So you want to make your own Kombucha! Good on you. After a few batches it’s an easy process and saves you from paying $4 per 16 ounce bottle at the store.
Read up on it – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha
Here’s a list of items that you will need.
Ingredients for brewing the tea:
Black or Green Tea
Two Stainless Steel Mesh Tea Balls
Filtered Water
1/2 Measuring Cup
Pure Cane Sugar
First Ferment:
SCOBY and 1 Cup Starter Liquid (from a previouse first ferment batch)
1 Gallon Glass Jar
Coffee Filter and Rubber Band
Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer
Second Ferment:
1 TBL Measuring Spoon
Canning Funnel
Concentrated Fruit Juice
Pint Canning Jars with Twist-on Lids
Jar Opener
Make sure everything very clean as you do not want to introduce mold into your batches.
Start with the SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) and about 1 cup of starter liquid from a previous Kombucha first ferment batch. Hopefully have a friend that will give you one or maybe there’s a store near by. If not, you can mail order both.
Boil about 2 quarts of water and take off of heat. Add 2 TBS of black or green tea and 1 cup of sugar, stir and let stand for 10 mins. After 10 minutes you can cool your mixture with ice.
Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour into your 1 gallon glass jar. Add the SCOBY, 1 cup starter mixture and fill with filtered water to the curve of the jar.
Cap with a coffee filter and rubber band and let ferment away from the sun for 7-14 days depending on your climate. You will see bubbles rising up and you will notice another SCOBY forming on top of the original one. When the mixture starts to taste vinegary and has a PH around 3, you can start your second ferment.
The SCOBY can be pure white or have some brown color in it. This is the yeast in the batch. If it has black or green spots you may have mold. Check on-line to see what mold looks like on a SCOBY and if in doubt, toss out.
Set aside the SCOBY and 1 CUP of liquid for your next batch, which you should have already been brewing tea for.
You are now ready for the second ferment. Give the liquid a little stir to get everything mixed up. Using a canning funnel and mesh strainer pour the mixture into the pint jars leaving about 1-1/2″ space from the top.
Add 1 to 2 TBS of fruit juice concentrate. If you just use regular fruit juice you will need to add more and probably add some sugar to get the second ferment going. I’ve tried both and for me 2 TBS of fruit juice concentrate works the best and is easiest.
Screw on the lids tightly and place somewhere out of the way. The photo to the left shows two batches. The two jars on top have been in second ferment for about 5 days and the bottom layer is brand new. Notice the difference in clarity.
You can start drinking right away, but it will be really sweet and non-carbonated. I start enjoying it after three or four days as it starts to clear up and carbonates. You’ll notice yeast and another little SCOBY growing in the pint jars after a few days. Pour over ice and enjoy. Always use a strainer to catch the yeast and SCOBY.
