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Have you ever wondered how to brew kombucha at home? This easy guide will teach you how to transform tea into kombucha in just a few easy steps! This is the most popular guide to brewing kombucha on the internet and has helped over 10,000 home brewers make kombucha in kitchens around the world. Yours next?
save this recipe!It’s a big day everyone! The day your intestinal microbiota have been begging you for. The day you say goodbye to expensive store-bought kombucha. The day you become a brewmaster!
The goal of this guide is to be your one stop shop for homemade kombucha brewage, from SCOBY-less to fermented perfection. No hopping around the internet or buying unnecessary gear. No fuss. No confusion. Because making homemade kombucha is so simple, and I hope after reading this you’ll give it a whirl! Let’s hop right to it.
Meet The Brewer
Hey friends, I’m Sarah! I’m in love with home-brewing kombucha and have helped thousands of people all over the world make kombucha in their homes! I created an entire website dedicated to brewing kombucha called Brew Buch, and run an online community of over 50,000 brewers called Kickass Kombucha Brewers (I’d love for you to join)! If you have any questions about brewing, please drop a comment at the end of this post – I personally read and respond to them daily!
The process looks like this:
This post will go into detail about each step in the process of making kombucha. For succinct instructions and metric measurements, jump to the printable recipe card at the end of this post. The general order of things goes something like this (you can jump around this tutorial by clicking the links below):
- Make SCOBY (1 to 4 weeks) – to make the “mother”
- First Fermentation (6 to 10 days) – to make the actual kombucha
- Second Fermentation (3 to 10 days) – to carbonate the kombucha
“Excellent recipe. I’ve tried ten or more online for comparison and this one has the best flavor balance. Not at all vinegary and not too sweet. Will be using for my base from now on.” -Katherine
Before we start, here are some general notes that are consistent throughout the whole homemade kombucha process.
- No metal or plastic containers. Metal can react with the acidic kombucha, while plastic can house nasty bacteria.
- Clean is key. A recurring theme in kombucha brewing is that everything must be clean! We’re creating the perfect environment for good bacterial growth, but if a bad bacteria sneaks in it could ruin your batch (and make you pretty sick).
- Temperature plays a big role. Fermentation goes a bit quicker in warmer temperatures and a bit slower in colder.
- No mold zone. If you see any mold growing on your SCOBY or in the tea (which I understand can be difficult to discern from the hideous SCOBY but will generally be green, white, or black), then toss your whole batch.
Step 1: How to make a kombucha SCOBY
The SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is the mother of the kombucha, providing bacteria and yeast to ferment the sweet tea, protecting the tea from outside contaminants, and providing a loose seal to keep a bit of the carbonation in. Yes, it’s hideous…but it’s the very essence of kombucha! And the best part? You can make one at home! You’ll need:
- Water: Tap water is just fine here!
- White Sugar: Feeds the yeast and bacteria—don’t sub with other sweeteners.
- Black Tea: Provides nutrients for fermentation. Black tea works best for a strong, healthy SCOBY.
- Raw, unflavored kombucha: Contains live cultures that kickstart the SCOBY growth. Look for one with sediment at the bottom!
To make a SCOBY, you’ll brew sweet black tea, let it cool, then mix in raw kombucha. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 1 to 4 weeks until a ¼-inch SCOBY forms. Keep the SCOBY in its tea until you’re ready to brew your first batch! Jump to recipe for printable instructions.
Which brand Is best?
Our tried and tested store-bought brand is the GT’s “Pure”. You can find it in most natural food stores.
Important Notes For Making A SCOBY
- Only black tea. Similarly, the SCOBY doesn’t grow as well with green or fruity teas. By all means, once your SCOBY is big and strong, you can use green tea, but for now, stick with black. The SCOBY doesn’t like decaf tea and will not grow as well if fed it (SCOBY = my spirit animal).
- No honey. Honey can contain botulism bacteria that, when grown exponentially as bacteria and yeast tend to do in kombucha, can be dangerous.
- Don’t mess with it! You won’t see anything but a few bubbles in the first few days. But then one day a thin, translucent layer will form, eventually thickening into a full on SCOBY.
Step 2: The first fermentation
So you’ve got a newbie SCOBY and you’re ready to get this komboo-choo train rollin’. This first fermentation is where you actually make the kombucha. You’ll need:
- Water: Tap is fine!
- White Sugar: Feeds the SCOBY and bacteria during fermentation.
- Black or green tea: Black tea is most common, but green tea adds a lighter flavor.
- Unflavored kombucha: This has the live cultures and acidity needed to start your fermentation.
- SCOBY: Your live culture pellicle.
To do the first fermentation, you’ll brew sweet tea, cool it, and add it to a jar with your SCOBY and starter kombucha. Cover and ferment at room temp for 6–10 days, tasting around day 6. Once it’s slightly tangy and not too sweet, reserve 2 cups as your starter and move the rest to second fermentation. Jump to recipe for printable instructions.
