how to make kombucha. (both regular and flavored!)

A week or two ago, I posted this adorable little clip of my happy kombucha, doing its bubbly thang.

Second ferment done on my raspberry kombucha and it is HAPPY.

A post shared by Paige Van Voorst (@theminivanvoorsts) on Jul 26, 2018 at 2:22pm PDT

It seemed to spark a lot of interest and curiosity, so I thought I'd give you the run-down on how to go about making this heavenly goodness in your very own kitchen (if you're not already).

Kombucha is essentially just a fermented sweet tea - so it's fizzy and sweet-tasting, and high in B vitamins and live probiotic cultures, but low in sugar when brewed at home.  It kind of has an apple cider vinegar taste, but like, in a good way.


First Ferment (Regular Kombucha)

What you'll need to make a 1 gallon:
SCOBY
1 cup of 'starter' kombucha (already brewed)
4 c. + 12 c. water
5 tea bags (regular black tea works best when you're just starting; NO herbal teas.)
1 c. white sugar (no honey or coconut sugar or anything.)

You will also need a basic gallon-sized glass jar to brew it in, a cloth for the top (tea towels or thickly folded cheesecloth work great;), and a rubber band or canning band to secure the cloth to the jar.

Okay, so let's talk SCOBY, which stands for "Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast."  Basically, it's alive.  It's kind of like a rubbery mushroom, and it's probably going to gross you out.  Give it a name to help you quickly get over that hump.  Todd named ours Scoby Bryant, but he would like you to know that Scoby Doo and Scoby Flenderson are both viable name options up for grabs.

Where do you get a SCOBY, you might ask?  Well, you can order one (this one is consistently recommended, even though the listing looks janky), or you can just ask around.  Any friend of yours who's already making this likely has a SCOBY baby to share.  These things multiply like rabbits.  Or, really, rabbits multiply like SCOBYs.  In addition to the SCOBY itself, you're also going to need about a cup of 'starter': already-brewed kombucha to get the party going.

So, now you have your SCOBY and your starter, so get them in your jar.  (I make two gallons at a time, so I have multiple jars going.)

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then turn off heat.  Add tea bags and sugar, and steep for 3-5 minutes.  Stir to incorporate sugar, then add 12 more cups of cold water, to get the tea down to room temperature more quickly.

Once the tea has cooled to room temp, add it to the jar.  Secure a cloth over the top.

Let it sit out on the counter for 7-10 days.  Actually, when you're first starting out and your SCOBY is still gaining strength, it will probably take closer to 14 days.  It will start growing a filmy new SCOBY on top, and the smell will change from sweet to almost vinegar-like.  The kombucha itself will change from a deep brown to an amber color.

You can always test where it's at in the fermentation process by gently sticking a stainless steel straw down the side to taste it, being careful not to disturb the SCOBY more than necessary.  When it's ready, it will taste a lot like slightly fizzy, sour-sweet apple cider.

It's not an exact science - when you like the taste of it, consider it done!  The longer you let it ferment, the less sugar it will contain (this is what the SCOBY cultures actually eat), but it can get too sour if you let it go too long, so just experiment.  As you continue to make new batches, it will take less and less time for it to 'arrive' - your SCOBY will get thicker with each brew, so it will eat through the sugar more quickly.  When your SCOBY gets so thick that it's brewing TOO quickly, simply divide it and share a SCOBY baby with another friend!

At this point, you can consider your kombucha ready to drink, orrrrr….

...make it fruity and even more fizzy! (Yes, please!)



Second Ferment (Flavored Kombucha)

What you'll need:

Air-tight jars or bottles
Fruit (or fruit juice) of your choice

Add fruit or fruit juice to each jar.  (I really like raspberries in mine, so for reference, I typically drop 6-10 berries into each 16 oz bottle.  Play around with amounts, you really can't mess this up.)  Top each jar with kombucha.  I do this in the sink, to keep the mess contained.  Make sure you keep about a cup reserved to use as a starter for your next batch.

Seal each bottle tightly, and let sit out at room temperature.  Aren't they so pretty?

Store-bought kombucha bottles work really well for the second ferment.  These Synergy bottles don't seal as tightly as the Kevita ones do, I've noticed, so they don't get as fizzy.  If you're buying store kombucha to use the bottles later, go with Kevita.  And, if I'm making suggestions, try the Tart Cherry flavor. SO GOOD.

After a day, you'll want to 'burp' your bottles - open them and then reclose them to release any built up carbonation.  Kombucha has been known to build up so much pressure that it can actually shoot the cap off the bottle, or even explode.  (Ask me how I know.)  It's a delicate balance - open them once to release the high pressure, but avoid opening them after that, as they'll lose the carbonation.   After they're sealed again, return to the counter for another day or two... or four or five, like I do; I like mine pretty well-done, but I do take the risk of them building up a bunch of pressure again by leaving them out so long.

You'll start to notice the fruit and the liquid changing color as the flavors from the fruit infuse the kombucha.

My favorite flavor combination so far is raspberry-ginger, but thanks to a tip from my friend Melissa, I started putting peaches in it, and HOLY COW do they make it fizz up!  If you like a lot of bubbles, you should definitely try using peaches.

Once they've been allowed to sit out on the counter for a couple of days, move them to the fridge to stop the fermentation process.  You'll probably want to strain out the fruit pieces before drinking, but other than that, they're ready to go!

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I know, I know.  It sounds like a lot.  I waited months before trying this because it all seemed really complicated.  But just jump in - you'll find it's basically just a matter of brewing some sweet tea and letting it sit out for a few days.  That's easy enough, right?



I'm curious - what's your favorite flavor?  Do you have any fruit suggestions for me to try next?  I'm kind of on a kombucha kick right now, so I'm in an experimenting mood!