‘21 “lau” Milk Oolong Kombucha Recipe

Brew concentrated milk oolong

Bring 3 cups water to a near boil (about 190°F / 88°C). Remove from heat and steep 2 tablespoons milk oolong tea leaves for 6 minutes for a strong, aromatic brew. Strain leaves, pressing gently to extract flavor, and discard spent leaves.

Dissolve sugar

While the tea is still hot, stir in 1 cup granulated cane sugar until fully dissolved. This creates a concentrated sweet tea suitable for fermentation.

Cool and dilute

Add the remaining 7 cups of cold water to the sweet tea to bring the total volume to approximately 10 cups (about 2.4 liters) and lower the temperature. Cool the mixture to room temperature (ideally 68–78°F / 20–26°C). Do not add SCOBY to warm tea — wait until the tea is fully cooled to avoid damaging the culture.

Prepare fermentation vessel

Ensure a clean 1–2 gallon (4–8 L) glass vessel is sanitized and dry. Pour the cooled sweet milk oolong tea into the vessel, leaving 2–4 inches of headspace.

Add starter and SCOBY

Pour in 1 cup unflavored raw kombucha starter (from a previous batch or store-bought raw kombucha). Gently place the SCOBY on top of the tea surface. Cover the vessel with a tightly woven cloth or coffee filter secured with a rubber band to keep out insects and debris while allowing airflow.

Primary fermentation

Set the vessel in a warm, dark spot at 68–78°F (20–26°C). Ferment for 7–12 days, tasting beginning at day 7. Expect a balance of sweet, tangy, and floral milk-ooolong notes. Stop primary fermentation when acidity and sweetness are balanced to your preference (typically pH 3.0–3.5 and a pleasantly tart taste).

Prepare finishing infusion

Once the primary fermentation reaches your desired tartness, prepare the finishing flavor: finely chop 3 tbsp dried apricot pieces, scrape 1 tsp lemon zest (use only the yellow part), and split and scrape 1/2 tsp vanilla bean seeds (or add 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract at bottling). Combine these with a pinch (1/4 tsp) sea salt to accentuate fruit and tea flavors.

Secondary flavor infusion and bottling

Remove the SCOBY and reserve 1–2 cups of kombucha as starter for your next batch. Add the apricot, lemon zest, vanilla (or extract), and pinch of salt directly into sterilized flip-top bottles. Pour kombucha from the fermentation vessel into the bottles, leaving about 1 inch headspace in each bottle. Seal bottles tightly.

Secondary fermentation (carbonate)

Leave bottles at room temperature (68–75°F / 20–24°C) for 2–4 days to build carbonation. Check bottles daily and gently release pressure if overly firm. For more pronounced fruit character, allow up to 5 days, then refrigerate to halt fermentation once desired carbonation is reached.

Chill and store

After reaching desired carbonation, transfer bottles to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 12 hours before serving to settle flavors and reduce pressure.

Serve

Serve cold in wine-style stemware or a chilled glass. Garnish with a thin lemon wheel or apricot slice. If desired, pour over ice. Keep refrigerated and consume within 2–3 weeks for best flavor; due to ongoing slow fermentation, burp bottles occasionally.