How to Make Kombucha with simple ingredients from scratch. This kombucha recipe is easy if you follow our quick video instructions. And costs 30 times less than store bought!
We will show you how to grow a SCOBY (you can also buy one or get from a friend), brew kombucha and then even make it fizzy. This is a full guide to homemade kombucha tea that costs 30 times less than store-bought. Aha, that’s right!
Table of contents
Why Make Homemade Kombucha?
Wondering why and how to make kombucha at home? Got “a kombucha problem” and don’t like how much it costs? I don’t blame you. Store bought kombucha costs as much as wine.
1 gallon kombucha = $28 Store bought vs. $0.80 Homemade = 30 times cheaper
Shocked? I was too. This reason alone should be enough to get over any aversion towards kombucha SCOBY, the jellyfish like slimy kombucha “mushroom”, and learn how to make your own kombucha.
I have been making my own kombucha for 5 years now. Making kombucha at home is super-super simple once you understand how kombucha tea brewing process works. This post goes into detailed instructions including a video, supplies needed (with affiliate Amazon links I use and trust myself) and a huge section of FAQs. Keep scrolling below or click on any link in the Table of Contents above for a quick jump to your section of interest.
What Is a Kombucha Tea?
Kombucha tea is a fermented tea made with water, tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. After kombucha SCOBY (mushroom) sits in a sweetened tea for 7-10 days, the result is barely sweet fermented fizzy drink. Most sugar in store bought kombucha comes from added sugar.Kombucha definitely tastes and smells like a fermented product. Something in between apple cider and tea. It tastes depends on type of tea leaves used and flavorings added. There is a big difference in taste between green tea and black tea fermented tea.
Ingredients and Supplies You Will Need
Ingredients
- Kombucha SCOBY: You will need to grow your own SCOBY first from a mix of a bottle of store-bought kombucha, tea, sugar and water. However, you can buy fresh SCOBY with starter tea to speed up the process by 2-3 weeks or get one form a friend.
- Tea: Any caffeinated, flavoured (love Earl Grey tea here) or plain tea like white tea, black tea or green tea works. No decaf tea. You can also use tea bags (I list the amount in the recipe card below).
- Sugar: White or cane sugar, preferably organic. No brown, coconut or raw sugar. Also no honey, maple syrup, stevia, splenda etc.
- Water: Can be just tap cold water, doesn’t have to be filtered.
Supplies
- Large glass container: Has to be glass or ceramic minimum 1 gallon size. I always use a glass dispenser with a plastic spout (which is fine!) that makes pouring the brewed kombucha so much easier.
- Flip top glass bottles: Airtight bottles will keep carbonation in.
- Fine mesh sieve: Filters out large and small loose leaf tea leaves making your drink super clear.
- Linen or paper towel and a rubber band: You want to allow air to circulate during the fermentation process.
Bottles cleaning tip: With time inside of the bottles accumulate a tea build up. Add 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp uncooked rice, then fill up with hot water half way. Shake, let stand fo 10 minutes, shake well again and rinse. Bottles should be much cleaner now.
How to Make Kombucha from Scratch
Here is a quick recap of the whole process:
- Grow or buy a SCOBY
- First fermentation – brewing kombucha.
- Second fermentation (optional) – flavoring and making kombucha more fizzy.
1. Grow or Buy Fresh SCOBY with Starter Tea
Here is a super easy video recipe how to grow kombucha SCOBY. Quick recap: All you will need is a bottle of store-bought kombucha, combined with a few cups of homemade sweet tea and left to ferment for about 2 weeks or until a SCOBY forms on top. Or you can buy fresh SCOBY with starter tea these days. Amazing!
You might be able to grow a SCOBY with store-bought flavoured kombucha. Just make sure it contains black tea. For example, I think ginger kombucha will have more chances than mango one.
2. Brew Sweet Tea
Now that we have kombucha mushroom, we are ready to brew kombucha also called “first fermentation”. In a large pot, bring water to boil and turn off heat. Add tea leaves and sugar, stir and let cool completely.
