Making Kombucha - From SCOBY to Delicious Drink

Making kombucha, you have probably already seen the drink among the soft drinks in the supermarket, health food stores, or on the menu in a café. Kombucha is often available in cans in the supermarket, but making it yourself is a fun and affordable alternative. The somewhat unusual drink has been gaining popularity in recent years. But did you know that you can easily make kombucha yourself? Making kombucha always starts with obtaining sweet tea. In this article, I will tell you everything I know about kombucha and explain how to make this healthy drink yourself, from start to finish. No expensive equipment or ingredients needed.

Honestly, until a few years ago, I had never heard of kombucha. Yet, kombucha has been around for almost 2,000 years. It was first brewed in China and then spread to Japan and Russia. In the early 20th century, kombucha also became popular in Europe. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, kombucha tea was called the "Tea of Immortality" and the "elixir of life." The health benefits of kombucha are not fully scientifically proven, but it has a great many fans who, like us, feel very good while drinking it.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made from tea (who would have guessed), sugar, and a SCOBY. To make kombucha, you must use real tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, such as pure tea, black tea, or green tea. You can use different types of tea for making kombucha, but only real tea. Fresh tea is preferred for the best results.

The bacteria and acids that form during the fermentation process create a gelatinous film on top of the drink. That film is called a SCOBY (= Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Later in the article, I will give some additional explanation about the SCOBY.

Why would you brew kombucha? There are plenty of tea-based drinks in the supermarket. And if you really want to drink kombucha, can't you just buy it ready-made?

Moreover, when you make kombucha yourself, you can experiment with different flavors so that you always find a version that suits you.

Below I share my 5 reasons why I make my own kombucha. You can constantly make new kombucha, completely tailored to your own preferences. I hope I can convince you.

Homemade kombucha allows you to choose exactly which ingredients you use, such as the type of tea, sugar, and flavors. For example, you can choose organic cane sugar as a healthier option. Ideal if you have specific preferences or want to avoid certain ingredients, such as artificial sweeteners or preservatives. By making it yourself, you can also avoid using refined sugar, which often contains fewer minerals and can affect the fermentation process and the taste.

By making kombucha yourself, you can reduce packaging waste. Many commercial kombuchas come in bottles that are thrown away after use, but if you brew it yourself, you can keep reusing your own glass bottles.

The basic necessities for making kombucha are simple and relatively cheap. With one batch, you can easily make 1.5 to 2 liters of kombucha. Tea, sugar, and a SCOBY are the main ingredients, and these can often be bought in larger quantities, which lowers the cost per batch. You can also reuse a SCOBY for multiple batches, and with each new batch, you often receive a baby SCOBY as a gift from Mother Nature.

The process of making kombucha is a fun and educational experience. It gives you insight into fermentation and offers the wonderful feeling of satisfaction when you make and consume your own drink. And let that be the motto at Plukkers.

• black or green tea
• cane sugar (preferably organic cane sugar)
• dextrose
• natural honey
• water
• starter liquid (which you brewed yourself during the first fermentation of a previous batch, or buy ready-to-use)
• a SCOBY

You can score a scoby from a kombucha friend, buy a ready-made SCOBY (for example on Marktplaats or other second-hand platforms), but for hygienic reasons (and simply because it's fun), you can easily grow your own scoby. With your first kombucha, you lay a healthy foundation for all subsequent batches, as this builds the right culture. Once you have a scoby, you can continue making kombucha forever.

Growing a scoby takes about 2 to 4 weeks. The time may be shorter if your kitchen is warm and longer if your kitchen is cooler. In general, try to keep your kombucha at an average room temperature of about 21°C, and your scoby will form in just over two weeks. During this process, the kombucha ferments under the influence of the right temperature and time, with bacteria and yeast working together to develop the drink.

