How To Make SCOBY For Kombucha

How To Make SCOBY For Kombucha

Making homemade kombucha has three main steps (click the links below to jump around the post):

1. Make SCOBY 7-10 days
2. First Fermentation (6 to 10 days) – makes the actual kombucha tea
3. Second Fermentation (3 to 10 days) – to carbonates the kombucha tea

Making The SCOBY

The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) Is the yeast that makes the fermentation.

While you can buy a ready-made SCOBY (online ), it’s easy to make it yourself! Just buy a bottle of Kombucha and you are ready to start.

Make a Tea and let cool to room temp add a 5 more cups of water and a cup of sugar.

Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then pour store-bought kombucha in, making sure all of the residue in bottle is pored into your fermentation this is because kombucha has live yeast in it that you are going to propagate as in grow.

Cover with a few layers of the tightly woven cloth to keep out bugs and debris, there can be a level of fermentation so do not tightly cover and make sure that there is room for growth and foaming in bottle. I recommend to leave a 1/3 empty.

Place somewhere dark with a room temperature (70-75 degrees F, 21-24 C) 7-10 days when you will see a a ¼ inch (½ cm) SCOBY has formed.

You now have a SCOBY! The SCOBY should live and grow for years if treated with love. Allow the SCOBY to remain in this liquid until you are ready to use the SCOBY for the next step, the 1st fermentation.

Things To Note When Making Your SCOBY For Kombucha

• Do not use decaf, black tea, or honey in place of sugar.
• Glass is always preferable when working with strong alcohol. Avoid plastic as much as possible.
• Use organic ingredients to avoid pesticide residues.

Utensils Tips

Here is a list of the simplest utensils that you can use; the ones Mom should already have in the kitchen:)

Utensils:
– cheesecloth
– saucepan
– small funnel
– glass bottles, or storage containers, for bottling and serving, you can either use the glass Jar you used before, or just buy a second one. 

Other Great Recipes for You to Check Out!

• Strawberry Basil Kombucha
• Pecan Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Peanut Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Beet Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Licorice Grappa Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Aronia Berry Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Chili Agave Liqueur recipe D.I.Y.
• Gooseberry Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Prune Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Etrog Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Pecan Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Peanut Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Beet Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Licorice Grappa Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.
• Aronia Berry Liqueur Recipe D.I.Y.

To spirits and cheers,

Binyomin Terebelo, Master Distiller and Drinkologist.

Image by Alexander Lesnitsky from Pixabay

Binyomin Terebelo

I love hearing from you about why you love something I wrote or published or a recipe I don’t know. I am Master Distiller at Terebelo Distillery, Love all things alcohol. Freelance for Grogmag and blog recipes for buildthebottle.com Weekend Rabbi too.