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Learn How to Brew Kombucha Tea at Home – Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Known as a health elixir and yogi’s magic potion, Kombucha is a tea drink that is naturally fermented with “good” bacteria and yeast. Typically made with either black or green tea, this powerhouse beverage can come in a spectrum of flavors and does wonders for your digestion and immune system.
 
You can buy kombucha from health food stores or better yet, you can brew your own! It’s surprisingly easy and super fun. When you’re ready to make your own kombucha at home, this article will provide everything you’ll need to get started.
 

Learn How to Brew Kombucha Tea at Home

Start by gathering all of your supplies. You’ll need a list of ingredients for brewing the tea, along with several supplies for the brewing process.
 

What you need to start brewing kombucha:

kombucha-whatYouNeed

Kombucha tea brewing ingredients:

• Starter culture, or scoby (buy kombucha scoby online or get a piece from a friend who brews)
• 10 tea bags or 12 grams of loose tea (choose black tea, Oolong, or green tea)
• 1 cup of organic white cane sugar
• 12 cups of water

Kombucha brewing supplies:

• Gallon-sized glass jar
• Large pot with lid (glass or stainless steel)
• Breathable cloth cover: flour sack, muslin, cheese cloth, or coffee filter
Pro Tip: When covering the top of the jar, make sure there are no large gaps or holes where bugs or dust can get through and disturb your brew
• Wood or bamboo stirring spoon
• Large rubber band (big enough to tightly secure your cloth to the top of your jar)
• Glass bottles or mason jars
• Nylon mesh strainer

 

Kombucha brewing directions:

1. Clean and prep
Clean and sterilize all supplies with hot water and soap. Make sure to rinse off all soap suds, wash your hands, and keep your work station as clean as a whistle!
 
2. Brew the tea
Bring water to a boil and steep the tea for 10 minutes.
Kombucha-boil
 
3. Add sugar
Remove tea and stir in sugar until it is completely dissolved.
Kombucha2
 
4. Allow to cool
Allow tea mixture to cool down to room temperature. You can wait until temperature cools or you can add in ice cubes.
 
5. Add scoby
Pour tea mixture into your glass container and place your scoby (the kombucha starter culture) into the same container. Your scoby will either float or sink – both are normal.
Kombucha3
 
6. Add vinegar
Pour vinegar evenly over your tea mixture and scoby.
 
7. Cover the jar
Cover jar with a clean and breathable cloth and wrap tightly with a rubber band. Make sure the cloth doesn’t shed, and do not allow any dust or bugs in (flour sack or muslin works well).
 
Also, make sure there is enough space between the cloth and tea mixture so the two do not touch. At least 2 inches in between prevents the cloth from disturbing or soaking up your brew.
Kombucha4
 
8. Store it
Store your brew in a warm, dark area. The ideal room temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees. Important to note: try not to move the jar around during fermentation.
 
9. Observe
After a few days, you will begin to see a “new baby” forming on the top of your brew. This will start to look like a cloudy film on the top which will grow over time.
Kombucha5
 
10. Check in
Sample your kombucha during its brewing time. A finished brew should taste both sweet and sour, and also be fizzy with carbonation. If it is still too sweet, then it needs to brew longer.
 
If it is too sour, then you may have brewed it too long. The good news is that if your kombucha has been over-brewed, it is still safe and beneficial to drink (it just depends on your taste preferences).
Kombucha7
 
11. Wait some more
Your total kombucha brewing time depends on many variables: the type of tea you chose, the temperature, and also your scoby. Usually, the total brewing time is between 7-14 days.
 
12. Bottle your brew
When brewing is finished, strain your kombucha and store it in air-tight glass bottles, leaving about 1.5 inches from the top to make room for carbonation. This continual brew will leave you with lots of kombucha to drink daily and share with friends and family.
Kombucha6
 
13. Next batch!
To continue the brewing process, repeat the same process above, but instead of using vinegar, use 2 cups of fermented kombucha from the last batch. This is an important step if you want to continue brewing another batch of kombucha at home.
 
 
Learning how to brew your own kombucha is an incredibly fun and rewarding journey. Making kombucha for the first time can seem intimidating, but have fun in your learning process! Experiment, enjoy the journey, and feel free to ask us any questions you may have in the comments below.
 
Sip, share and enjoy all the benefits of brewing kombucha at home. Happy brewing!!

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Get the Lowdown on SCOBY - The Most Important Kombucha Tea Ingredient
A SCOBY is the most important ingredient in kombucha. Learn all about the SCOBY and the health benefits of brewing kombucha at home.
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Charmie Stryker

A wanderlust at heart, Charmie started her yoga teaching path during her travels through India. Her practice has been nicknamed as “shakti sway”. “Shakti”, meaning divine energy, and movement and “Sway” because of her love for flow, or the fluidity of movements. Currently she is pursuing her bliss of yoga, travel and design blurring the lines between work and play.

shaktisway.com

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