Kombucha has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. What was once a niche drink found only in health food stores is now a staple on supermarket shelves. Known for its natural probiotics and gentle fizz, kombucha is a fermented tea made from water, tea, sugar, and a live culture called a scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast).
I’m fairly new to kombucha myself. I only started drinking it a couple of years ago, and the best one I’ve tried so far is from Mighty Brew especially their Lemongrass flavor. Many other store bought brands taste like sugary soda, so I finally decided to make my own at home.
Equipment & Ingredients
Enough to make 3 liters of kombucha
• 3L glass mason jar
• Cloth cover + string
• 2 steeping bags
• Organic loose leaf tea (green + black blend), 15g
• Organic cane sugar, 180g
• Scoby
• 300ml unflavoured kombucha (starter tea)
• Three 1L bottles with stopper tops
• Stainless steel funnel
How to Make Kombucha
A step-by-step kombucha brewing method
Follow these steps to brew your own homemade kombucha:
1. Boil the water
Boil 2.7 liters of water. I used an electric kettle and poured the hot water into a large pot.
2. Steep the tea
Add the 15g of loose leaf tea inside the steeping bags and let them brew for 20 minutes.
3. Add sugar
Remove the tea bags and stir in 180g sugar until fully dissolved.
4. Cool the tea
Let it cool to room temperature. You can speed up the cooling by placing the pot in the fridge.
5. Add the scoby
Pour the cooled tea into the glass jar. Add the scoby and 300ml of starter tea.
Starter tea is essential it protects the kombucha and kickstarts fermentation. The rule of thumb is 10% starter tea in every batch.
6. Cover the jar
Cover the jar with a clean cloth and secure it with an elastic band. Avoid cheesecloth; the weave is too open and fruit flies can get in.
7. Ferment
Place the jar in a quiet, dark place. A cupboard works best.
Ideal temperature: 22–27°C
Too cold slows fermentation; too warm speeds it up. Anything below 21°C increases the risk of mold.
8. Wait 7–14 days
Fermentation time varies with temperature. Use a clean straw to taste as it ferments.
Ready kombucha should be slightly sweet with a cider-like aroma.
pH should be 2.5–3.5.
9. Bottle the kombucha
Set aside 300ml to use as starter tea for your next batch.
Remove the scoby. Pour the kombucha into bottles using a funnel and a small sieve to catch stringy bits.
10. Drink or flavor
Refrigerate and enjoy as plain kombucha, or move on to a secondary fermentation to add flavor.
Kombucha Fermentation Timeline (My Batch)
Day 1 – The scoby floated at the top
Day 3 – The scoby sank to the bottom
Day 5 – Still at the bottom
Day 7 – Bottled the batch (though I should’ve left it a little longer)
Scobies behave differently with every batch floating, sinking, rising everything is normal!
How to Store Your Scoby
After bottling, I wondered how to store my scoby until the next brew. A quick search introduced me to the concept of a scoby hotel.
To make a scoby hotel:
• Place your scoby in a clean jar
• Add enough starter tea to cover it
• Cover with a cloth
• Keep it in a dark cupboard
It will stay healthy until your next batch.
My First Kombucha Batch
I was excited and started brewing totally forgetting we were leaving for summer holidays just 7 days later. Since the weather was warm, I assumed fermentation would happen faster.
By Day 2, the scoby had sunk and stayed there. After researching, I learned scobies can behave in many different ways, and none of it affects the final drink.
On Day 7, I bottled the kombucha using a funnel and small sieve. We took a bottle with us to a cottage in the Finnish forest. It had a nice cidery aroma, but was still a little too sweet more like punchy apple juice. It definitely needed a bit longer to ferment.
Have You Tried Making Kombucha?
I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Do you have any tips, tricks, or favorite flavors?
