will prevent carbonation from escaping. If you don’t have these, canning jars will do an alright job, though they aren’t truly airtight. You can also use bottles from previously store-bought kombucha.

SECOND FERMENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bottle: Funnel kombucha into bottles, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at the top (3.8 cm).

2. Sweeten: Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly.

3. Ferment: Let ferment somewhere in a dark location and at room temperature for 3 to 10 days.

4. Serve: If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in fridge to slow the carbonation process and to chill before serving.

THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THE SECOND FERMENTATION

• Blast Zone: Your jars can explode if the pressure becomes too high! For your first few batches, while you’re still getting the hang of how kombucha reacts to your environment, bottle a portion of it in a plastic bottle. This will act as a gauge for the others; the rest are probably done when the plastic bottle is rock solid. “Burp” them by opening each to release some pressure, then place them in the refrigerator to slow fermentation.
• Faster Fermentation: Be aware that the kombucha will ferment more quickly when it is warmer and when there is more sugar/fruit. It will ferment more slowly in the opposite conditions!
• No fizz? Check out our troubleshooting guide to flat kombucha here.