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How to make Kombucha (first ferment)
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5 from 3 votes

How to make Kombucha (first ferment)

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small pot, bring 4 cups (946 ml) of the water to a boil, remove from the heat, and steep the tea bags (or loose tea in a reusable cotton tea bag) for 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Remove the tea bag(s) and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.
  • Add the remaining 10 cups (2.4 L) water to the glass jar, and then add the hot tea.
  • Your tea should be roughly room temperature—no higher than 88°F (31°C), or you may kill your kombucha SCOBY; use a thermometer to be sure of the temperature.
  • Gently add the kombucha SCOBY and kombucha, and stir. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band or string.
  • Allow the kombucha to ferment undisturbed at room temperature (ideally 76°F, or 24°C) for 1 week.
  • After 7 days, you should see a new, cream-colored layer growing on the surface of your kombucha, which is a new baby SCOBY. While trying not to disturb it too much, dip a straw a few inches into your kombucha, cover the top of the straw with your finger, and pull out a sip to taste.
  • Monitor the batch as it ferments. If it shows mold or other signs of spoilage, discard it without tasting. For a sound batch, check the flavor with a clean utensil; my kombucha is often ready between 10 and 14 days, depending on room temperature. Flavor and timing alone do not verify safety; follow appropriate starter and pH checks.
  • When the batch is finished, use clean hands and utensils to reserve the SCOBY with 1 cup of plain kombucha for the next batch. Keep the culture and starter liquid together in a clean vessel and follow your starter supplier’s directions if pausing between batches. Refrigerate the finished drinking kombucha. Do not use a suspect batch as starter or leave sealed containers unmonitored for long-term storage.

Notes

*3 tablespoons loose-leaf tea or 3-4 regular sized tea bags can be used in place of the family sized.