Learn How To Brew Kombucha With This Easy Step By Step Tutorial {Part 2}

Before You Get Started

 

So you want to brew some kombucha, do you?  Well, I am here to show you how easy it is to make your own kombucha!

If you missed my post on What Is Kombucha & Why It Is So Healthy For You, be sure to head on over and check it out!

Here is the full list of post in this kombucha series:

1. What is kombucha and why it is so good for you? {Part 1}
2. Learn how to brew kombucha with an easy step by step tutorial. {Part 2}
3. What to do with kombucha after it is done brewing & how to bottle kombucha. {Part 3}
4. How To Make “Soda” Kombucha And A collection of kombucha recipes. {Part 4}

Brewing Your Own Saves You $$$$

 

Have you checked out the price of kombucha at the grocery store lately?  The other day I bought a 16 oz bottle of organic kombucha and it was $4.00 a bottle!  Wow, now that price certainly will break the bank sooner than later.

Brewing your own really is quite affordable.

You will need to invest in a few things to get started, but once you do that,  a 16oz bottle of home brewed kombucha will cost you very little.

Here Is What You Will Need

 

Here is a list of items that you will need to get started.

• 1-gallon glass jar (plastic or metal will not work) ~ I ordered 2 Ball Jar 1-gallon off of Amazon and got free shipping.  These work perfectly!
• Pyrex 4-Quart Glass Bowl ~ If you can’t find a gallon size glass jar, you can use a glass pyrex bowl.  Make sure it can fit at least 4 quarts of liquid in it.
• Kombucha Starter Kit ~ You want to make sure you purchase this from a reliable place.
• Organic Black Tea Bags  ~ Organic is best.  Non-organic tea has high levels of fluoride.
• Organic Green Tea Bags  ~ Organic is best.  Non-organic tea has high levels of fluoride.
• 100% Cotten White Flour Sacks or Unbleached Coffee Filters ~ Make sure neither of these has bleach in them.
• Rubber bands
• Long Handle Wooden Spoon (no metal) ~ Here is my favorite spoon because it has an 18″ long handle and it works perfectly for making kombucha!
• 16 oz. EZ Cap Bottles – CLEAR (set of 12) ~ You will need 8 of these for an entire batch and I like to have a few extras on hand.  This is the best price out there!  Remember, ONLY use clear glass for kombucha!!  No color glass at all.

 Disclaimer

Okay now that we have all the basics covered let’s move on and learn how to brew kombucha in this easy step by step tutorial!

Brewing The Tea

 

In a 4 quart saucepan, bring 3 quarts (12 cups) of water to a boil.  Stir in 1 cup of organic cane sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until well dissolved.

Pull off the burner and add 4 tea bags of organic black tea.  You need to use black tea because the tannins help with the fermentation.  You can also add 2 bags of green tea or flavored green tea to your tea.  I added in addition to the 4 tea bags two bags of black cherry green tea.

Feel free to experiment with different teas to find a blend that you like.  I have also seen many people use 2 tea bags of black tea and 2 tea bags of green tea of choice.

Don’t Worry About The Sugar…

 

***NOTE ~ if you are worried about the sugar and caffeine, don’t.  Both of these will be used up in the fermentation process leaving you with very little (if any) caffeine or sugar in your final product.

Once you add your tea to the sugar water, allow your tea to steep until the water completely cools.  I allowed mine to steep for a little over two hours.  Remove tea bags when the tea has cooled.

Do NOT leave overnight.  This can cause the scoby to become moldy in the fermentation process, so it is best to cool to room temperature for 2-3 hours.  Just be sure that the tea is completely cool or at the very least at body temperature (96ºF).

Add Tea To Clean Mason Jar or Glass Bowl

 

Add your tea to your glass mason jar or glass bowl.  I used a funnel for mine and it worked out great!  Just make sure that your bowl or jar is completely clean.

Note:  Do not use soap!  The soaps can kill your bacteria in your kombucha culture.  Sterilize with hot water and/or white vinegar. 

If you purchased a starter kit, your starter will look something like this. Note that there is a scoby and 1 cup starter liquid (which is 1 cup of the last full brew).

Storing Your Scoby

 

It is best to store all your future scobies in glass jars or bowls with starter liquid in them.  Avoid using plastic.  The scoby above was just shipped to me, and this was just fine for shipping.

You will store future scobies at room temperature covered with a coffee filter or towel.  I will go into this further in the next post in this series.

A Look At The Scoby

 

Here is what a scoby looks like.  It kind of reminds me of a jellyfish.

It is very important that your hands are clean when handling the scoby!

Again, do NOT use soap to wash your hands!  You can use hot water and white vinegar to clean your hands. This is a living item and it needs to be handled with care!

Now add your scoby and starter to the tea and stir with a wooden spoon. The scoby might sink or float, either way, it is fine…it is completely normal.

 Cover the Tea Mixture

 

After you add the starter and the scoby to the tea, you need to cover it with a 100% cotton white towel or with a brown coffee filter.

I used a brown coffee filter as shown below.

Take a rubber band and place it around the circumference of the jar to hold the filter in place.

Where to Store Your Kombucha

 

Leave your kombucha in a warm dry place that is out of direct sunlight.  You do not want it in a closet. Remember, it is a living thing and needs air and beneficial bacteria to ferment properly.

Do not leave it in your kitchen!  There are a lot of food particles, fruit flies (if you have a bowl of fruit on the counter like I always do) and a lot of other particles flying in the air.

I put mine in the formal dining room which is perfect because it is a room we do not use often.

Now Wait…

 

Allow it to sit for 7-31 days.  I would check it after 10 days to see if it is to your liking.  The longer the brew the less sugar that will be left however keep in mind that the longer the brew, the more it will resemble a vinegar taste.

Also, keep in mind that the warmer the climate the faster the brew and the cooler the climate the slower the brew!  You need an area that is at least 70ºF.

Tasting Your Kombucha

 

Taste your brew after 7-10 days to see if it is to your liking.

• Do this by placing a straw half way into the kombucha.
• Place your finger on top of the straw to block the hole and remove the straw from kombucha to collect a sample.
• Now place the other end (opened end) in your mouth, release your finger on the other end and taste the kombucha.

Do not place your straw in the kombucha and drink right from the container, you will contaminate your culture.

If your kombucha is too sweet, allow it to brew another day or two.  If it tastes like vinegar, you might need to brew it less the next time.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my kombucha series.  Here I will show you what your kombucha will look like after the brew and what steps to take to continue brewing.