To speed up the cooling process, place pot in a sink filled with cold water for 30 minutes, or let cool outside (if it’s cold). I use the same pot each time when making kombucha, so now I do not have to measure 14 cups of water every time.
3. Combine Tea and SCOBY
In at least one gallon size glass beverage dispenser, add SCOBY and 2 cups of starter tea (the one from growing a mushroom in or store-bought kombucha). Pour cooled tea on top using a fine mesh strainer.
Once you pour freshly brewed tea, it is normal to see the SCOBY sink to the bottom or hang sideways. It will float to the top after a few days of fermentation.
4. Ferment
Cover with paper or linen towel secured with a rubber band and put in a place with temperatures around or above 21C or 70F degrees (I leave mine on a kitchen counter away from direct sunlight) to ferment for 7-14 days.
How do I know my kombucha is brewing? Kombucha will lighten in colour and develop fermented smell. You will also see small bubbles forming and new SCOBY forming on top of the first one.
In summer, warmer temperatures speed up the fermentation. And in winter, they slow it down. Keep an eye on the kombucha based on the season and your house temperatures.
5. Taste and Bottle
After 7-10 days (less in summer) start tasting kombucha. If it isn’t sweet, has a tangy taste, fizzes as you pour and booch mushroom is floating at the top, then your fermented tea is ready. Pour all of it, minus the 2 cups and SCOBY, using a funnel into an airtight cap bottles and enjoy!
6. Storing Kombucha Tea
Does kombucha go bad? Kombucha tea doesn’t go bad but rather keeps fermenting which makes it taste more vinegar-y. Choice of storage depends on your personal taste buds. Keep at room temperature for up to one week, “burping” bottles every few days to avoid gases build up. After that (or from the start) refrigerate for up to 2-3 weeks. Fermented tea loses its carbonation when refrigerated and doesn’t need “burping”.
There is nothing like freshly brewed kombucha. When it’s ready for bottling, I like to pour myself a big glass directly from the dispenser with a spout before bottling the rest up.
7. Repeat
Always leave about 2 cups of fermented tea covering the SCOBY in a jug, to keep it hydrated and to be able to start a new batch. To brew next batch, start with step 2 by brewing and cooling the sweet tea.
Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
One word – PROBIOTICS. Kombucha is a fermented product containing the “good” bacteria.
- Stronger immune system.
- Improved digestion.
- Healthy gut.
- Detoxification.
If you are looking for another way to boost your immune system, detoxify and improve gut health, check out how to make lemon water.
How to Flavor and Make Kombucha More Fizzy
Freshly poured kombucha tea from the dispenser with a SCOBY is very fizzy. It loses its carbonation once bottled, especially in a fridge. Would you like it to be more fizzy? Then you need to do a second fermentation aka how to make kombucha fizzy.
Would you like your kids to drink and love the booch? Would you like to make your own “healthy pop”? Then click and learn everything about flavoring kombucha.
Homemade Kombucha FAQs
Unfortunately not. Kombucha is one of few recipes where you have to use white or cane sugar. Raw sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia or any other sweetener will not work. However, you will not be eating 1 cup sugar once tea has fermented. The sugar acts like the food for the bacteria and yeast. They will eat it all up turning into acidity and carbonation. Final kombucha is very low in sugar.
No, caffeine is a must for the fermentation process to occur. You can combine a bit of flavored tea with black or green or white tea to add flavor.
No and yes. I don’t rinse the mushroom but if you want to – go for it. Every few batches I wash the jug with biodegradable dish soap (check out the non-toxic cleaners I use). I have read that you should wash jar with vinegar but because I don’t use conventional harsh dish soap, I am not too scared of the chemicals making my SCOBY “sick”.
I honestly never had this issue. Neither any reader has reported it. So it is very rare and what you might think is a mold, is actually new SCOBY growing on top. But if it happens, you have to discard the entire batch and start over again.
That is a new SCOBY growing – “a baby”.
Always leave the top (newer) kombucha mushroom to keep brewing kombucha. Peel off the older one and you have 2 options:
Option #1: Give it to friends or start another batch.
