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Homemade Kombucha

Kombucha is a lightly fizzy, fermented tea drink that's making waves for its probiotic benefits and tart flavor. Making kombucha at home is quite simple: make sweetened tea, add it to a jar with a scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and let it ferment for about a week. The scoby is a pancake-shaped living culture that eats most of the sugar in the tea, turning it into a tangy and delicious fermented beverage.

Active Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 week 2 days
Yield
Serves 12

How to Make It

1. Step
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in sugar, then add tea bags.
2. Step
Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Remove the tea bags, then pour the tea into a 1-gallon glass jar. Gently pour scoby and starter kombucha into the jar.
3. Step
Cover the jar with a paper towel or clean tea towel and affix it with a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm (the ideal temperature is 75 degrees F), dark location until it is tangy and fruity, about 8 days. Avoid cool locations, which can lead to mold. Note: During fermenting, the scoby may float on top or sink to the bottom and, after a few days, a new scoby layer will form.
4. Step
After 8 days, taste the kombucha for doneness. If it tastes sweeter than you prefer, allow the kombucha to ferment for another day or two. If necessary, continue tasting for up to 14 days until the desired flavor is reached.
5. Step
When the kombucha is done, remove the scoby and place it in sealable container with 1 cup of the kombucha to store. (Store it, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks until you're ready to make the next batch of kombucha. If, over time, the scoby grows several layers thick, remove a layer and discard it, or share it with a friend.)
6. Step
Pour the kombucha through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or large measuring cup(s) to filter out any sediment. Using a funnel, pour the kombucha into sealable glass bottles.
7. Step
Close the bottles and return them to the warm, dark storage location until carbonated, 1 to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 plain black tea bags
  • 1 kombucha scoby (see Tip)
  • 1 cup starter kombucha (see Tip)

Tags

Dairy-FreeEgg FreeGluten-FreeNut-FreeSoy-FreeVeganVegetarian

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