Kombucha is one of the hottest beverage trends to sweep the world in the past years. Kombucha is a fermented tea packed with probiotics, amino acids and various healthy vitamins.
Whether you’ve had Kombucha before, or you’re curious about trying it for the first time, this recipe will instruct you how to make your own delicious Kombucha in less than two weeks.
This step-by-step basic Kombucha recipe is designed for anyone who wants to brew a gallon of this fizzy, delicious and amazing gut-friendly beverage.
In case you ended up here by accident and you’re uncertain of what it is exactly, Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage. See more info here.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon (4 liters) clean water
- 8 bags of tea or 2 tablespoons of loose tea (black tea or green tea)
- 1 cup (200g) sugar (regular granulated sugar works best)
- 1 SCOBY (Kombucha Mother) (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)
- 1-2 cups (400ml) Kombucha starter liquid
Equipment
- A 6 or 7-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot
- A 1.5 gallon glass jar
- A stirring spoon
- A weave cloth cover and a rubber band
Kombucha recipe steps
- Bring water to a boil in your Stainless Steel Stockpot.
- Remove the stockpot from heat, add the tea in it, cover it and allow to steep for 5 to 7 minutes.
- After steeping the tea for 5 to 7 minutes, remove the tea leaves or the bags.
- Add the sugar into the tea and stir to dissolve it properly.
- Allow the sweetened tea to cool down to room temperature for a couple of hours.
- Pour the sweetened tea into your glass jar, then pour the SCOBY and Kombucha starter liquid in it, making sure to include all the “dirt” that may be at the bottom.
- Cover the glass jar with the cloth and tight it with the rubber band.
- Place the glass jar in a warm, ventilated area out of direct sunlight for 7 to 21 days depending on your taste and temperature in your room. Ideally 75-85°F (24-29°C)
- After about 7 days take a spoon and retrieve some Kombucha from beneath the SCOBY and taste it. If it is too tart, then shorten your brewing time next time. If it is too sweet, allow to brew for a few more days. Continue to taste the Kombucha every day until you reach your preferred flavor.
- Once the Kombucha is ready, take the SCOBY out along with some starter liquid (about 2 cups) and place it in a separate glass jar for the next batch.
- For the next batch follow the the steps from the beginning.
Flavoring & Bottling your Kombucha
Flavored tea, fresh juice, fruits, herbs or spices can be added after the primary fermentation to make your Kombucha flavored.
The easiest way to flavor your Kombucha is with flavored tea. For 1 gallon of Kombucha, brew one cup of your favorite flavored tea using 2-3 tea bags, let it steep for 7-10 minutes, add some sugar (about 1 teaspoon). Once it is cooled down at room temperature, add it to your plain Kombucha.
After you flavor the Kombucha, bottle it, leaving a bit of space at the top, seal the bottles tightly with lids or caps and set it out to ferment a second time for three to six days. This process is called secondary fermentation when Kombucha gets carbonated. Once carbonated place the bottles in fridge to slow the carbonation process.
Recommended Kombucha Kit
The Complete Kombucha Brewing Starter Kit
Recommended Video on How to Make Kombucha
