Kombucha Brewing At Home

BEFORE YOU BEGIN BREWING KOMBUCHA

You will need a Kombucha Tea Starter Culture (also known as a SCOBY, mother, or mushroom)

Quart-Size Glass Jar

Plastic or Wooden Stirring Utensil

Tight-Weave Cloth or Paper Coffee Filter

Something to secure the cover to the jar (rubber band or canning jar rings work well)

KOMBUCHA INGREDIENTS

1. Water, free from chlorine and fluorides.

2. White cane sugar. The kombucha SCOBY needs something to feed on!

3. Tea bags or loose tea. Black tea works best but there are options you can use after your kombucha is reliably culturing for a few batches. Must be caffinated tea. White tea is another option

4. Starter tea (tea from a previous batch of kombucha) or distilled white vinegar. Do not use rice or apple cider vinegar.

5. An active SCOBY. This acts as the starter culture for making kombucha. The scoby cannot touch metal! No metal spoons in the process.

KOMBUCHA INGREDIENT RATIOS

One-Quart Batch:

1½ teaspoon loose tea OR 2 tea bags

¼ cup sugar

2-3 cups water

½ cup starter tea or vinegar

Half-Gallon Batch:

1 tablespoon loose tea OR 4 tea bags

½ cup sugar

6-7 cups water

1 cup starter tea or vinegar

Gallon Batch:

2 tablespoons loose tea OR 8 tea bags

1 cup sugar

13-14 cups water

2 cups starter tea or vinegar

Making Kombucha Tea

1. MAKE SUGAR WATER: Combine hot water and sugar in a glass jar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. The water should be hot enough to steep the tea but does not have to be boiling.  
2. MAKE TEA: Place the tea or tea bags in the sugar water to steep.

NOTE: Using a metal tea ball to contain loose tea for making kombucha is acceptable. The tea ball should be removed before adding the SCOBY and starter tea, so the tea ball will not come into contact with the SCOBY.

3. COOL TEA: Cool the mixture to 68-85ºF. The tea may be left in the liquid as it cools or removed after the first 10-15 minutes. The longer the tea is left in the liquid, the stronger the tea will be.
4. STRAIN: Remove the tea bags or completely strain the loose tea leaves from the liquid.
5. ADD STARTER LIQUID: Add starter tea from a previous batch to the liquid. If you do not have starter tea, distilled white vinegar may be substituted.
6. ADD SCOBY: Add an active kombucha SCOBY.
7. COVER: Cover the jar with a tight-weave towel or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.
8. FERMENT: Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed at 68-85°F, out of direct sunlight, for 7-30 days, or to taste. The longer the kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more vinegary it will taste.
9. HARVEST LIQUID:Pour kombucha off the top of the jar for consuming. Retain the SCOBY and enough liquid from the bottom of the jar to use as starter tea for the next batch.
10. The finished kombucha can be flavored and bottled, if desired, or enjoyed plain.

FLAVOURING YOUR KOMBUCHA

Once the kombucha has finished culturing, remove the SCOBY and enjoy it plain or add flavoring. There is no limit to the flavoring possibilities.

You can influence the flavor of kombucha tea by choosing a different tea, adjusting the fermentation time, or adding flavoring.

SOME FLAVOUR IDEAS

Blueberries and cinnamon
Berries and fresh or candied ginger
Strawberries and basil
Cherries and almond extract
Pears and almond extract
Apple juice and cinnamon
Lemon or lime juice and fresh ginger
Pineapple juice, coconut water, and coconut extract
Vanilla beans (split open) or vanilla extract
Pumpkin pie spice
Fresh or candied ginger
Coconut extract
Lavender and chamomile
Chai Spice Blend
Lemon balm and rose hips

Ratios for Flavoring Kombucha Tea

If flavoring with fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, start with 10-30% fruit and 70-90% Kombucha.

If flavoring with juice, start with 10-20% juice and 80-90% Kombucha.

If flavoring with herbs, the variety and strength of herbs varies greatly. Experiment to come up with the best ratios and combinations for your taste preferences.

For flavor extracts such as almond or vanilla extract, start with 1/4 teaspoon extract per cup of kombucha and adjust to taste. Remember the flavor will continue to develop during the second fermentation period.

CARBONATION AND SECOND FERMENT

Why Second Ferment Kombucha?
There are quite a few advantages to bottling the finished kombucha and fermenting it further.

A second fermentation period allows the flavors to meld and achieve a deeper and more complex flavor profile. Additionally, if bottled in an airtight container, the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation will remain, giving the kombucha the fizzy texture it is often known for.

How Long Should You Second Ferment Kombucha?
There's no hard and fast rule for the length of a second fermentation. In general, we advise letting your bottled kombucha ferment for 2 to 14 days.

The length of time you allow your kombucha to ferment for a second time depends on your personal taste preferences, the temperature of your fermentation area, and the types of flavors you've added.

Warmer temperatures speed up the fermentation process, so if you're fermentation area is on the warmer side you'll want to aim for a shorter second fermentation.
Similarly, if you pair your finished kombucha with juices that have a high sugar content this provides the bacteria in your kombucha more to feed on and will speed up fermentation as well.

BOTTLING

Choosing Bottles for Storing Kombucha

Must be air-tight.

German-style works better that conventional canadian mason jars for keeping fizzy (less air leaking)
Check bottles for cracks and lid defects
“Burping" the bottles every day or so during the second fermentation to release excess pressure.

Bottling Step-by-Step
Remove the SCOBY from the finished kombucha.
Add the desired flavoring and mix to combine.
Bottle the flavored kombucha in airtight bottles leaving a few inches of head space.
Leave the bottled kombucha to ferment for 2-14 days at room temperature.
Once the second fermentation process is complete, strain out any solids, if desired, rebottle and store on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Storing Bottled Kombucha
We recommend storing bottled kombucha at room temperature for no longer than 14 days, as carbonation can build up. The more sugar in the flavoring, the faster the carbonation will build. It's a good idea to burp the bottles occasionally during the second fermentation to release excess pressure.

Use Caution When Opening Bottles
Creation of carbon dioxide during the secondary fermentation period means the contents of the bottle will be under pressure, and caution should be used when opening the bottle.
We recommend covering the bottle with a cloth to catch any spraying liquid and opening the bottle slowly over the sink while applying downward pressure.

CONTINUOUS BREW KOMBUCHA

Once you've been brewing kombucha for a while, you may find it more convenient to set up a kombucha continuous brewing system.

Rather than changing brewing containers for every batch, this method allows you to make larger batches, one after the other in the same container.

Not only does this create a nice little fermentation ecosystem, a kombucha continuous brew system is low maintenance and provides a healthy environment for your SCOBY.