Making kombucha from scratch

This is a simple reference on how to make kombucha from scratch.

Pre-requisites

Kombucha

Ironically, in order to make kombucha, you will need kombucha to begin with. You can get some in your local supermarket (it should be without flavor or any sort of additives) or you can use some from your previous batch.

Glass jar

The glass jar will be used to store your batch of kombucha. Don't use plastic (or any other material) to store your kombucha.

Ingredients

• Water
• Black tea
• Sugar

Making kombucha

Note: This assumes you're using a 2L jar.

Preparing the tea

1. Boil 3 cups of water.
2. Add 4 regular black tea bags.
3. Add 1/2 cups of sugar.
4. Pour the resulting tea into your jar and let it cool down.

First fermentation

Tip: Always use wooden or plastic utensils. Avoid steel utensils.

Tip: Avoid washing your utensils and jars with anti-bacterial soap.

1. Add 1 cup of kombucha from your previous batch.
2. Top up the the jar with water, leaving space for your SCOBY.
3. Add your SCOBY.
4. Seal your jar with some sort of thin fabric or a paper towel (anything that protects it but lets it breathe will work). Use a rubber band to secure whatever you're using to seal the jar.
5. Place your sealed jar in a clean, dark, place.
6. Wait 15 days.

Second fermentation

1. Take the resulting kombucha from your first fermentation and fill 1/4 of as many standard wine bottles you can. Just pour the liquid, not the SCOBY. Save at least 1 cup of your kombucha for your next batch.
2. Fill the rest of the bottles with any flavor you like. Acidic fruits like pineapple work best.
3. Seal your bottles. This time actually seal them hermetically in order for carbonation to occur.
4. Place your bottles in a dark, clean place.
5. Wait 5 days. The more you wait, the more carbonation will occur.

Tip: Leave space in the bottles for the resulting carbon dioxide

Enjoy your kombucha!

After second fermentation, you can drink your kombucha! Place it in the fridge in order to have a cool drink. If there is a lot of carbonation, open it outside in case an explosion occurs.