How to Brew Kombucha

This is the second part in our kombucha series, and we’re showing you how fun and easy it is to brew your own kombucha at home. This delicious fermented beverage is loaded with beneficial probiotic bacteria and helps to support gut health.

We are excited to share part two of our kombucha series on how to make your own kombucha at home. Hopefully you’ve got yourself a healthy kombucha culture – did you grow your own SCOBY? A couple weeks ago we showed you how easy it is to grow your own kombucha SCOBY from a bottle of store-bought kombucha, and now we’ll share the next step: brewing this delicious probiotic beverage.

Much like the process of growing your own SCOBY, brewing your homemade kombucha uses the same method and ingredients, just on a larger scale. This recipe will brew about a gallon (16 cups) of kombucha so you’ll need ten tea bags and a cup of organic cane sugar. That might seem like a lot of sugar, but remember, the SCOBY needs sugar to thrive and there will be very little that remains when you are drinking your home brew. You will also need a large jar to fit all the liquid; look for a glass jar or vessel that is food safe to house your brew. We use a 5-litre Fido jar and it’s perfect!

The Fermentation Process

The refreshing, effervescent bite from a bottle of kombucha is the result of double fermentation. During the first ferment (which we’ll be talking about today), the sweet tea and SCOBY live together in a large jar with the mouth of the jar covered by a breathable material such as a coffee filter, paper towel, or clean piece of cloth. Make sure you secure the cover with an elastic band because the sweet tea will attract bugs and fruit flies (and we don’t want that)!

The first ferment takes approximately 10-14 days and during that time, the SCOBY will feed off of the sugar and caffeine in the sweet tea, and populate the liquid with beneficial probiotic bacteria. What’s neat is that every time you brew a new batch of kombucha, a new SCOBY will form on the surface, protecting the liquid.

The second ferment (we’ll be sharing all about the second ferment in the next post) takes 2-5 days after the liquid is bottled. This is when the bubbly magic happens!

For some, the thought of brewing kombucha seems daunting. Because the tea is fermented and you’re dealing with bacteria (the good kind!), it can make some people apprehensive to attempt at home. The most important thing to remember is to keep everything very clean. We make sure to wash all our tools, jars, and bottles with hot soapy water, rinse them very well with fresh water, and then give them all a good swish with white vinegar to sanitize them (and then one last quick rinse). Be sure to also be diligent about washing your own hands during the process and whenever you are in contact with the liquid or the SCOBY. As long as you treat your SCOBY (it’s a living thing!) and the process with respect, you shouldn’t encounter any problems.

What happens if I get mold? 

First, make sure what you see is actually mold. The kombucha brewing process creates yeasty strings and brown spots that are perfectly normal. If it IS mold, you’ll know. It will be:

• Fuzzy or speckly
• Most likely form in a round shape
• Be black or green in colour
• Form on the surface of the SCOBY, not the underside

If you do encounter mold on your brew, consider some of the factors that may have played a part:

• Did you use the appropriate proportions of tea/sugar/starter liquid?
• Did you clean your tools and vessel well?
• Are you storing your brew near damp tea towels or dish clothes? Is it near a piece of fruit that’s starting to go bad or a piece of moldy bread? The environment can definitely affect this “living” liquid.

If mold does impact your brew, we recommend tossing everything and starting from scratch; for us it’s not worth the potential for mold contamination in the liquid. But don’t let it get you down! Start again. It’ll be so worth it!

Have you made your own kombucha before?

 

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