Home Brewing Kombucha

We love kombucha in our house. Everyone from myself to our 16 month old has some almost everyday. You can buy kombucha at most stores now, as it’s become more popular in recent years. When you’re going through 4-6 bottles of kombucha a week at $3 or $4 a bottle, it adds up!

I started brewing our own kombucha about 2 years ago after a friend gifted me some of the supplies. It took some trial and error, but I’ve finally gotten it down to where we all enjoy it!

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What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea that is packed full of digestive enzymes (probiotics). I prefer home brewing so there’s no question if it’s raw or pasteurized (which kills the probiotics and breaks down the enzymes). It is (usually) carbonated to some degree and I’ve found it’s a great replacement when I have a soda craving.

Note: Kombucha can contain trace amounts of alcohol and caffeine.

What you need:

First Fermentation

• 1 Gallon glass jar
• Cotton cloth
• A large rubber band
• SCOBY
• 2 cups of starter tea (already fermented tea with the SCOBY bacteria and yeast)
• 12 cups of filtered water (We use a reverse osmosis system for our filtered water)
• 4 organic tea bags (you can do 2 bags of green tea and 2 backs of black tea if you prefer)
• 1 cup organic cane sugar

Second Fermentation

• Flip top bottles (You HAVE to use pressure rated bottles due to the carbonation)
• Small Funnel
• 1 cup of previously frozen, thawed, and smashed berries

Instructions:

Makes 1 gallon of kombucha.

First Fermentation

• Boil 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add in your tea bags. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
• Remove teabags and add sugar, stir until granules are fully dissolved. Allow tea to cool until room temperature.
• While tea is cooling, wash the gallon jar in hot soapy water.
• Add in starter tea and the SCOBY.
• Pour in cooled sweet tea and the remaining 8 cups of water.
• Cover with cotton cloth and secure with rubber band.
• Place in dark, cool spot to ferment for 1-2 weeks for it’s first fermentation.

*Fermentation times can vary depending on humidity, temperature, amount of SCOBY, etc. You may also adjust depending on your personal preference. A shorter first ferment leads to a sweater kombucha, while fermenting longer gives you more of a vinegar bite. Second fermentation is completely optional to add carbonation (most brews won’t produce carbonator during the first ferment, but it’s possible!) and to add flavoring.*

Second Fermentation

• Remove your SCOBY from the gallon jar and place on a clean glass plate. Congratulations! Your SCOBY is officially a mom, and made a thin SCOBY baby. You make leave the baby on, remove for additional brewing, or use for other SCOBY products.
• Prepare another brew by following the steps for the first fermentation.
• Using your funnel add in your desired amount of mashed berries (I usually do 1 TBSP per bottle. This gives the kombucha a beautiful color and just the right amount of carbonation and flavor).
• Stir your gallon jar of kombucha tea to stir up the yeast and fill your bottles. I usually can fill about 5 bottles per batch depending on how much fruit is added in. Make sure to leave 2 cups of finished kombucha in your jar as your starter tea for your next batch.
• Allow freshly bottled kombucha to ferment 1-2 days in a warm dark place (check for carbonation by gently “burping” your bottles. Once desired carbonation has been reached, move them into the fridge and enjoy once cooled!

Tips

• I have found my brew works best when my SCOBY is about 1 inch in thickness, I now gift my baby SCOBY’s to friends who are looking to start brewing themselves.
• We now get carbonation during the first fermentation, but I still allow my second fermentation to brew for 2-3 full days.
• Take care not to forget your second fermentation as there have been accounts of bottles exploding under too much pressure! (This has never happened to us!)
• You can use other fruits and seasonings for your second fermentation, I simply know berries work well, and haven’t branched out far!