I'll list the ingredients for you:

• 7 to 10 grams of loose black or green tea, or a mixture of these (or 1 full tablespoon)
• 100 grams of cane sugar
• 55 grams of dextrose
• 65 grams of natural honey
• +/- 1.8 liters of water
• 200 ml of starter liquid

• Bring half a liter of water to a boil. Add the loose tea. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 1 hour.
• Pour the tea through a sieve.
• Add half a liter of cold water and the cane sugar and dextrose to the still-warm tea. The residual heat allows the sugar to dissolve. Stir well until you see that all the sugar granules have dissolved.
• Measure the temperature of your tea with the thermometer—measuring is knowing! When your tea is no warmer than 35°C, you can add the honey. If your tea is warmer than 35°C, be patient, otherwise, the good substances in the honey will be destroyed. Mix again until the honey has dissolved.
• Now you have made your sweet tea.
• Pour the sweet tea into the jar you are going to ferment in. Stick a thermometer strip on your jar so you can keep a close eye on the temperature.
• Top up with (cold) water until you have 1.8 liters of sweet tea.
• Let your sweet tea cool down to a maximum of 28°C. When your tea is cool enough, you can add the starter liquid. It is very important that you wait until your tea has cooled sufficiently; otherwise, all the good substances in the starter tea will be destroyed and no scoby can form.
• Close your jar with a clean cloth (e.g., a cheesecloth) and a rubber band or string. Place your jar in a place where it is nice and warm (20-24°C is ideal) and where the liquid cannot vibrate. As mentioned earlier, it is important to leave the jar you are brewing in undisturbed so the bacteria and yeast can grow toward each other and form a scoby. Also, do not place the jar in direct sunlight; that will kill the bacteria. That would be a shame, as you definitely want those!
• And now the hardest part... waiting! It takes about 2 to a maximum of 4 weeks for your scoby to form. During this time, you should not remove the cloth from your jar to minimize the risk of bad bacteria (read: mold). When your SCOBY is about 1.5 cm thick, you can proceed to the next step: the first fermentation. You can check if your kombucha has fermented properly by measuring the pH value. A pH value of 4.6 or lower means your kombucha is good and safe to drink.
• Store the SCOBY in the original tea until you are ready to brew your first batch. The SCOBY could theoretically live and grow for years if treated with love. However, the tea you used to make the SCOBY is very vinegary. Do not use this tea as a starter for your first fermentation.
• Once your scoby has formed, you can brew your first real kombucha.

Ingredients

• 7 to 10 grams of loose black or green tea, or a mixture of these (or 1 full tablespoon)
• 100 grams of cane sugar
• 55 grams of dextrose
• 65 grams of natural honey
• +/- 1.8 liters of water

Method

• Bring half a liter of water to a boil. Add the loose tea. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 1 hour.
• Pour the tea through a sieve.
• Add half a liter of cold water and the cane sugar and dextrose to the still-warm tea. The residual heat allows the sugar to dissolve. Stir well until you see that all the sugar granules have dissolved.
• Measure the temperature of your tea with the thermometer—measuring is knowing! When your tea is no warmer than 35°C, add the honey. If your tea is warmer than 35°C, be patient, otherwise, the good substances in the honey will be destroyed. Mix again until the honey has dissolved.
• Now you have made your sweet tea.
• Pour the sweet tea into the jar in which you are going to ferment. Stick a thermometer strip on your jar so you can keep an eye on the temperature.
• Top up with (cold) water until you have 1.8 liters of sweet tea.
• Let your sweet tea cool down to a maximum of 28°C.

The kombucha fermentation process usually takes between 7 and 21 days in a warm, dark place, depending on the temperature and your personal taste preference.

• When your tea is cool enough, add 200 ml of starter liquid. It is very important that you wait until your tea has cooled sufficiently; otherwise, all the good substances in the starter tea will be destroyed.
• Now add your SCOBY.
• Close your jar with a (cheese)cloth and rubber band. Do not cover it with an airtight lid because it needs air. But ensure the rubber band secures the cloth so that no dust or fruit flies can get in. Place your jar in a place where it is nice and warm (20-24°C is ideal) and where the liquid cannot vibrate. Do not lift the cloth; it is best to disturb your kombucha as little as possible.
• It is possible that your SCOBY will sink to the bottom or float around; both are fine. During the fermentation process, you will see that the SCOBY will eventually float to the top by itself. After 2 days, you will see white spots forming around your SCOBY. This is usually the moment people get nervous and think it is mold. In most cases, it is actually just the new SCOBY starting to form. If you work cleanly, the chance of your kombucha molding is small. Wait a few days; it is more likely that a new SCOBY is being formed.
• Note the date you started fermenting on a sticker or directly on the jar using a glass marker. The cooled sweet tea can be poured into a clean glass jar of about 2 liters for fermentation.

