Kombucha
Ingredients
Part 1
Part 2
Equipment
  • 3 sterilised jars2 at minimum 1 L capacity, the other can be smaller. Wide tops is a plus. One for initial brew, one as the SCOBY hotel, one for flavouring the brew
  • Clean cloth
  • Tongs
Instructions
Sterilising the jars
  1. Wash the jar thoroughly, leave to dry on a teatowel.
  2. Put the jar in the oven and then turn the oven on to 180C – this is so you don’t crack the jar by hoisting it into a raging furnace, but rather letting it more gradually adjust to the heat.
  3. Leave it in the oven for 20 mins
  4. Do not put the lids in the oven – we’re not going to use a lid until the very end anyway. You can sterilise lids by dunking them in boiling water for about 10 minutes then air drying
Part 1
  1. Pour boiling water in jar with tea bags & sugar, steep overnight.
  2. In morning, remove bags with tongs
  3. Pour in pre-brewed kombucha
  4. Pop SCOBY on top
  5. Cover with clean cloth and rubber band to hold
  6. Leave the jar in a dark cupboard where it won’t be disturbed much, and resist the temptation to check it daily
  7. Leave the jar untouched for 7 days.
Part 2
  1. At 7 days remove the SCOBY and store it in some kombucha liquid in a separate jar (this is called the SCOBY hotel)
  2. Strain your brew into the new bottle.
  3. Add 1 tsp sugar
  4. Add your chosen flavouring (if passionfruit, add the pulp & juice) OR you can just leave it plain.
  5. Pop the lid on, and let it brew for another 3 days, remembering to ‘burp’ the brew daily – undo lid and release air, then replace lid.
  6. Put in the fridge with lid on, and enjoy at your leisure.
Recipe Notes

SCOBY = symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts.
Hit up your local food coop and spread the word that you’re looking for a scoby. Someone will come to your brewing rescue.
Be mindful when choosing tea that there’s no essential oil in the black tea – we’ve found that the scoby doesn’t like some oils.
Adding the pre-brewed kombucha provides bacteria to help kick start your brew.
Do not use a stainless steel brewing container as the scoby can react to it. Don’t use plastic either (BPA, yuk!). We prefer glass.
When you put scoby in, it could sink, or it could float. Either way, it’s all good.
While your beverage is brewing, the scoby will start to grow a baby on it. This will happen over and over. Just keep using the original scoby as you like, or use a baby. Whichever way is cool. You can gift your friends baby scobies at their parties. I think they’d like that.
What about mould? Sometimes the new scobies forming look like mould – but in fact it can be the new yeast growth forming. Have a look at it. Mould on top appears dry and furry, with separate clump dwellings. Scoby growths look moist. It can start out as separate clumps, but then merge together as one flap. Scoby growth will also grow mostly submerged beneath the liquid.

Support: Kombucha Brewers Group – here you chat with a community of keen brewers about your kombucha making journey, send in pics for clarification, and have a merry time.