How To Make Kombucha

Yet another delicious recipe I flavored with Essential Oils for the added digestive support. I only use the highest quality oils, cleared for dietary use and I’ve been blown away at what they’ve done for my health!

If you’re here, you are probably looking for a way to enjoy kombucha without the expensive cost. I was in the same boat. My husband and I love kombucha but the price and hauling cases home each week were annoying.

So, I looked into brewing kombucha at home. Like most things, it turns out you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost. You only need some basic equipment (nothing fancy, I promise!) and three ingredients. Yes, three!

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a tart and tangy, bubbly, fermented tea. Its origins point back to the Far East way back in 221 BC.

Why Drink Kombucha?

First, the flavor. While I was originally nervous about trying kombucha for the first time, I’ve come to love the flavor. It’s an acquired taste but the more I tasted kombucha, the more I loved the flavor.

Next, the health benefits. Kombucha is loaded with probiotics to support your gut health. Since it’s a powerful blend, make sure you go slow if you’re a kombucha beginner. I started with just about 2 -4 oz per day the first week. I now drink about a cup a day. There’s a long list of health claims among kombucha lovers.

Energy! Kombucha is typically made with black or green tea so the caffeine kick is a nice energy boost for the mid-afternoon energy slump.

Instructions with AND without photos below:

My Equipment

Gallon Glass Jar with Spout

Swing Top Style Bottling Jars

Start with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)
1. Where to Get a SCOBY
  1. Buy a live SCOBY – Available online.
  2. Buy a dehydrated SCOBY kit – Available in grocery stores and online.
  3. Ask a kombucha brewing friend for a SCOBY. They can grow quickly so there’s a lot to go around!
  4. Grow your own. It’s a super simple process and all you’ll need are three ingredients.
2. Gather Equipment and Ingredients
  1. Equipment: Quart size mason jar, wooden spoon, coffee filter or paper towel, rubber band.
  2. Ingredients:
    1. 1 cup freshly brewed and cooled black tea
    2. 1/4 cup sugar
    3. 1 cup GT’s Original Unflavored Kombucha
3. Assembly
  1. In the mason jar, pour one cup each of the cooled tea and kombucha. Stir in sugar.
  2. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel and secure with a rubber band around the lip of the jar. You don’t want this to be air tight. Just make sure it’s covered to keep any fruit flies away.
  3. Let the mixture rest, out of direct sunlight for at least a week.
  4. After about one week, you’ll see your baby SCOBY growing on the surface of the mixture. Now you’re ready to begin your kombucha brew!
Start your Kombucha Brew
1. Gather Equipment and Ingredients
  1. Equipment: Gallon size glass jar (preferably with a spout for dispensing), wooden spoon, 12 oz glass bottles with tight lids.
  2. Ingredients:
    1. SCOBY plus 2 cups of starter tea.
    2. 2 quarts of freshly brewed and cooled black tea
    3. 1 cup sugar
2. Assembly
  1. Pour all ingredients into the gallon size glass jar and stir.
  2. Cover with a lid that is NOT airtight. If you don’t have a lid, you can use a dishtowel and rubber band to secure.
  3. Let the mixture rest, out of direct sunlight for at least a week.
  4. After about one week, you’ll see a larger SCOBY forming on the surface of your mixture. Your kombucha is ready! You can enjoy as it is now or dispense and flavor.
  5. Dispense into swing top glass bottles. Add flavoring if you like. Flavor Ideas: Strawberry Basil, Cinnamon Peach, Mango Pineapple, Lemon Ginger, or Lime Peppermint (I use Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil for the added digestion support).
  6. Place bottled Kombucha in the refrigerator to brew as long as you like, up to another week to infuse the flavorings.
3. Maintenance & Tips
  1. After bottling, simply add another fresh batch of brewed, cooled tea and 1 cup of sugar to refill the jar. Let it sit for a week to begin the next brew.
  2. As the SCOBY grows, it can get too big and cause the brew time to lessen quite a bit. …to the point where you’ll have fresh kombucha in about two days instead of seven. Temperature plays a big part here. The warmer the environment, the faster the SCOBY will grow. When your SCOBY becomes too large (several inches thick), you can remove layers. Feel free to give them to friends wanting to start a kombucha brew.
  3. Clean Clean Clean! Make sure you keep this process as clean as possible. You don’t want to introduce bad bugs to your SCOBY.
  4. If your SCOBY is overrun with bad bugs or mold, throw out the entire batch, deep clean the equipment, and start again.
  5. If your kombucha is too sweet, just wait a few days. The SCOBY will eat the excess sugar and produce are less sweet kombucha.
  6. The SCOBY is temperature sensitive. Do not add hot tea. It will kill the necessary bacteria and yeast.