After 7 days, the SCOBY has done its work and the sugars have been converted into acids. You can start tasting your brew after about 5 or 6 days. Once you have the hang of it, you will get a feel for how long it takes before your brew reaches a state you enjoy. Taste with a straw, a wine thief (tasting pipette), or remove some kombucha from your jar with a ladle. From day 5, or from the moment your SCOBY is well-formed, you no longer need to worry about moving your jar. If you want your kombucha to be less sweet, let your batch continue to ferment so the bacteria and yeast can keep eating the sugars. If you want a sweeter taste, stop the fermentation process a bit earlier so that more sugar remains. Keep tasting every day until it tastes right to you; fermenting for 7-9 days is a good guideline.

During the first fermentation, a new SCOBY is formed. Is your kombucha at the taste you like? Then you can move on to the second fermentation. The second fermentation is not mandatory, but it ensures your kombucha becomes deliciously fizzy. In this phase, we add flavor. Remove your SCOBYs from your kombucha and store them in some kombucha at room temperature. Always ensure your SCOBYs cannot dry out. This batch of kombucha, along with your SCOBY, is your homemade starter liquid to brew a future batch of kombucha. Place the remaining kombucha in the refrigerator until you are ready to move on to the second fermentation.

During the second fermentation, your kombucha tea is flavored (usually with fruit), bottled in sealable bottles, and allowed to ferment further for about 2-4 days at room temperature to create carbonation. By putting the kombucha in sealable bottles, you stop the fermentation at the desired moment and preserve the optimal flavor. The second fermentation takes place in a sealed container, trapping the carbon dioxide in the fermented tea as it continues to ferment.

So, use a container that can withstand pressure. Swing-top bottles are ideal!

In this phase, you can let your imagination run wild. Add fruit juice, fresh fruit, herbs, ... Anything is possible! There is no fixed recipe when it comes to flavorings; you will have to rely on trial and error based on your personal preferences.

What you need:

• your kombucha from the first fermentation
• fresh fruit / fruit juice / dried fruit / herbs
• swing-top bottle
• funnel
• sieve

Method for the second fermentation

• Remove the SCOBY from your fermented kombucha.
• Fill your bottle and add your flavor of choice.
• Let your bottles ferment for 2 to 4 more days at room temperature. Tip: sometimes a lot of carbon dioxide gas is created, which can cause your bottle to overflow or even explode. Place your bottles in a safe place. To prevent too much pressure from building up, you can carefully open your bottle briefly every day (this is also called burping). Similar to opening a bottle of champagne.
• Place your bottles in the refrigerator after the second fermentation to stop the fermentation process. Kombucha is best kept in the refrigerator to maintain its fizz and flavor.
• Below you will find different ways to flavor your kombucha and some notes on how each type affects the final product.

Have you just made a delicious batch of kombucha and want to get started again soon? What a great feeling that is! It is of course important to store your SCOBY – that symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast – properly. This keeps your "mother" healthy and ready for your next batch of kombucha.

The best way to store your SCOBY is simply in a clean glass jar. Always pour a layer of kombucha over it so your culture of bacteria and yeast stays nice and moist and has enough nutrients. This layer of kombucha acts as a blanket for your SCOBY, ensuring all the microorganisms remain happily active until you're ready for another batch of kombucha.

Place the glass jar in a dark, cool spot – a kitchen cupboard or drawer is perfect. Direct sunlight is not a good idea, as it can damage your symbiotic culture. And here is a handy tip: make sure the jar is not airtight; cover it with a clean cloth and a rubber band instead. This allows your SCOBY to breathe while keeping unwanted bacteria out.

