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.
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 Ginger Kombucha, and Mango Kombucha to name a few.
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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.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 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
- Filtered water
- Sugar
- Black tea - I also have tutorials for green tea or hibiscus tea
🥣 Supplies
- A gallon sized jar
- Tea towel or coffee filter
- Thick rubber band
- A kitchen thermometer
🔪 Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Remove from the heat.
- Add black and / or green tea. Let it steep 5 - 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
- Add 1 cup of sugar, and stir until dissolved. Reheat the tea to get the sugar to dissolve faster if needed.
- Add the sweet tea mixture to a gallon sized jar, along with room temperature filtered water, the kombucha scoby, and the fermented tea that it came in. Check to make sure the mixture is between 75°-85°. It will most likely be on the hotter side, but it will cool down as long as the room is between 75°-85°.
- Secure the jar with a tea towel or coffee filter and rubber band. Place the jar in a warm location - between 75°-85°. 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 upon the season.
- After the kombucha is done brewing, place 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 ½ 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.
💭 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.
- 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.
5 Secrets To Making Kombucha
Kombucha just got easier!
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🧂 You May Need
📋 Recipe
Homemade Kombucha
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 75°-85°. (By adding room temperature water to the hot tea mixture it will be around 85°-87°, 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 75°-85°. 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
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
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