Quick Start Guide to Homemade Kombucha (First Fermentation)

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds a unique flavor while brown sugar is often cheaper.

SCOBY

💰Cheaper: store-bought kombucha

Store-bought kombucha can be used to start a new batch.

flavorings

🥗Healthier: fresh fruit

💰Cheaper: dried fruit

Fresh fruit enhances flavor without added sugars.

tea

🥗Healthier: herbal tea

💰Cheaper: generic black tea

Herbal tea can provide unique flavors without caffeine.

Boil 4 cups of filtered water on the stove.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of black, unflavored, plain, loose leaf tea to the boiling water.

Stir in 3/4 cup of organic cane sugar into the boiling water.

Let the tea steep for about 15 minutes to create a concentrate.

After steeping, add 8 cups of cold, filtered water to your brewing vessel to dilute the concentrated tea.

Check the temperature of the sweet tea; it should be between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add 2 cups of starter tea from a previously brewed batch of kombucha to the diluted sweet tea.

Add the SCOBY to the jar with the tea; it can sink or float, it will adjust in the next few days.

Cover the jar with a tight-weave cotton cloth or any old cloth, securing it with a rubber band.

Store the jar away from direct sunlight for about a week to a week and a half for fermentation.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: