How do you make kombucha? Making this kombucha recipe at home is kinda weird, lots of fun, and cheaper than store-bought!
Here’s a favorite homemade drink to share with you: kombucha! There has been a kombucha craze here in the United States for the last few years. But once Alex and I started drinking it, it was totally niche! We’ve been searching for healthy and filling drink recipes, and kombucha is just that. It has a lively acidity that will overcome soda cravings. Lucky for us, the appetite for this soft drink has gripped the nation. Although you can easily find it in any grocery store these days, it’s easy to make at home and very inexpensive. Here’s our tried and true homemade kombucha recipe!
What is kombucha?
so what Is Kombucha? Kombucha is a traditional Chinese and Russian beverage made by fermenting (yes, fermenting!) sweetened tea. Its taste is somewhere between sweet tea and hard cider. Kombucha has all sorts of health benefits, from improving digestion to relieving depression. We will leave the health benefits to the professionals; Here we show you the actual manufacturing process of this delicious elixir!
More fermented foods? Access the best fermented foods to try now.
Overview: the basic steps of a kombucha recipe
Here’s a basic rundown of what you’re getting yourself into with Kombucha! The process takes about 15 minutes by hand on the day itself and about 10 days for fermentation. Just like with sourdough bread, your SCOBY will reproduce and you can make almost unlimited kombucha batches. (What is a SCOBY? Read on…)
| Make a big teapot Add a SCOBY |
15 to 20 minutes of activity, 2 to 3 hours of battery life |
| ferment | 9 days without intervention |
| Bottle & Carbonation | 10 minutes reply, 1 day reply |
What is a SCOBY?
Wait, what is a SCOBY. SCOBY is an acronym that stands for Ssymbiotic vsCulture Ohf Bactresses YesIs. It’s a culture very similar to a sourdough appetizer, turning sweet tea into a healthy fizzy drink. Granted, it’s a little creepy. It’s slimy and pancake-like, and looks a bit like an alien creature. But he’ll soon become a beloved pet (just like our sourdough starter)!
Where can you get a SCOBY?
The hardest part of any kombucha recipe is acquiring a SCOBY. We got ours from a friend. The SCOBY almost double in size with each batch, so you can split them up and share with friends (although our waiting list is growing!). So ask some kombucha maker friends or buy a SCOBY online.
More kitchen DIY? Try our best sourdough bread or how to make sauerkraut!
How to Make Kombucha (Basic Steps)
After purchasing a SCOBY, it’s easy to prepare this kombucha recipe. Here’s what you need to know:
- Day 1 Preparing the tea: On the first day, prepare the sweet tea. Then add the SCOBY and cover the jar with a paper towel and a rubber band (to allow the SCOBY to breathe). Put it in a dark place and Wait. Wait 9 days for fermentation to take place.
- Day 9 Flavor: After 9 days taste the kombucha to see if it is ready. It should taste sour and fruity. If it’s still too sweet, keep fermenting day by day to see when it’s done.
- Day 10+ (bottle and fermentation): No matter what day it’s ready, strain and bottle the kombucha. Then ferment it for another day to carbonize it. After this step, it’s done! A crisp, flavorful and slightly fizzy kombucha recipe.
I hope you meet someone who is a kombucha brewer at home and can buy them a SCOBY. Applause!
Reusing a SCOBY
Once you’ve used your SCOBY in the first kombucha batch, you can use it again and again for future batches. A SCOBY lasts about 6 to 9 months: before that, you can replace it with a baby SCOBY.
What is a baby SCOBY? You will notice that the SCOBY will develop another layer during the fermentation process. Over time, after several layers have formed and the baby SCOBY is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick, peel off the baby SCOBY. You can give it to a friend, throw it away, or start using the new “baby” SCOBY.
Note: If your SCOBY turns black or develops mold, throw it away and start a new one.
This kombucha recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, plant based and dairy free.
The description
How do you make kombucha? Making this kombucha recipe at home is kinda weird, lots of fun, and cheaper than store-bought!
- 1 gallon some water
- 6 Tea bags (we use plain organic black tea)
- 1 cup sugar (preferably organic)
- 1 SCOBY
- 1 gallon Jar (we ate some pickles to get one)
- funnel
- paper towels
- elastic
- litmus paper (optional)
- Bring 1 gallon of water to a full boil. Turn off the heat, add 6 tea bags and 1 cup sugar. Stir to combine.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature (about 2-3 hours). Then remove the tea bags and fill a 1 gallon glass jar.
- Gently slide the SCOBY over the top of the tea, including 1 cup of kombucha from the last batch (or the liquid that came with the SCOBY).
- Cover the jar with a paper towel and a rubber band.
- Put the pot in a dark place and at room temperature for about 9 days (more or less depending on the temperature, in winter up to 2 weeks).
- After fermentation, taste the kombucha for cooking: it should taste tart and fruity. If it’s still too sweet, let it ferment another day and try again. First, we used litmus paper for testing – fermented kombucha should have a pH between 3 and 4.
- Remove the SCOBY and set aside in an airtight container with about 1 cup of kombucha. (Keep the SCOBY in the fridge for about 1 week; if desired, split the SCOBY into a single layer and give it to a friend in a plastic bag with enough kombucha to cover. Then repeat the process with your remaining SCOBY!)
- Pour the kombucha through a sieve or cheesecloth into sealed jars. Cap the jars or bottles and return them to the warm, dark location. Store for 24 hours to allow the kombucha to carbonize naturally. (Do not leave for more than 24 hours as pressure may build up in the bottle.)
- When the kombucha is ready, put it in the fridge and serve cold. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Category: drink
- Method: fermented
- Kitchen: N / A
Keywords: Kombucha Recipe, Kombucha, How To Make Kombucha, Fermentation, Fermented Tea
Looking for more drink recipes?
Aside from this kombucha recipe, we have plenty of delicious drink recipes on A Couple Cooks! Here are our favorite drink recipes:
Last update: February 2020
