One of my favorite health drinks (after apple cider vinegar beverages) is kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented tea that hosts a number of health benefits from the high amount of b-vitamins, digestive enzymes (probiotics) and glucaric acid it contains. I’d agree with most people that it’s an acquired taste, but now I find myself craving the tart fizz of kombucha. It’s available commercially at health stores, but costs $3-$5 a bottle. That can seriously add up, so David and I decided to give it a go and learned how to brew kombucha at home. We were surprised at how simple the process really is!
The most difficult part of brewing kombucha is obtaining a SCOBY, and that really that isn’t even very difficult. We got our SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) from a friend who brews kombucha. Each time a batch of kombucha is made, the SCOBY reproduces itself, so if you know anyone that brews, they will most likely have extras to give away. (Local to Charlotte and want one? Send me an email!)
If you are the only ‘health freak’ your friends know who want to brew the stuff (I say that in the most loving way as a fellow health nut!), then you can buy a SCOBY from a reputable online source.
OK, let’s get going…
You will only need a few things: a 1 gallon glass jar, 1 gallon of organic brewed tea, 1 cup organic sugar, a SCOBY and a coffee filter or thin kitchen towel and a rubber band.
*We brewed two gallons at a time, which means we just used a two gallon glass jar, 2 SCOBYs and double the tea and sugar.
1. Wash and dry the glass jar to ensure it’s sanitized.
2. Brew the tea. To make one gallon of tea, we use 10 regular sized tea bags (we’ve used both green and black tea). You can brew the tea in a gallon of water or we brewed it using a smaller amount of water to create a concentrate, then added more water to the large glass container to get to the correct amount of tea.
It’s important for the water used to make kombucha is non-chlorinated. If you want to ensure the water you are using is pure, I recommend using a .
While the tea is hot, add the cup of sugar to allow it to completely dissolve.
Very Important—> Allow the tea to completely cool to room temperature before proceeding. Using hot tea will kill the SCOBY.
3. Put your SCOBY and any liquid with it (for a first batch, you’ll want about a cup of ‘juice’ from the batch of kombucha your SCOBY came from or one cup of plain store-bought kombucha) into your large glass container/jar.
4. Add your room-temperature tea. Again, in our case we added water and our brewed tea ‘concentrate.’
5. Cover the opening with a coffee filter or thin cloth and secure with a rubber band.
Allow the tea to ferment for 5-20 days. It will be stronger and less sweet the longer you let it sit. If you are new to kombucha and prefer it sweeter, lean towards the 5 days. If you want it to fully culture, wait a little longer, but be prepared for a more vinegary taste.
At this point, it is ready to drink. Simply remove the SCOBY and enjoy!
Optional– do a secondary fermentation. We opted for this because we thought it would be fun to try different fruit flavors so after about 15 days of the initial fermentation, we transferred the kombucha into 3 smaller glass jars with flip-top lids.
To two jars, we added freshly cut strawberries and to the third we added a mixture of blueberries and raspberries. We closed the lids and let them sit on the counter for another couple of days to allow the fruit flavors to penetrate and let the carbonation build up.
You can store the kombucha at room temperature, but I also strained some into mason jars to keep in the fridge (which will stop the fermentation process).
And that’s it! Now we can enjoy kombucha every day at the cost of $1-$2 a gallon instead of $3-$5 for one bottle. Cheers to your health!
Have you tried kombucha?
What do you think of it?
Would you ever want to brew your own?
Karen says
Looks yummy with fruit added, maybe I will give this a try.
We’ll see, summer time is hard enough for me to get dinner on the table much less brew my own drinks.
I am glad to see you are finding your way back to your kitchen, I love your recipes.
Jaclyn @ BumpSweat says
I started brewing my own a few months ago and am now totally addicted. Since my husband hasn’t jumped on-board yet to drink it, I only brew a gallon at a time, which means sometimes I run out. Those times make me sad.
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast says
This is such a great how-to! We brewed our first batch successfully but now I haven’t had a chance to do another since… do you know how to keep the Scoby? I should look it up… I have mine in the fridge waiting for round two but wasn’t sure how long it keeps, or if it’s supposed to be at room temperature…
Brittany Dixon says
It never hurts to look it up, but I know my friend keeps his SCOBYs that aren’t being used in a ‘hotel’ which is basically a large jar with enough tea from the last batch to cover the SCOBYs. He keeps that covered at room temperature on his counter. When we were there he must have had at least 10 in the ‘hotel’ to give away!
katie says
I want to brew my own SO BAD but living at home means my parents need to approve, and I can’t quite justify it.
erin says
OK so maybe i am in the minority here, I tried Kombucha once- a bottle of a very popular brand- took 2 sips and almost barfed. I tried to force myself to drink it because at $4 a bottle I refused to throw my money away, but I just could not do it. Am I missing something? It is an acquired taste? I feel like i should like it for the health benefits or at least try it again, but don’t want to throw away another $4. Is there a band or flavor you recommend to break a newbie in?
Kim says
You probably tried unflavored kombucha. The 1st bottle I tried was unflavored and I felt the same way.
Brittany Dixon says
Even the flavored ones take a bit of getting used to I’d say! Both David and I cringed when we first drank it and now we are both hooked. Try experimenting with different brands and flavors. Trilogy is one of my favorites!
jodie says
Agree, Trilogy is a great one. Or gingerade if you like ginger.
