How to Make Kombucha at Home
"The Tea of Immortality," a.k.a. kombucha, has been around for centuries, but has only recently gained popularity in the west—probably because probiotics are such a hot topic right now. Being the typical yoga hipster that I am, I got hooked on 'buch after consuming it at Wanderlust Festival a few years back, and with the encouragement of my mom (who has been brewing it for years), I eventually started making my own.
For all you kombucha lovers out there who are tired of paying upwards of $4 a bottle for the store-bought varieties, I highly recommend making your own. It's cheap—like, ¢.50 a gallon, cheap, relatively simple (there are just a few particulars to be mindful of), and just kind of cool (it's like your very own flavorful science experiment).
Below is my step-by-step guide on how to make kombucha at home. I've been successfully using this recipe for years now and am happy to answer any questions or offer advice.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast).
It’s a probiotic beverage that is naturally carbonated.
Kombucha has been around for more than 2,000 years, but it didn’t gain prominence in the West until recently.
The ancient Chinese called it the “Immortal Health Elixir.”
Why Should I Drink Kombucha?
Kombucha hasn’t been studied extensively, but there are a host of (potential) health benefits associated with drinking it, including:
Detoxification
Improved digestion
Improved gut health
Immune support
Cancer prevention
Reduced joint pain
Mental clarity
Mood stability
How Do I Make Kombucha at Home?
Brewing your own kombucha isn’t that tricky—and it only costs about ¢.50 a gallon.
What You Need to Make Kombucha:
8 bags of organic black, green, or oolong tea
1 cup of organic sugar
64 oz. of distilled or filtered water
1 cup of already fermented kombucha
1 scoby (preferably from a friend, but you can buy them online too)
1 large glass jar to store it in while it’s fermenting
Small, air-tight jars for bottling after fermentation
Cheesecloth, tightly woven cloth, coffee filters, or paper towels
How to Make Kombucha:
Bring the water to a boil, stir in the sugar, and allow it to
dissolve. Add the tea bags and let the tea cool completely (the
scoby is sensitive to heat).
Once the tea has cooled, pour it into the large glass jar, add
the cup of starter kombucha, and place the scoby in. Cover
the top of the jar with cheesecloth, tightly woven cloth, coffee
filters, or paper towels secured with a rubber band.
Let it ferment (i.e. sit at room temperature, out of direct
sunlight) for 7-14 days. You can taste after 7 days to see how
it's coming along, two weeks tends to be the sweet spot.
Once it's done fermenting, you remove the scoby, pour your
‘buch into the bottling jars, and let it sit out for another 2 or 3
so it can carbonate (which happens naturally). This is also when
you can add any flavorings you’d like (fruit, herbs, and etc.).
After a few days, remove any fruit or flavorings that you’ve
added, and refrigerate. Congrats, it’s ready to drink!
After fermentation, the scoby can be reused to make another batch of kombucha—and it also reproduces after each fermentation, so now you’ll have 2 scobys!
Tips & Tricks for Making Kombucha at Home
Always wash your hands before handling the scoby and make
sure your glass jars are properly sterilized.
Scobys are sensitive to metal and plastic, so always store in glass.
The best types of tea to use are black, green, and oolong. Avoid
using tea with oils or added flavoring.
Scobys may change shape, color and thickness over time,
however if it turns black or develops any type of mold, throw it away.
Beware of fruit flies, they loooove the smell of fermenting kombucha.
Download my “Kombucha 101” PDF here
