Aug 24 2026
Restaurants›Linger›Mor Kombucha Recipe

Mor Kombucha Recipe

Inspired by Linger
Time24h
Serves8

Rotating Flavors

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Ingredients

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Tea Base & Sugar

Starter & Culture

Flavoring (choose rotating flavors)

Equipment & Packaging

Method

Make Sweet Tea (Base)

  1. 1

    Boil and dissolve sugar

    Bring 14 cups (3.3 liters) of water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until fully dissolved.

  2. 2

    Steep tea

    Add 6 black tea bags and 2 green tea bags to the hot sugar water. Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes to extract flavor without excessive bitterness.

  3. 3

    Cool the tea

    Remove tea bags (press gently against the side with a spoon and discard). Let the sweet tea cool to room temperature (about 1–2 hours). Reserve 1 cup of the cooled sweet tea in a clean container to mix with starter if needed.

Primary Fermentation

  1. 4

    Combine tea and starter

    Pour the cooled sweet tea into a clean 1-gallon glass fermentation jar. Add the 2 cups of raw, unpasteurized kombucha (or the SCOBY with its liquid). The reserved 1 cup of cooled tea can be used to top up or mix with starter as needed.

  2. 5

    Cover and ferment

    Cover the jar with a breathable cloth or coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm (68–78°F / 20–26°C), dark spot with good airflow. Ferment for 7–10 days, checking for taste starting at day 7. Primary fermentation yields a mildly tangy kombucha.

  3. 6

    Check SCOBY and taste

    After about 7 days, begin tasting daily: insert a clean straw beneath the SCOBY and draw out a small sample. When the sweetness has reduced to a pleasant balance of sweet and tart, the kombucha is ready for bottling (usually 7–14 days depending on temperature and starter strength).

Prepare Flavorings for Secondary Fermentation

  1. 7

    Choose flavor profile

    Select one rotating flavor or combine small amounts of two. Typical combinations: ginger + lemon; mixed berries + mint; pineapple + lavender. Measure flavoring ingredients listed under Flavoring.

  2. 8

    Prep fruit/herbs

    For fresh ginger: peel and finely grate 2 tbs. For lemon: juice to yield ~1 cup and strain seeds. For berries or pineapple: lightly mash or blend 1–2 cups to release juices. For mint or lavender: bruise leaves/buds to release aroma.

  3. 9

    Optional sweetening

    If you want a slightly sweeter, fizzier finish, stir in up to 2 tsp honey per quart of kombucha at this stage (honey will feed yeast during secondary fermentation). Do not add honey in large amounts—start small to avoid over-pressurization.

Bottling and Secondary Fermentation (Carbonation & Flavoring)

  1. 10

    Prepare bottles

    Use clean, airtight flip-top glass bottles. Place roughly 1–2 tbs of prepared fruit puree or 1 tbs grated ginger (or equivalent) into each quart bottle. For lemon, add ~2–3 tbs juice per quart. Add mint sprigs or lavender buds as desired.

  2. 11

    Fill bottles

    Strain the fermented kombucha through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove any large particles and loose yeast. Leave the SCOBY and about 1/2 cup of kombucha in the fermentation jar as starter for the next batch. Fill each bottle, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace.

  3. 12

    Seal and condition

    Seal the bottles tightly. Leave at room temperature (68–75°F / 20–24°C) away from direct sunlight to carbonate for 2–5 days. Check carbonation daily by gently opening a bottle to relieve pressure and assess fizziness. When desired carbonation is reached, move bottles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation.

  4. 13

    Cold storage and serve

    Refrigerate bottles and chill at least 12 hours before serving. Serve cold, opening carefully to avoid overflow. Store refrigerated kombucha for up to 2–4 weeks; flavors will continue to develop slowly in the fridge.

Maintenance & Next Batch

  1. 14

    Save SCOBY and starter

    Keep the SCOBY and at least 1–2 cups of the kombucha liquid in the jar to start your next batch. Add fresh sweet tea (cooled) and repeat the process. Periodically refresh the SCOBY by discarding any discolored or moldy layers (mold appears fuzzy and should be discarded).

  2. 15

    Rotate flavors

    Rotate the flavor additions each batch to create the 'Rotating Flavors' concept: try seasonal fruits (peach, apple), herbs (basil, thyme), or floral notes (rose, hibiscus) using the same secondary fermentation method—adjust quantities to taste.

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