How to Make Kombucha at Home

1. 1

   Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in 1 cup of sugar until it's fully dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat, then add the tea bags or loose tea. Steep the tea for 10–15 minutes, then remove the tea bags (or strain the loose leaves).

   15 min
2. 2

   Pour the brewed tea into your clean 1-gallon glass jar. Add 12 cups of cold filtered water to bring the total volume to 1 gallon. Stir to combine. Let the tea cool completely to room temperature (70–85°F / 21–29°C).

3. 3

   Tip: Adding the SCOBY to hot liquid can kill it. Wait until the tea is room temperature or just slightly warm to the touch.

4. 4

   Add 2 cups of starter kombucha to the jar and gently lay the SCOBY on top. It may float or sink. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm (72–80°F / 22–27°C), dark spot away from direct sunlight and drafts.

5. 5

   First Fermentation: Ferment the kombucha for 7–14 days, tasting daily after day 7.To taste: Slide a clean straw under the SCOBY and sip a little. If it's too sweet, ferment it longer. If it's too tart or vinegary, shorten the fermentation time in your next batch.

6. 6

   Tip: The brew is ready when you see bubbles and a new layer forming on top of the SCOBY.

Second Fermentation

1. 7

   Gently lift out the SCOBY along with 2 cups of the brewed kombucha and transfer them to a clean jar. This will serve as your starter for the next batch. Pour the remaining kombucha into a spouted pitcher and, if you want, strain through a stainless fine mesh strainer remove any yeast strands.Tip: Yeast strands are totally normal. Not dirty. Not mold. Not a mistake. Just part of a healthy brew doing its thing. So if a few sneak through don't worry!

2. 8

   Add your chosen flavor ingredients to each bottle (see options above), then pour kombucha into the bottles, leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Seal the bottles tightly and let them sit at room temperature for 2–5 days.

3. 9

   Tip: "Burp" bottles once daily to release pressure. Once they're carbonated to your liking, refrigerate them immediately to slow down fermentation.