Do you want to learn how to make kombucha? Lots of people are trying to learn how to make their favorite drinks and snacks at home and kombucha is one of them. It is far easier to make than you may think and easier to source all of the products that it takes to create kombucha. In this post we will explore the beginning stages of owning and caring for your own scoby as well as how to get a scoby and all the other ingredients needed to make your own kombucha at home!
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Supplies & Ingredients List
Kombucha is only a few ingredients but often in large quantities and also may appear as a very strange combination. But stick with us to the end it is worth it.
- 3 1/2 quarts water
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 bags black tea, green tea
- 2 cups starter tea from last batch of kombucha or store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, neutral-flavored)
- 1 scoby
As you can see most of these ingredients you may have in your pantry right now. But there is a few strange or unfamiliar ones on the list as well. Primarily the kombucha tea starter and a scoby. These are much easier to find than you may think! They sell kombucha kits online, places like Amazon. They have amazing reviews and make the process so much easier! It is so hard to find all the needed ingredients without searching online and I was very pleased with the set I received.
If you want to purchase a kit that can often save money though most of the time the instructions are quite different than if you have a scoby and have the unflavored kombucha on their own. You can buy a kit from the link below. You will still need the sugar and black tea bags so it’s not much different from the kit above.
If you already have a large jar you can order the cheesecloth and rubber band separately. You can also use a thin cloth, coffee filter or paper towel as long as they are breathable and cover the whole lid.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented drink that starts out as a sugary tea. It is fermented by the Scoby over time and creates an extremely gut healthy fizzy drink. Kombucha has been known to help, aide and cure lots of different mental disorders, health issues and digestive problems. Though many say it depends on the person it is always worth a try. With time the scoby grows, doubles and triples. They can be separated into more kombucha jars to create more or sold or given away. Once the kombucha is ready it can be flavored or enjoyed plain. I’m excited to flavor mine this time as we haven’t done that before! We will share the process in our instagram and can write a post when we have it figured out. Follow our Instagram for updates!
Now that we have the ingredients figured out and know exactly what we are working with let’s learn how to make kombucha at home!
What is in Kombucha?
Kombucha worries a lot of people, as they think it’s either just sugar tea or alcohol fermenting in your cabinet. It is neither of those things. The scoby actually eats and transforms the sugar tea mixture with time. Leaving the drink very low in sugar and calories. It is also so low in alcohol it is not worry at all! We don’t drink alcohol in my house and we drink this. It’s very safe and very low in alcohol. The slight amount is simply from the fermentation process, but it is so low it would take an unnecessary amount to do any harm or even be noticeable. But if you have sensitivities or don’t want alcohol in your home in any form you can avoid it!
So what is it then? It is its own drink! The scoby transforms the basic ingredients and it creates something new! Not something I am smart enough to describe and I will leave it at that! Let’s get into it! To learn more about kombucha and the scoby read more about it on The Kombucha Company FAQ page and website!
Is Kombucha dangerous to brew at home?
The short answer is no. The scoby is a living thing, and it’s processing something you will consume. It’s a fermenting process! All this to say, take precautions! Be sure to follow proper sanitation practices and to handle the scoby and starter with caution to avoid contaminating the kombucha. And with that have fun, let it be simple and not overwhelming! It’s a simple process that others have been doing for much of history! So have fun with it and in time you will be a master at the craft of brewing kombucha!
Homemade Kombucha
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 Quarts water
- 8 Bags black or green tea
- 1 scoby
- 1 Cup sugar
- 2 Cups Kombucha (starter tea from last batch of kombucha or store-bought kombucha unpasteurized, neutral-flavored)
Instructions
- Begin by brewing the tea on the stove. Do this by bringing the water to a boil. Taking it off the stove mix in the sugar until dissolved immediately. After this add in the tea bags and leave until cooked down to room temperature.
- After this stir in the two cups of kombucha starter tea.
- Pour your mixture into your jar of choice and with clean hands add the scoby to the jar. Cover the top with cheesecloth, paper towels, or a coffee filter and place a rubber band around the lid to hold the cloth in place.
- Place the kombucha out of direct sunlight. We generally place ours in a cupboard. Leave it for 7-10 days without any disruption.
- After 7 days you can begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a small amount into a cup. When it reaches a good balance of sweetness and tartness the kombucha is ready to bottle.
- Before proceeding, prepare and cool another pot of the strong tea-sugar mixture for your next batch of kombucha. With clean hands, gently take the scoby out of the kombucha and set it on a clean plate. As you do, check it over and remove the bottom layer if the scoby is getting very thick. If it is, you can use this scoby to create another batch or can give it away or sell it if your state allows.
- Measure out your two cups of kombucha starter tea from this batch of kombucha and set it aside for the next batch. Pour the remaining fermented kombucha (straining if you want) into as many bottles as you want flavors using the small funnel, along with any flavor you may want. This could be nothing, juice, syrups, herbs, or fruit as flavoring. Leave about a half inch of head room in each bottle.
- Store the bottled kombucha at room temperature out of sunlight for 1 to 3 days. This starts the kombucha carbonation stage. Until you get know how quickly it slowly your kombucha carbonates, it's helpful to keep it in plastic bottles- and just like soda- the bottles will feel rock solid when fully carbonated. Refrigerate to stop conclude the changes to the kombucha, and then drink within a month
- Before making your new batch clean the jar being used for the kombucha fermentation. Then combine all your ingredients. Slide the scoby on top, cover, and ferment for 7 to 10 days.
Just like that your fridge is full of the delicious creation, that is kombucha! Also flavored however you desire which is a bonus! Let us know if you try making your own kombucha! God bless you and thank you for reading!