First Fermentation Tips
- In this step, unlike in the making of the SCOBY, you can use other teas besides black. Feel free to experiment with green, white, oolong, or combinations of them. Fruit teas should be mixed with a few black tea bags to ensure the SCOBY mama gets what she needs to thrive.
- Once the SCOBY gets to be about an inch thick, peel off a few layers to create a second SCOBY (you can share the love and gift this to a friend!)
Step 3: The Second Fermentation
The final step and negotiably the best part of the process! The second fermentation is where the real magic happens. It’s where you can play around with sweet, fruity kombucha flavors that will not only make your homemade kombucha taste better than store-bought, but will carbonate the kombucha! You’ll need:
- Homemade kombucha from the first fermentation
- Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar). Here are a few ideas per 1 cup kombucha:
- 1 to 2 Tbsp mashed fruit or fruit juice
- 1 to 2 tsp honey
- a piece of candied ginger
Strain the kombucha and bottle it with your chosen sweetener, leaving some headspace. Let it ferment at room temperature for 3 to 10 days to build fizz, then strain out fruit if needed and refrigerate to chill and stop fermentation. Jump to recipe for printable instructions.
Second fermentation tips
- The more sugar/fruit you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment and become carbonated.
- Your jars can explode if the pressure becomes too high! For your first few batches while you’re still getting the hang of how kombucha reacts to your environment, bottle a portion of it in a plastic bottle. This will act as a gauge for how the others are doing. When the plastic bottle is rock solid, the rest are probably done. “Burp” them by opening each to release some pressure, then place them in the refrigerator to slow fermentation.
The Simple Guide to Kickass Kombucha
Equipment
- Glass Jar (1 gallon or larger)
- Clean Cloth (like a dish cloth or paper towels)
Ingredients
Making a SCOBY
- 7 cups water, 1.6 L
- 4 bags black tea, or 1 Tbsp loose tea
- ½ cup white sugar, 100 g
- 1 cup unflavored kombucha, this should be unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha, 235 mL
First Fermentation
- 14 cups water, 3.5 quarts, 3.3 L
- 8 bags black or green tea, or 2 Tbsp loose leaf
- 1 cup white sugar, 200 g
- 2 cups unflavored kombucha, from a previous batch or store-bought kombucha, 470 mL
- 1 SCOBY
Second Fermentation
- Kombucha, from the first fermentation
- Sweetener or flavor
Instructions
Making Kombucha SCOBY
- Make Tea: Bring 7 cups water to a boil in a clean pot. Remove from heat and add 4 bags black tea. Allow tea to steep for about 15 minutes. Remove tea and stir in ½ cup white sugar. Let tea cool to room temperature.Alternatively, boil only 2 cups of water and add the remaining 5 cups of cold water once the tea has steeped and sugar has been added. This will quicken the process.
- Add Starter: Add 1 cup unflavored kombucha then pour everything into a large glass jar.
- Ferment: Cover with a clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. Set somewhere dark and room temperature (70-75°F, 21-24°C) for 1 to 4 weeks, until a ¼ inch (½ cm) SCOBY has formed.
First Fermentation
- Make Tea: Bring 14 cups water to a boil in a clean pot. Remove from heat and add 8 bags black or green tea. Allow tea to steep for about 15 minutes. Remove tea and stir in 1 cup white sugar. Let tea cool to room temperature.Alternatively to quicken this up, boil only 4 cups of water and add the remaining 10 cups of cold water once tea has steeped and sugar has been added.
- Combine With Starter + SCOBY: If your SCOBY is still in the jar you made it in, use a clean spoon to push it down into the tea, then pour out all but 2 cups of the tea that’s in that jar (you can bottle the remaining tea to keep as a strong starter kombucha). Pour in your freshly made cooled tea.
- Ferment: Cover with a clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. Set somewhere dark and room temperature (70-75°F, 21-24°C) for anywhere from 6 to 10 days. Begin tasting the tea at about 6 days. It should be mildly sweet and slightly vinegary when finished.The longer the tea ferments, the more sugar molecules will be eaten up, the less sweet it will be. This process will go faster if it is warm in your house.
- And Repeat: Reserve 2 cups from this batch to use as starter kombucha for your next batch (just leave it in the jar with the SCOBY). The rest can move into the second fermentation!
Second Fermentation
- Flavor: Add your desired flavors to each bottle, then funnel kombucha into bottles, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Seal each shut.
- Ferment: Let ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for 3 to 10 days.This process will go faster if it is warm in your house. Carefully open bottles to prevent volcanoes. You can do this over a bowl with a baggie over the top just in case!
- Serve: If desired, strain out flavorings before serving. Place bottles in the fridge to slow the carbonation process and to chill before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!Supplies Needed for Making Kombucha
- Large Glass Jug: It should hold at least 1 gallon (buy on Amazon or in most homeware stores)
- Fermentation Bottles: These bottles have a tight seal specifically designed to keep the carbonation in (hellooo fizz!) (buy flip-top bottles here or collect and reuse GT’s bottles)
About the gear
Above is a list of the supplies needed to make kombucha. These are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase. I’ve only included products I know and trust, and have included multiple buying options for each. I personally use and love the products from Kombucha.com. For 10% off their online store, comment below and I’ll get our secret code to you!
