Homemade Kombucha
Brew your own fizzy fermented tea from a SCOBY.
- Difficulty
- Harder
- Time
- 30 min + 7 to 14 days + 2 to 3 days fizzing
- Makes
- 8 serves
Why people are talking about it
Kombucha is the poster child of gut-health drinks, and brewing your own with a SCOBY is a favourite home-fermenting project online.
Why it's gut-friendly
Kombucha is fermented tea that can contain live bacteria and yeasts. Brewing it yourself lets you control the sugar and flavour.
Ingredients
- 2 litres filtered water
- 4 black or green tea bags
- ½ cup (110 g) white sugar
- 1 SCOBY
- 1 cup (250 ml) plain unpasteurised kombucha (starter liquid)
- Fruit or ginger for flavouring
- A clean 3-litre glass jar and cloth cover
Method
- Boil 1 litre water, steep tea 10 minutes, remove bags and dissolve sugar.
- Add the remaining cold water and let it cool fully to room temperature.
- Pour into the jar, add starter liquid and the SCOBY.
- Cover with a cloth and rubber band. Leave somewhere warm and dark for 7 to 14 days. Taste from day 7.
- When tangy but slightly sweet, remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid for next time.
- Bottle the rest with fruit or ginger, seal and leave 2 to 3 days to fizz, then refrigerate.
Good to know
Use clean glass, never metal. Discard the batch and SCOBY if you see fuzzy, dry, coloured mould. Bottles can build up pressure, so open over the sink and refrigerate once fizzy. If you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system, check with your doctor before drinking home ferments.
Make it yours
- Ginger and lemon.
- Strawberry and basil.
- Pineapple and mint.
General information only. If you have a digestive condition, food allergy or special diet, check with your doctor or dietitian.