Option #2: Compost it. It sucks, it’s a waste but at least it gets composted.
Yes, SCOBY is easy to cut with a pair of clean kitchen scissors. In fact, you always should keep only a few SCOBies in your kombucha brewing batch because too many and your fermented tea will be sour. Think of it as a bigger hungry “baby” that will eat sugar faster. However, you should also keep in mind that for best carbonation results the shape of a SCOBY should be the shape of the jar creating a tight seal.
Yes, technically. I have seen scoby candy recipes and have heard some folks feeding the mushroom to their dog.
To maintain a bit of a fizz, store kombucha at room temperature (not refrigerated) in an airtight bottle. Carbonation won’t be as strong but still some is better than none.
When we went on vacation to Mexico for a month, I placed the jug with SCOBY and about few cups of kombucha in the fridge for 4 weeks. This way the fermentation process slows down. If I want to take a break for a shorter period of time while at home, let’s say 7-10 days, I just let the jar sit on a counter in the same way.
Yes, a bit. It contains approximately 1/3 the amount of caffeine as the tea it is made with.
Alcohol level in kombucha is 0.5% ABV compared to 5% ABV in beer. Definitely won’t make you drunk.
Drink as much as desired. There is no right or wrong formula for health benefits. Make sure to drink plenty of water as kombucha is natural detoxifier. And you want to flush the newly released toxins out.
Yes for sure. My kids love the booch, especially the flavored one. They treat it as pop or juice.
You let it ferment too long. Happens to the best of us. I usually make a few cups of strong sweet tea, let cool and add to the jug with the booch. Let sit for another 1-2 days, taste and bottle. Do not add sugar directly to the jug with kombucha as it will not dissolve or help with the acidity.
Black tea. Its leaves that have been oxidized for a long time creating a bold flavor.
Choice of storage depends on your personal taste buds. Keep at room temperature for up to one week, “burping” bottles every few days to avoid gases build up. After that (or from the start) refrigerate for up to 2-3 weeks. Fermented tea loses its carbonation when refrigerated and doesn’t need “burping”.
More Healthy Drinks Recipes
How to Make Kombucha
Ingredients
- 1 kombucha SCOBY
- 2 cups previously brewed kombucha from a jar with SCOBY or store-bought
- 14 cups water
- 1 cup white or cane sugar not honey, stevia, raw or coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp loose leaf black or green tea or 8 tea bags
Instructions
- Make kombucha SCOBY. All you will need is a bottle of store-bought kombucha, combined with a few cups of homemade sweet tea and left to ferment for about 2 weeks or until a SCOBY forms on top. Or you can buy fresh SCOBY with starter tea these days.
- In a large pot, bring water to boil and turn off heat. Add tea and sugar, stir and let cool completely: place in a sink filled with cold water to speed things up, or let sit overnight.
- In a glass container, add SCOBY and 2 cups of starter tea (the one from growing a SCOBY in or store-bought kombucha). Pour cooled tea on top using a fine mesh strainer.
- Cover with paper or linen towel secured with a rubber band and put in a place with temperatures around or above 21C or 70F degrees (I leave mine on a kitchen counter away from direct sunlight) to ferment for 7-14 days. It is OK if SCOBY isn’t floating at the top (it will later).
- After 7-10 days (less in summer) start tasting kombucha. If it isn’t sweet, has a tangy taste, fizzes as you pour and SCOBY is floating at the top, then your kombucha is ready.
- Pour all of the kombucha, minus the 2 cups and SCOBY, using a funnel into an airtight cap bottles and enjoy!
- Always leave about 2 cups of fermented tea covering the SCOBY in a jug, to keep it hydrated and to be able to start a new batch. To brew next batch, start with step 2 by brewing and cooling the sweet tea.
Video
Notes
- Store: Kombucha tea doesn’t go bad but rather keeps fermenting which makes it taste more vinegar-y. Choice of storage depends on your personal taste buds. Keep at room temperature for up to one week, “burping” bottles every few days to avoid gases build up. After that (or from the start) refrigerate for up to 2-3 weeks. Kombucha loses its carbonation when refrigerated and doesn’t need “burping”.