Just been introduced to K, and love it. Am moving to central highlands of MX so would like to know high altitude suggestions, if any.
Thanks
Patricia
Hi Patricia! While I haven’t had the chance to try brewing at altitude (I live squarely at sea level here in the Netherlands), I did a bit of digging and it looks like your fermentation times might simply be a bit longer. Use taste and fizz as measurements! 😀
I’m a little confused with the process. What do you do with the liquid from starting the scoby? Do you continue to feed it or toss it out? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie! I just toss out all of that liquid (which is quite vinegary), though you can add a little bit of it to your first fermentation (as the “unflavored starter tea”) to kick off the fermentation. Happy brewing!
Hi Sarah, I love this post. So clear and I’m excited to give it a go. A quick question about sugar though… You say to use white sugar. Is there a reason why it has to be white sugar? I thought I had everything, but just re-read that bit and it’s the one thing I don’t have (I only have brown sugar in the house). Thanks, Kerry
Hi Kerry! Brown sugar is a little harder for the yeast to breakdown, so I prefer white sugar. If you want to experiment, I would wait until your SCOBY is thick enough to split into two (so you don’t jeopardize your whole bucha operation), then do a brew with 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown. Would love to hear how it goes!
Hello! I am about to start brewing my first batch of kombucha and I’ve read other websites that say you can use the tea from your SCOBY as starter tea from your own fermentation? I just don’t want to waste it and was wondering your thoughts on doing so?
Hi Esme! That has been my advice but I’ve also been reading more about using that SCOBY liquid and have a batch going now to see how it turns out. It seems to be turning working and I’ll probably be changing the recommendation soon. So I would tentatively say that yes, you can use that liquid 😀
Hi Sarah. Been using your instructions for making kombucha. Love it. But we have gotten too many bottles of kombucha in our fridge, even though we are drinking it daily and even giving friends and family some. How do we slow the process down. I’m sure you have given instructions on how to do this but not sure how to do it without spoiling our scoby. Thank you
What a wonderful problem to have! While it’s a little tricky to slow it down, you could just make less per batch (being sure to use the same ratios of tea / sugar / starter). This is what I do occasionally when kombucha is coming out of my ears 😅
I’m a little confused by the SCOBY making part! So, am I supposed to make watery tea? (4 tea bags/7 cups water) Thanks in advance!
Yep, that’s correct! 😀
Hi Sarah! Me again…so that refrigerated SCOBY started to sink in my gallon jar. I read that that wasn’t a problem and it would right itself. I started the batch on Nov. 5th according to my last post.
I tried the K a few weeks ago when everything was sunken and the liquid was VERY sweet! I figured that the refrigeration must have killed her… 🙁
Well, I got busy and didn’t get back to that cabinet until now…had a taste today and the sweetness is nearly gone, a thin SCOBY is on top (another thicker one sunk in the bottom). The liquid is clear.
Does this mean it WORKED? Did I grow a new SCOBY? Am I ready to do a 2nd ferment? Aack…so many questions!!! (thanks) TerriO
Hi Terri! Yep, it sounds like your brew is going just fine and a new SCOBY is also forming on top (normal!). I actually wrote an article on sunken SCOBYs and if it matters here.
In short, if your kombucha tastes good to you, then it’s ready for the 2nd fermentation. That easy! Happy brewing 🙂
I have a white layer that formed on my mother. I have never seen this before. It had been sitting 9 days and I got ready to add the fruit to it and then put it in the bottles. I usually bottle the kombucha after about 6 days so this was longest I have waited to bottle the kombucha. It is mostly connected to the mother. There is one area where it is separated. Is it a problem? I do not see a way to send you a picture. on this site. If you email me i can email you the pictures i have of it.
Hi Rabecca! Feel free to email me a photo (sarah@liveeatlearn.com).
Hi! Thank you for this great website i reference to it all of the time! Question.. my 2nd fermentation batches come out with what almost looks like a scoby at the top of the bottle. Is this normal?
Yep that’s totally normal! Just a normal bi-product of the fermentation. You can strain it out before drinking (though they are edible if you’re curious 😉 haha)
Hi, Sarah! I am on my sixth (I think?) batch of kombucha, which I made following your instructions, beginning with making my own SCOBY. Thanks so much! I am having great fun on flavoring the second ferment. For my last batch, I made some strong hibiscus tea, sweetened it with honey and let that cool, then added it in about a 1 to 4 ratio to my first ferment. Outstanding! I am now using a “holiday spice” black tea for my new first ferment. Fingers crossed the spices don’t interfere with my SCOBY doing its thing. . .
YUM! I’ve yet to try hibiscus, but I’m thinking I’ll try it soon! Your flavors all sound amazing, love how much you’re experimenting with it! Thanks for all the tips 😀