Brewing Kombucha

Welcome!  If you are here, it probably means that you have a starter culture and would like to try your hand at making your own kombucha.  Perhaps you've been to my class and just need a refresher.

This page will give you step by step directions.  It is a good idea to assemble everything you need before starting... you don't want to have to run to the store for tea in the middle of everything.  In the culinary world, they call this "mis en place," which is French for "everything in place."

Don't forget - mis en place... everything in place before starting out!  First, you need your starter culture, which is a SCOBY - which stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. It is also sometimes called a pancake, a mushroom, or a mother.

You also need 3 quarts of distilled water.  Yes, distilled.  Some communities use fungicides in their water that cannot be removed by reverse osmosis.  Trust me, it's worth the price.

Then, a cup of white cane sugar.  It doesn't need to be organic, because the whiter and more refined it is, the better the culture works.  Do not use beet sugar, as sugar beets can be genetically modified.

Four tea bags - organic black tea works great, although you can use Lipton if you wish.  Breakfast blend, Darjeeling, etc.  Do not use flavored tea at this point because some flavorings and essential oils will affect the culture.  For example, the bergamot oil in Earl Grey.

The necessary equipment for fermenting is a wide-mouthed glass jar, a cloth with rubber band, and a nice, warm, out-of-the-way place to let it ferment for a couple weeks.

Pour three quarts of water into a pan and bring to a boil.  Add sugar, and stir until dissolved.

Turn off the burner, add the tea bags, and cool to below 90 degrees.  It is fine to keep the tea bags in the mixture until cool.  Don't let sit for more than 2-3 hours.

Pour your starter culture into the cooled tea mixture. 

With a flick of the wrist, float the SCOBY on the top of the liquid.  Sometimes the SCOBY will sink... this happens, don't worry about it.  Your final product might be a bit less fizzy, as the SCOBY helps to seal off the top sooner and create more carbon dioxide underneath.  A few extra days of fermenting will correct that, if desired.

Cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band - flour sack towels work very well.  Place the jar in a warm (70-90 degree) place, out of direct sunlight.  Label the jar with the brewing date and allow to ferment for 7-14 days. If, after 7 days, the tea tastes sweet and not very fizzy, cover it back up and let it ferment longer. The warmer your brewing place, the faster the tea will ferment.  We have always fermented our tea at 72-74 degrees for 14 days.

Decant your tea by straining into bottles.  A new SCOBY will have formed on the surface of the water.  If the two SCOBYs come apart easily, you may separate them adn then double the recipe and brew two batches the next time.  If they are stuck together, run them through your next batch together.

Do not forget to reserve some of your kombucha to use as starter for your next batch. If you forget and drink it all, you may pick up some raw, plain kombucha at a store and use it for starter.

If you'd like to flavor your kombucha, add your choice of fruit juice or puree to the finished product and then refrigerate.