How to Make Kombucha at Home: Complete Guide

Servings

About 3 L

Prep Time:

15 min

Cook time:

15 min

Perfect For:

Beverage

About this Recipe

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If you’re looking to explore the world of homemade kombucha, you’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks (store-bought kombucha is SO expensive compare to a homemade version!) or are just looking for a creative new way to enjoy your kombucha, I’ll show you how to do it!

Believe me, nothing is as exciting (and easy!) as making kombucha. With so many flavors to choose from, there’s no telling how creative you can get! The possibilities are endless.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from sweetened tea. It’s fizzy, sweet, and really has the most unique taste! Although it is pretty surprising at first, a lot of people quickly fall in love with it (including me!). Not only is it delicious, it’s also full of amazing bacteria for your gut.

The “Scoby”

What makes kombucha a little strange is what we call the scoby. Scoby actually stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It basically looks like a disgusting mushroom. Although it is definitely not the most appealing thing, it is absolutely essential to make kombucha. You can make your scoby from scratch, but I would definitely suggest buying one to improve your chance of success and speed up the process. You can buy it online with one click here.

The beauty of a scoby is that you can share it with others. When it’s big and strong, you can cut it in half or remove layers, and give it to someone else. Both your scoby will regrow strong!

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things to know to make sure you nail your first batch of kombucha.

Your scoby doesn’t like metal or plastic. Between your batches, it’s important to keep the scoby in a clean glass container. Metal harms the scoby, and plastic can contain bad bacteria. Therefore, when you manipulate it, try to avoid metal as well.

Don’t swap or reduce the sugar! You may feel like a lot of sugar is needed in the recipe but don’t worry. It’s mainly to feed the scoby. Although you could be tempted to swap the white sugar for honey, maple syrup, or simply brown sugar, it’s not a good plan when making kombucha. These other types of sugar can contain bacteria and harm your scoby. It’s enough to ruin your batch. White sugar is simply the right way to feed a scoby.

Black tea: Black tea is your best option in terms of tea to make kombucha. I wouldn’t recommend anything else. Herbal tea, for example, can be used in the flavoring part of the process, but not to ferment it. A scoby prefers black tea by far.

The phases

There are two phases necessary to make kombucha:

First fermentation: 7-14 days. The first phase is the fermentation of your unflavored kombucha.

Second fermentation: 1-3 days. The second phase is the moment where you flavor the kombucha and let it develop fizz.

Ingredients Phase 1

4-5 bags of black tea in 2 cups of hot water
1 cup sugar
3 liters of cold water
500 ml unflavored kombucha (from your last batch or store-bought)
1 scoby

Steps:

Ingredients Phase 2

1 cup of fruits of your choice or
10 bags of herbal tea of your choice
Any other flavors (fresh ginger, turmeric, pepper, vanilla, etc.). The possibilities and the combination are endless!

Steps:

Recipe

Homemade Kombucha

Yield: 3L

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Here are the simple steps to follow to make your kombucha at home.

Ingredients

4-5 bags of black tea
1 cup sugar
3 liters cold water
1 scoby
500 ml unflavored kombucha (store-bought or from a previous batch)
Flavors of your choice (1 cup of fresh fruits, vanilla, fresh ginger, etc.)

Instructions

First Fermentation:
In a small pot, bring to a boil 2 cups of water.
Add the bags of tea and infuse for 15 minutes.
Remove the bags and pour the tea into a 3 gallons jar.
Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.
Add the cold water, the unflavored kombucha, and the scoby.
Cover with a cheesecloth (or any fabric that allows the air to penetrate). Do not put a lid on at this point!
Let ferment for 7 to 14 days.

Second Fermentation

If using fresh fruits: Mash/blend them and add them to the kombucha. Stir Well. Infuse for a few hours (up to a day), then strain the kombucha.
If using herbal tea bags: Infuse them in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Add them to your kombucha. Infuse for a few hours (up to a day).
Transfer your kombucha to the bottles of your choice, put a lid on them, and let them ferment for another couple of days (1-4 days), depending on how much fizz you want.
Refrigerate and enjoy!

Notes

- Don't forget to always save 500 ml of unflavored kombucha when removing your scoby before adding some flavor to any batch! It is essential for your scoby to be stored in kombucha, and you need it for your next batch.