How To Make Kombucha At Home {Step By Step!}

Thoroughly wash everything! The best way to do this is to wash with hot, soapy water, then rinse.

Ensure that your fermentation vessel has at least 3 liter or quart capacity for this recipe.

Bring 5 cups of water to a slight boil. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, measure 4 cups of hot water and stir 1/2 cup granulated sugar into the hot water.

Then add 4 tea bags. Steep the tea in the hot water for at least 10 minutes, my preference is closer to 60 minutes.

Remove the tea bags and transfer brewed tea to the fermentation vessel.

Add another 3 cups of cool water to the brew vessel. Wait for the sweet tea to cool to room temperature.

Once the sweet tea has reached room temperature, transfer the pellicle/SCOBY from your starter liquid to the fresh sweet tea.

Add 1 cup of starter liquid to the sweet tea.

Cover the vessel with a breathable but tightly woven cover.

Place the kombucha jar in a warm place between 70-80f, away from direct sunlight, where it is not likely to be disturbed for 5-10 days.

Around the 5th or 6th day, begin testing your kombucha brew. The easiest way to do this is to slide a clean straw down the side of the jar and draw off some kombucha. The brew should taste slightly sweet and mildly sour - it should be more sour than sweet tea but less sour than vinegar.

Once the 1st ferment has reached your desired flavor, it's time to move on to the second fermentation.

*Note: if you don't want effervescent, carbonated kombucha, you can stop here! Bottle the booch and toss it in the fridge!

Carefully wash all fermentation bottles, and set them aside.

Prepare your bottles by adding 1 teaspoons of sugar per cup of kombucha that will fit in each jar. For example, if your bottle fits 500ml of kombucha, add 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Using very clean hands, remove the SCOBY and place it along with 1 cup of starter liquid aside for the next batch. Stir the kombucha in the fermentation vessel with a clean spoon.

Pour the kombucha into your bottles, leaving 1 1/2 inch headspace.

Set aside, out of direct sunlight to carbonate for 3-7 days.

After 3 days, begin testing your kombucha by burping the bottles by slowly opening the caps to check on the carbonation status.

It's important to note that kombucha sealed in a bottle with sugar can create A LOT of pressure leading to bottle rupture, which is as dangerous as it sounds!

Once the kombucha has reached the your desired flavor and carbonation, the bottles can be transferred to the fridge to slow fermentation.

Aim to drink your refrigerated kombucha bottles within 2-3 weeks. While it's likely to last much longer, the flavor can approach vinegar territory.