As stated before I was attempting to make my own kombucha starter. It was a success, and I have officially completed my first brewed batch of kombucha tea. I used some know-how from Kombucha Kamp and made 1 gallon of kombucha. This is also a nice pictoral step-by-step on how to make it.
You can buy the kombucha starters online, but the idea of buying bacteria from a strange source seemed creepy. As stated previously, I made my own in the last post. The starter is known as a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) which feeds on sugar and ferments the tea. I highly recommend checking out the kombucha kamp site before starting brewing for tips and troubleshooting. Below is what you need to get started:
Kombucha starter and 1-2 cups starter liquid
Clean 1 Gallon Jar
1 cup sugar
purified water
4-6 tea bags
cloth and rubber band to cover the jar
Boil 4 cups of water. Add 4-6 tea bags (black or green, I used oolong) and steep according to tea type.
Add 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup agave nectar) and stir. Let tea cool to room temperature.
Fill a clean 1 gallon jar with 2 cups starter liquid, tea, and fill with water almost to the top leaving a couple of inches at the top.
Add the SCOBY and cover with a cloth (I used a coffee filter) secured with a rubber band.
Let sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight for about 5-7 days. Taste your kombucha and see if it's too sweet let it sit out another day or so. If it's too tart then it's over brewed and you should check your brewing time earlier for the next batch.
When it's ready pour tea into bottles and lid, reserving a cup or two of tea for the next batch. Your SCOBY should have formed a new layer on top which can be separated from the original and used for another batch of tea or given away.
The tea can be fermented a second time after pouring into clean bottles by leaving out for 24 hours before refrigerating. If you want to flavor your tea, now would be that time. I added some minced ginger to mine. This will make more carbonation so be sure to "burp" the bottles by letting some air out before storing them in the refrigerator. Also use caution when opening the bottles since the carbonation may "erupt" like a bottle of soda.
Extra tips:
I sanitized by jars with lots of hot water and then swished a little apple cider vinegar to get them clean. Soap residue will kill the kombucha culture so make sure that even if you've cleaned your jars int he dishwasher they are re-sanitized to remove soap/chemical residue.
If you see mold or suspect your SCOBY is bad throw it away and start new! (look at mold link for pictures)
Hope you enjoy and happy eating!
 |
| my starter scoby (the white gel layer on top) |
Kombucha starter and 1-2 cups starter liquid
Clean 1 Gallon Jar
1 cup sugar
purified water
4-6 tea bags
cloth and rubber band to cover the jar
 |
| starter, sugar and agave, tea, purified water, clean jar, breathable lid (coffee filter), rubber |
 |
| brewing the tea |
Boil 4 cups of water. Add 4-6 tea bags (black or green, I used oolong) and steep according to tea type.
Add 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup agave nectar) and stir. Let tea cool to room temperature.
Fill a clean 1 gallon jar with 2 cups starter liquid, tea, and fill with water almost to the top leaving a couple of inches at the top.
Add the SCOBY and cover with a cloth (I used a coffee filter) secured with a rubber band.
Let sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight for about 5-7 days. Taste your kombucha and see if it's too sweet let it sit out another day or so. If it's too tart then it's over brewed and you should check your brewing time earlier for the next batch.
When it's ready pour tea into bottles and lid, reserving a cup or two of tea for the next batch. Your SCOBY should have formed a new layer on top which can be separated from the original and used for another batch of tea or given away.
The tea can be fermented a second time after pouring into clean bottles by leaving out for 24 hours before refrigerating. If you want to flavor your tea, now would be that time. I added some minced ginger to mine. This will make more carbonation so be sure to "burp" the bottles by letting some air out before storing them in the refrigerator. Also use caution when opening the bottles since the carbonation may "erupt" like a bottle of soda.
Extra tips:
I sanitized by jars with lots of hot water and then swished a little apple cider vinegar to get them clean. Soap residue will kill the kombucha culture so make sure that even if you've cleaned your jars int he dishwasher they are re-sanitized to remove soap/chemical residue.
If you see mold or suspect your SCOBY is bad throw it away and start new! (look at mold link for pictures)
Hope you enjoy and happy eating!
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