If you love kombucha, this DIY Homemade Kombucha recipe is for you! Brewing your own kombucha is pretty easy and saves you a ton of money.
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I am a huge kombucha lover. I started making it many years ago but then got out of the practice.
I was using the continuous brew method, which made things really easy. Basically, you constantly have kombucha brewing, and every time you pour a glass, you add tea to the mixture.
Today I'm going to show you how to make kombucha using the batch brew method.
After you have made a few batches of kombucha, you can try adding flavors in the second fermentation. I have made many flavors, like Raspberry Kombucha, Lemon and Ginger Kombucha, and Mango Kombucha to name a few.
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โค๏ธ Why You'll Love It
- Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to make your own kombucha.
- It is cheaper than store-bought kombucha.
- You can use it to make a second fermentation with sweetener, fruit, and spices.
Two Types of Fermentation
The first fermentation of kombucha is when you combine sweetened tea, a kombucha scoby, and some starter tea. You let it ferment for 7-21 days and the result is uncarbonated unflavored kombucha.
That is what I am going to show you for this recipe.
The second fermentation involves taking that kombucha you made in the first fermentation and adding flavor. I have a bunch of kombucha recipes for you to try out.
๐งพ Ingredients
- A kombucha starter pack, which includes a kombucha scoby ( symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) in some kombucha starter liquid - or - 1-2 cups freshly made kombucha and a scoby. Kombucha Kamp will give you โ10% off your first orderโ when you sign up for their newsletter.
- Filtered water
- Sugar
- Black tea - I also have tutorials for Yerba Mate Kombucha (first fermentation), how to make green tea kombucha, and how to make hibiscus tea kombucha
To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
๐ฅฃ Supplies
- A gallon sized jar
- Tea towel or coffee filter
- Thick rubber band
- A kitchen thermometer
๐ช Instructions
Step 1: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Remove from the heat.
Add black tea and/or green tea. My Green Tea Kombucha recipe is milder than kombucha with black tea.
Let it steep for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
Step 2: Add 1 cup of sugar, and stir until dissolved.
Step 3: Reheat the tea to get the sugar to dissolve faster if needed.
Step 4: Add the sweet tea mixture to a gallon-sized jar, along with the kombucha scoby, and the fermented tea that it came in.
Step 5: Pour room-temperature filtered water into the mason jar. Check to make sure the mixture is between 75ยฐ-85ยฐ.
It will most likely be on the hotter side, but it will cool down as long as the room is between 75ยฐ-85ยฐ.
Step 6: Secure the jar with a tea towel or coffee filter and a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm location - between 75ยฐ-85ยฐ. Colder temperatures = mold, so make sure the room is between those temperatures!
Let it sit between 7- 21 days out of direct sunlight in a ventilated area. Begin tasting the kombucha on day 7. If it tastes too sweet, let it ferment longer.
I like to brew mine for 14-21 days, depending on the season.
After the kombucha is done brewing, place it in bottles in the fridge, or you can start a second fermentation with flavors.
Second Fermentation
To make this first batch of kombucha sweeter, you can add maple syrup, agave syrup, brown sugar, or your favorite sweetener.
You will need some bottles with flip top lids, and a funnel. I like 2 tablespoons of maple syrup per 25 oz. bottle of kombucha, or ยฝ cup per gallon.
Pour maple syrup, then the finished homemade kombucha into each bottle, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days, popping the bottles each day to let out carbon dioxide. Taste each day to test its flavor and fizziness.
You can also add flavors like cherry, blueberry, ginger, and lemon. Below are some of my most popular flavored kombucha recipes.
๐ญ Tips
- Avoid using cheesecloth to secure the lid. Small insects can get into the holes.
- Only use glass containers.
- The warmer the temperature, the faster the kombucha will need to brew. I brew mine 14 days in hotter months and 21 days in colder months. It'll all depend on the climate you live in.
- Make sure to thoroughly clean your tools and gallon jar.
- If you see any mold at all, throw out the kombucha. I have only had mold once in the many years I've been brewing. When done right, you will not have mold.
- Check photos online to see if it is mold. You want to make sure before throwing out something you took the time to make. It will most likely be white, green, or black. Mine was white and fuzzy.
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๐ Recipe
Homemade Kombucha
Equipment
- 1 Gallon sized jar
- 1 Tea towel or coffee filter
- 1 Thick rubber band
- Kitchen thermometer
Ingredients
- 14 cups filtered water
- 6 black tea bags or 1 large (1 ounce) tea bag
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 kombucha starter culture with starter tea
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups filtered water to a boil.
- Add tea bags (or 1 large tea bag) and remove from heat. Allow to steep 5-10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
- Add sugar and stir to dissolve. If the sugar is taking too long to dissolve, turn on the heat again and heat 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Add sweetened tea to a clean gallon sized jar. Fill with room temperature filtered water. Using a kitchen thermometer, make sure the tea is 75ยฐ-85ยฐ. (By adding room temperature water to the hot tea mixture it will be around 85ยฐ-87ยฐ, but it will cool down to room temperature.)
- Add the starter tea culture and starter tea (1-2 cups) to the sweetened tea. Secure a tea towel or coffee filter over the jar with a sturdy rubber band.
- Place the jar in a warm area that is between 75ยฐ-85ยฐ. Cold temperatures cause mold, so a warm area is necessary for the success of your kombucha!
- The kombucha will be ready between 7-21 days. Taste it at day 7. If it's too sweet, ferment it longer. I like to brew mine for 14-21 days depending on the season. Save 1-2 cups for the next batch and start another batch!
Notes
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Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
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