Kombucha Recipe

Brew sweet tea

Bring 3.8 liters (1 gallon) of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Add 6 tea bags and steep 10–15 minutes for full flavor, then remove the tea bags.

Cool to room temperature

Allow the sweetened tea to cool completely to room temperature (20–25°C / 68–77°F). Cooling fully is critical to avoid killing the SCOBY. If needed, top up with cool, filtered water to reach 1 gallon.

Combine starter and SCOBY

Pour the cooled sweet tea into a clean 1-gallon glass jar. Add 240 ml (1 cup) of unpasteurized starter kombucha. Gently place the SCOBY on top of the liquid.

Cover and ferment

Cover the jar with a tight-weave cloth or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm, dark, well-ventilated spot (best 20–25°C / 68–77°F) away from direct sunlight. Ferment 7–12 days, checking flavor starting at day 7. The kombucha is ready when it balances mild sweetness and tartness.

Prepare flavorings

Sterilize bottles or a clean transfer vessel. If using ginger, peel and thinly slice. Lightly crush berries to release juice. Combine chosen flavorings (e.g., 2 tbs ginger, 100 g berries, or citrus peel) into the clean bottles or the transfer vessel.

Transfer kombucha for second fermentation

Remove the SCOBY and 240 ml of finished kombucha to use as starter for your next batch (store at room temperature or refrigerate briefly). Pour the remaining kombucha into the prepared bottles, leaving ~1–2 inches headspace for carbonation.

Secondary fermentation (for carbonation)

Seal bottles tightly and leave at room temperature (20–25°C / 68–77°F) for 2–5 days to develop natural carbonation. Check bottles daily and burp if pressure seems high. For light, draft-style carbonation suitable for serving on tap, carbonate for 2–3 days and then refrigerate to slow fermentation and stabilize CO2.

Cold-conditioning and clarify

After desired carbonation, refrigerate bottles 24–48 hours to chill and help sediments settle. For clearer kombucha for tap service, decant carefully from above the sediment or cold-filter before transferring to a serving keg.

Transfer to serving vessel

Sanitize the serving keg or pressurized growler. Transfer the chilled, carbonated kombucha into the keg by siphon or gentle pour from above the sediment to avoid cloudiness. Leave the keg slightly underfilled to allow safe pressurization if using CO2.

Optional forced carbonation or gentle pressure

For consistent draft dispensing, you may apply very light CO2 (1–3 psi) to the keg to maintain head pressure — do not over-pressurize, which will overcarbonate and push yeast activity. Alternatively, serve naturally carbonated kombucha without added CO2 using a low-pressure tap or gravity dispense.

Serve and rotate seasonal flavors

Keep the keg refrigerated and serve at 6–10°C (43–50°F). Label the tap with the producer, flavor profile, and a note about live probiotics. Rotate seasonal flavor additions (ginger, berries, herbs, or citrus) to showcase local Ohio producers and flavors.

Storage and reuse

When keg is empty, reserve 240 ml of finished kombucha and the SCOBY to start your next batch. Refrigerate leftover bottled kombucha and consume within 2–4 weeks for best flavor and probiotic viability.