Kombucha Recipe

Boil water and dissolve sugar

Bring 1 liter of the water to a rolling boil in a pot. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until fully dissolved.

Steep tea

Remove from heat, add 8 black tea bags (or 8 g loose-leaf in an infuser). Steep 10–15 minutes for a strong brew.

Cool and dilute

Remove tea bags/infuser. Pour the concentrated tea into the large glass jar. Add the remaining 2.8 liters of cool, room-temperature water to the jar to bring the temperature down. The finished sweet tea should be at or below 30–32°C (86–90°F) before adding SCOBY—cooling to room temperature (20–25°C / 68–77°F) is ideal.

Add starter and SCOBY

Once the sweet tea is at room temperature, pour in 1 cup of unflavored, unpasteurized store-bought kombucha or reserved kombucha from a previous batch. Gently slide the SCOBY into the jar on top of the liquid.

Cover and ferment

Cover the jar with a breathable cloth or coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm (21–29°C / 70–85°F), dark or low-light spot with good airflow. Let ferment undisturbed for 7–10 days. Taste starting on day 7; the kombucha should taste tangy, slightly sweet, and not overly vinegary. Fermentation time will vary with temperature and personal preference.

Prepare bottles

Sanitize bottles and caps. If you want flavored kombucha, prepare about 1 cup fruit purée or juice and/or 2 tbs grated ginger or chopped herbs per 1.9 L (1/2 gallon) of kombucha.

Remove SCOBY and reserve starter

With clean hands, lift the SCOBY out and place it on a clean plate. Reserve 1 cup of the fermented kombucha as starter liquid for your next batch and store it in the refrigerator.

Fill bottles

Pour kombucha into bottles, leaving about 2–3 cm (1 inch) headspace. If flavoring, add approximately 2–3 tbsp fruit purée or 2–3 tsp juice (or 1–2 tbsp grated ginger/herbs) per 250 ml bottle; adjust to taste. Seal bottles tightly.

Secondary fermentation (optional carbonation)

Leave sealed bottles at room temperature for 2–5 days to build carbonation. Check pressure daily by gently opening and resealing one bottle to avoid excessive buildup. Refrigerate bottles when desired carbonation is reached to slow fermentation and enjoy chilled.

Store finished kombucha in the refrigerator. Consume within 2–4 weeks for best flavor and moderate carbonation. If kombucha becomes extremely vinegary, has off or rotten smells (not tangy/acidic), or shows visible mold (fuzzy, green, black, or blue spots), discard the batch and sterilize equipment before trying again. Always use non-metal utensils with the SCOBY and maintain clean hands and equipment when handling cultures.