- Plastic spout: If you have glass dispenser with a tap and it is plastic, know it is fine and normal. That is what I have.
- Can I use plastic or metal container for making kombucha? No, it has to be glass.
- What is best tea for making kombucha? Any caffeinated, flavoured or plain tea like white tea, black tea or green tea works.
- What is ideal room temperature for brewing kombucha? About 68 – 70 F or 20-21 C for bacteria to grow and kombucha ferment. Warmer temperature means faster fermentation.
- Can I take a break from brewing kombucha? Yes. When we went on vacation to Mexico for a month, I placed the jug with SCOBY and about few cups of kombucha in the fridge for 4 weeks. This way the fermentation process slows down. If I want to take a break for a shorter period of time while at home, let’s say 7-10 days, I just let the jar sit on a counter in the same way.
The best instructions/recipe for making your own kombucha! Who knew it could be so easy!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Trish!
Very clear, detail, include FAQs too. What an excellent recipe!
Started making it on the new (this) year and keep going on and on, plus experiencing new flavours to pick and choose some favourites. A HUGE thank YOU from the bottom of my heart Olena!
You are so welcome! What are your favorite flavors? mine are ginger and lavender.
Thanks for sharing Olena, May I ask where can I get scoby? I used to make my own in the 90’s when I was back in Singapore but not since I moved to Oz. Would love to make my own again. Thank you!
You can grow your own – here is my recipe. Or you can buy it on Amazon or craigslist.
Clear instructions and steps…. thanks for posting and sharing!
You are so welcome! I love my kombucha! I make it for years now and bring it with me everywhere.
Kombucha isn’t less fizzy when you put it in the fridge. The liquid is able to hold more co2 in suspension when it is cold so it is actually more carbonated.
Well, mine is less fizzy from the fridge for sure. Must be mine.:)
Is it ok to use less than the 1 cup of organic cane sugar? It seems like a lot of sugar to add, so I’m wondering if that can be cut down a little. Thank you, and looking forward to my first brew!
Hi there. No, 1 cup of sugar is necessary for yeast to grow. Don’t worry, you won’t be drinking it. Virtually all sugar gets “eaten” by the scoby and yeast.
Thank you!! I’m on day 3 of fermenting now and I love waking up to see what changes occurred overnight. I have my ginger ready to go for the 2nd fermentation!
Perfect. I know. The same satisfaction as farmers get.:)
First timer.
Grew my scoby according to your recipe. Worked like a charm… but now I’m onto brewing my first batch of kombucha and a foam has created on top… I’ve showed a few friends that have made kombucha and they said theirs has never looked like mine but they follow a different recipe. I’m not sure what’s normal and what’s not… any ideas?
It’s fermenting and new scoby is growing on top each time, a thin layer, starting with bubbles. Especially now in summer it grows fast. Read my FAQs and it will tell you to their away bottom scoby and keep fresh one of its thick enough. I would say you are totally fine but if you want you can send me a picture at ifoodreal at gmail dot com and I will take a look. All kombucha recipes contain same ingredients and just like any recipe it will look different between 5 people who make it. 🙂
Okay!!! I will send you a picture!! I smelled it.. and it smells fine, like kombucha!! It doesn’t look like a mold or anything… I was wondering if it was a new “bigger” scoby growing.. my original one is floating sideways underneath of it. So, once it comes to the top and the kombucha is “done” would I peel the bottom one off and keep the top one?
I emailed you. All looks good! Yes, sideways is fine and yes peel the bottom and keep the top.:) That’s it.
Can you double the recipe to brew a larger batch?
Yes, just add a cup or two of extra previously brewed kombucha. Might take a few days longer, maybe not. Honestly, by now I always eyeball amount of previously brewed kombucha to mix with sweetened tea and it always works. Another scoby grows like crazy.
finally a no-nonsense approach to brewing! thank you!
You are welcome. Video is coming in a few weeks as well.
I followed the recipe to a T and it worked like a charm! THANK YOU for saving me hundreds of dollars.
Welcome!!!