Scoby with one cup starter kombucha.
How to brew kombucha:
- Boil 1 gallon of filtered water for 10 minutes
- Remove from heat
- If using tea bags – add 4 green or black tea bags and 4 flavored tea bags of your choice (organic tea is best). If using loose leaf – use 1/2 cup.
- Add 1 1/4 cups white sugar.
- Stir well to dissolve all the sugar
- Let cool down to room temperature (this is important!)
- Remove tea bags
- Pour tea into a gallon sized glass jar
- Pour 1 cup of your kombucha starter into the jar
- With clean hands, put SCOBY into the jar
- Mix gently with a wooden spoon
- Cover your jar with a cheesecloth or washcloth and secure with a rubber band
- Keep in a warm, dark place for 7 days. Depending on the temperature, it could take shorter or longer. When 1/4″ layer of a new SCOBY forms on top of your brew, it is generally ready.
- With clean hands, take out the SCOBYs and put them into a new glass jar. Pour 2 cups of kombucha into that jar for the next batch
- Strain your kombucha into swing top jars – you can also use mason jars but the swing tops hold the carbonation better
- You can refrigerate and drink right away, or let it continue to brew for another week – your preference!
Things to watch out for:
- Sometimes humidity can cause mold on your brew. If you ever see any fuzzy white mold on your SCOBY, throw it out and start over with a brand new SCOBY. A good way to prevent mold is to keep the SCOBY moist on the top. I sometimes gently rock the jar to get moisture onto the top of the SCOBY.
- Fruit flies – since kombucha turns to vinegar if left for too long, the fruit flies try to get it. Be sure to keep the cheesecloth secure so fruit flies cannot get into your brew. They will lay eggs on the surface of your kombucha.