Homemade Kombucha

Kombucha

Homemade Kombucha

Start by obtaining a SCOBY. This stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It is good bacteria and is what transforms sweet tea into Kombucha. Photos from left, finished Kombucha in flip top bottle, SCOBY Hotel, and fermenting jar with temperature strip.

 

The ingredients you need are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

SCOBY*

8 teabags of black organic tea*

Sugar (turbinado)*

Gallon Fermentation Jug*

Muslin and Rubber band*

Flip Top Bottles*

Filtered Water

Temperature Strips*

Heating Wrap for Fermentation Jar* 

 

 

Instructions

  1. Make 1 gallon black tea with boiling filtered water and add 1 cup (8oz) sugar
  2. Let Sweet Tea cool off to below 92 degrees.
  3. Add scoby and 1 cup (8oz) of liquid that came with your SCOBY.
  4. Cover Gallon Jar with muslin and rubber band and put in a warm, dark area of your kitchen.
  5. Let ferment 5-7 days.
  6. Take a straw and taste the Kombucha for desired tartness after about 5 days. Your ferment must stay within 75-85 degrees F for the best results. If your home is too cold, buy a temperature sleeve that will warm up your batch. I found mine online.
  7. Remove SCOBY and place in a 1/4 to 1/2 gallon jar with 1 cup (8oz) of liquid and cover with muslin and rubber band, this will be your SCOBY hotel for the future.
  8. Pour fermented Kombucha in gallon jar into flip top bottles and place in a warm area of your kitchen. Burp the bottles daily and let them fizz for about 3-5 days. This is the second fermentation and adds “fizz” to your batch.
  9. Your Kombucha is now ready to be placed in a refrigerator.
  10. You can add fruit or other ingredients to your Kombucha after fermenting. Some of my favorites are ginger, cranberry or pomegranate.
  11. Please wash all bottles and utensils prior to use. Also the internet is a great resource for questions that you may have for your Kombucha and SCOBY. I bought my first SCOBY online, but if you join a homemade Kombucha group online you may be able to get your SCOBY from someone’s SCOBY hotel. Cleanliness is the upmost priority when making your own batch of Kombucha. Books on Kombucha and fermenting are also a great resource.
  12. *Use the links above to purchase fermentation products used in this recipe from Amazon.