Do you need to store your SCOBY for a bit longer because you're taking a break from making kombucha? Totally understandable! Just refresh the layer of kombucha every few weeks so your SCOBY doesn't dry out and stays fresh. You can safely leave your SCOBY for three weeks without using it – as long as it is covered in enough kombucha, it will be content.

For an extra-long break, you can even freeze your SCOBY. Add some extra kombucha to the glass jar so the SCOBY stays well-moistened. Let it freeze completely before storing. This will keep your symbiotic culture of bacteria in top condition for when you feel like having bubbly kombucha again! Enjoy your next batch!

You know it – homemade kombucha tastes best when consumed fresh, but you also want your fermented drink to last as long as possible. Kombucha stays good in the refrigerator for several weeks to months. With these handy tips, you can ensure your kombucha retains its fresh flavor and healthy properties.

Always store your kombucha in a clean glass bottle with a well-sealing cap. This prevents unwanted guests – bacteria and yeasts you really don't want – from ending up in your kombucha. Your drink will stay delicious for much longer. Place your bottle of kombucha in the refrigerator immediately after the second fermentation. The cool temperature slows down the fermentation process, which keeps the flavor nicely stable and prevents your kombucha from suddenly becoming too acidic.

Keep your bottles of kombucha away from direct sunlight, as heat and light can significantly ruin the quality and taste of your kombucha. Give the bottle a gentle shake before you enjoy it so all the flavors and that lovely natural carbonation can mix well.

Pay attention to the condition of your homemade kombucha. Regularly check for any strange odors, unusual tastes, or a thick, green layer forming on the surface. This indicates spoilage by bacteria or molds that you definitely do not want in your glass. Is your kombucha still fresh and delightfully bubbly? Then you can safely enjoy your homemade fermented tea!

With these storage tips, you'll enjoy your own kombucha for much longer, and every bottle will remain a delicious drink to be proud of.

Making kombucha involves growing bacteria and yeast in a liquid that you will eventually drink. Many of these bacteria are considered probiotics, but if not prepared correctly, harmful bacteria or molds can grow as well. You certainly want to avoid that.

Working cleanly is therefore the most important thing. Everything must be clean! The vessel in which you brew your kombucha, as well as your hands, spoon, scale, strainer, etc.

Because of the many bacteria, it is better to avoid plastic jars, as they can harbor unwanted bacteria that you don't want in your drink. Also, try to avoid metal containers or jars. Metal can react with the acidic kombucha and damage your SCOBY. Glass jars are ideal; they are easy to clean and sterilize.

Because kombucha is a fermented drink, temperature also plays an important role. Fermentation happens faster at warmer temperatures and slower at colder ones. Ideally, choose a spot in your home that is slightly warmer than room temperature (21-24°C is ideal). Be careful with direct sunlight; kombucha should not be kept in direct sunlight.

You can't rush fermentation; it requires some patience. As difficult as it may be, try not to disturb your kombucha during the fermentation process. Since the bacteria and yeast need oxygen, leave your jar open during the first fermentation but cover it with a piece of cheesecloth. Keep it covered and ensure your kombucha can ferment on a vibration-free surface. Movement prevents the bacteria and yeast from growing together, and no SCOBY will form. Fermenting is fun science; keep your curiosity in check and don't move the jar. Peeking through the glass is fine, of course.

And last but not least, if you see mold growing on your SCOBY or in the tea, discard the entire batch. If you see white spots forming and you are unsure whether your kombucha is molding or if a new SCOBY is forming, leave your kombucha for a few more days; it will become clear soon enough. If you work cleanly, mold doesn't develop quickly. You can recognize mold because the white spots will turn green, black, or fuzzy after a few days (a bit like moldy fruit or old bread). However, if the white spots are growing toward each other, then a SCOBY is being formed—hooray!

When you take these basic principles into account, brewing kombucha becomes child's play.