Kathryn says
Thanks so much for this really clear how-to. One question — I know this probably falls into the category of “everyone’s gotta decide for themselves,” but do you think you would have made and drank the homemade stuff when you were pregnant? I am now, and I’m debating…
Brittany Dixon says
Tough call! The only thing that weighed on me about kombucha while pregnant is that it contains a slight about of alcohol (probably about the amount in a non-alcoholic beer). Personally I drank it here and there but it was not a regular thing. If a person felt comfortable drinking the store bought, then I think the homemade version would be fine too! And like you said, as with everything, personal decision! 🙂
Kathleen Ojo @ My Ojos says
How fun! I love kombucha but am super intimidated at the thought of making my own. This makes it so simple, I might just give it a try! Thanks!
SJ says
I’ve been making Kombucha for a few years. I would just add that if you think you don’t like kombucha, let it ferment for a shorter period of time, and figure out what flavors you think you’d like. If you don’t like drinking the scoby or the seasonings which can collect at the bottom, pour it through a strainer before you pour it through your glass, so just the liquid is left. It’ll seem much milder! Also, the end of this article mentions that you can store it on your counter or at room temp – I wouldn’t do that for more than a week and a half post-process, two weeks maximum (again, you can put fruit juices in bottles and let it set for about a week or so, that is fine). We gave some bottles to my mom who left them in a closet (don’t ask me why!) for several weeks. They continued to ferment and get bubbly – hers exploded! So, once it’s all flavored up and has been at room temperature, put it in the fridge.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Yum!!! I went to a fermentation class at a local market to learn how to make it but I haven’t actually tried it yet. I’m drinking some GT’s Kombucha right now though 🙂 I love the Gingerade flavor!
Ali says
Thank you so much for posting this!! I’ve always been so intimidated by brewing my own, so I have paid the stores for it when I wanted it.
Tia @ Tina and Tia says
I’ve never tried this! Interesting
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
Love kombucha. My mom buys them all the time and shares them with me! 🙂 Yours looks delicious.
Jen says
Despite my solidly cemented health nut status, I have never even tasted Kombucha! I think it’s the price tag that always keeps me away. If I liked it I probably would be willing to try to make it, but I don’t know what I’m missing out on at this point.
How did the batches with the added flavoring turn out? Did they taste like the fruit you’d added?
Matt @ Runner Savvy says
I need to do this! Kombucha has been costing me an arm and a leg.
char eats greens says
Great tutorial! And, I honestly just looked at that huge gallon jar at Target the other day and wanted to get it – now even more so!! I definitely have making kombucha on my list of things to do soon! Love the secondary fermentation point because it’s totally what I was thinking about yesterday – “how do I make peach kombucha?” haha
Regin Reenan says
Hi. I’ve recently started reading your blog and love it. Our kids are the same ages so I really relate to what’s happening in your life. I started drinking kombucha recently and wanted to know if you have noticed reactions with your baby and breastfeeding after drinking it? Is it safe to drink while breastfeeding?
Brittany Dixon says
Hey Regin! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
I have not noticed any reactions while breastfeeding, but kombucha is pretty low in alcohol content (about the same as a non-alcoholic beer I believe).
Still, I follow the same protocol as when I drink wine- I nurse, then have one drink because I know it will be at least two hours until she eats again and I feel comfortable that the alcohol will be out of my system by then. If I feel it’s not, or if I have two glasses, I use pumped, frozen milk.
Again, it’s a very personal choice, but that is what works for me!
Polly @ Tasty Food Project says
I recently started drinking kombucha and love it but buying it at the store can be pretty expensive! I would love to make it at home and save some money. Thanks for sharing this!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables says
now to figure out how to make GT’s gineraide…. 😉 I really do need to try this! Where did you get your glass bottles???
Brittany Dixon says
Oh yes that gingeraid is AWESOME!! The bottles are from Bed Bath & Beyond- aren’t they cute? I keep them on my counter as decoration when they aren’t being used 🙂
Andrea says
After having an unsettled stomach for about five days, while I was shopping yesterday I found myself thirsty and next to the refridgerated case of Kombucha. I decided to give it a try to see if I both like it and if it helps my belly. I bought the Gingerade and LOVED it! Now I really want to make my own. I’m a ginger nut. I see in this tutorial you use fruit…have you experimented to see if you can get that ginger flavor in there? I imagine I could do a second fermenting with a piece of ginger in the jar, but would you also switch up the tea you used? Any advice would be appreciated as I plan on SCOBY shopping this week.
Thanks!
Andrea
Brittany Dixon says
Hi Andrea! You could absolutely use a piece of ginger and I’ll bet it would be fantastic! You could even do ginger and fruit if you wanted, since the sugar in the fruit helps the kombucha continue to ferment. As for the tea, you can use any kind you like. Black tea is a great choice for almost all flavors. Good luck! 🙂
Ali says
This was a great how-to. Lenny boys is an organic and local to Charlotte Kombucha that we sell at I love juice bar in Mooresville. We sell 4 flavors and will be doing samples at our grand opening on Saturday from 12-4pm.
Thanks for introducing me to it at your house!