If you have been in the US since the 1990s, you’ve likely heard about the outstanding health benefits of kombucha. I can’t speak to the miracle claims from personal experience, except to tell you that if you are experiencing a post-Thanksgiving food or drink hangover, skip the self-recrimination and go for a gigantic slug of the big K. I can feel myself getting my soul back as it moves through my system. And there is actual science that says kombucha supports liver function.
Making kombucha is super simple once you get the key element: the SCOBY. SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Community of Bacteria and Yeast (cute, right?) and it is sometimes called the mother or the mushroom. The best place to get your own scoby is from a friend or fellow fermenter. SCOBYs auto-reproduce in the kombucha-making process, so anyone who regularly makes kombucha will probably have an extra or two laying around. The SCOBY plus a bit of kombucha from the last batch will get you started. I got my most recent SCOBY from Allyson Kramer, the amazing blogger and photographer at Manifest Vegan. She is also the author of the cookbook I’ve been using to make my friends and family crave gluten-free, vegan food for the past several months, Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats. (Seriously, I made dudes watching football unknowingly devour gluten-free vegan things and ask for more.) I can honestly say this is the best SCOBY I’ve ever had, it makes babies like a (vegan?) mofo and produces the most delicious kombucha I’ve ever had, bar none. I used to be a sometimes ‘boocher, but with this SCOBY, I’ve started experimenting with constant fermentation and making a batch every week.
Once you have your SCOBY and your starter kombucha, you are ready to go! Don’t freak out about the sugar. It gets partially or entirely converted (depending on how long you let your big K ferment) and your guts will thank you for giving them all the healing bacteria and the glucaric acid which may help the liver function more efficiently (see previous hangover comments) and may have anti-carcinogenic properties.
Makes 1 gallon of kombucha. You can adjust batch size to your needs/projected hangover level.
A note on carbonation: The best way to get super bubbly ‘booch is to do secondary fermentation. Your kombucha is done when the sweet/sour level is where you like it, not when it’s bubbly. That said, in the warmer months, your bubbles may be vigorous in the first round of fermentation. See after the recipe for the simple secondary fermentation how-to.
Recipe after the jump.
Simple Kombucha
Materials:
12 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons tea or 8 tea bags (no tisanes, must be from the camellia sinesis plant: plain black, green or white. No flavored tea. The oils on, say, an earl grey could interfere with fermentation and/or damage your SCOBY.)
3/4 cup to 1 cup cane sugar
SCOBY
1 to2 cups starter tea (aka finished kombucha)
A large spoon for stirring
A large, non-metallic container in which to ferment
Process:
Heat your water. Add in the sugar and stir until it’s dissolved. Add tea to the hot, sweet water and let the mixture cool to room temperature. You really don’t want it hot, since that could mean the death of the little life forms that make up your SCOBY.
Once it’s sufficiently cooled, strain out your tea or remove your tea bags. Pour the sweetened, cooled tea into your kombucha vessel (glass or ceramic) and add your starter tea and scoby. Cover it with a fine-weave cloth or coffee filter and secure it tightly to your vessel with a rubber band or two. This allows the ferment access to air (a requirement for kombucha but not for most ferments) but prevents any dust or debris from getting in there.
That’s it! Leave it at room temperature for 5 days to 3 weeks, undisturbed and away from direct sunlight, and you’ll end up with kombucha. The longer it ferments, the more vinegary and less sweet it will be. The shorter end of that range will leave you with very sweet and not very acidic booch. You can definitely taste it along the way to see what sweetness level is a good stopping point for you. Just make sure that only sparkling clean implements are ever going into your kombucha.
Once it tastes the way you like, strain off the kombucha, reserving 1-2 cups to start a new batch.
Add SCOBY and starter tea to clean vessel and start the whole process from the top.
You can flavor and carbonate the remaining tea that you’ve strained off, drink it right away, or store it in the fridge.
For tips, tricks and recipes, check out the main kombucha page on Phickle.
A few tips:
The white film on the top is a good thing! It means things are working and your scoby is making a baby. It will thicken and become a whole other scoby that you can then pay forward to a friend.
If your existing scoby gets some streaky things hanging off of it, that’s cool! Just some extra slimy yeast that is created in the process. I personally do not enjoy drinking it, so I strain it out before drinking and toss it in the compost pile.
My current SCOBY makes an enormously effervescent kombucha (yum!) but in the past, I’ve had to do a little secondary fermentation to get the bubbliness rocking. How you do this: pour your finished tea (sans SCOBY) into a container that more or less seals (a plastic 2-liter, a ball jar, a flip top bottle as above, etc). Seal it. Leave it for a few days. Done. This is also a great time to flavor your kombucha by adding ginger chunks, dried fruit, juice, etc. if you are into that. Remember that you DO NOT want to add anything to the tea when the SCOBY is still in it.
IF you do secondary fermentation in a glass jar, make sure you are checking it daily and DO NOT leave it more than a couple of days. Your jar could explode. This is a serious risk. It has never happened to me, but be aware that if you forget about it, bad things can happen.
*5-8 is the time period that I have found works best with my SCOBY in my house, in cold weather in a cold house, I sometimes leave it for 2 weeks. You might like it more sour or fermentation might occur more slowly in your environment. According to Cultures For Health, you do not want to let it ferment longer than 3 weeks, because your SCOBY could starve. Other than that, it’s done when it tastes done to you!
DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND (by which I mean requests for cultures that became utterly overwhelming) I no longer ship individual cultures or meet up with individuals to share cultures. Every so often, when I have too many cultures around the house, I send out an announcement and set up shop at a cafe, where cultures are bagged up and ready to share. They can be taken, self-serve style, on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’d like to be informed about those times, please sign up for my mailing list under “Classes and Events” or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
Sarah says
Thank you so much for sharing all this info. I was wondering if you would be able to share some SCOBY with me? I want to start my first batch!! I’m a student at UPenn; please let me know if you’d like to arrange something!!
Amanda says
Hi Sarah,
Absolutely! I’m out of state until next week. Shoot me an email when I’m back and we can definitely arrange something. I live in the Italian Market area.
Zoey says
I live in philly and would love a scoby if you have an extra one!
Amanda says
Hi Zoey,
I generally have lots of extras. Anyone who’s willing to pick them up near the Italian Market (weekends) or in Old City (during late business hours) is welcome to them. I’m not in town at the moment, though!
Jiyeon Kim says
Hi! I love your blog! That’s so awesome that you make kimchi! I’m korean and I actually just made a big jar of kimchi too!
I’m hoping to make kombucha and was wondering you had extra scoby? My mom and I used to make kombucha back in Korea.. and I miss kombucha so soooo much! Please let me know. You and your blog is awesome!!
Yves Guyon says
I took the soda making class with you through greensgrow and loved it!
My batch of kombucha got moldy at the top overnight (i think its day 5) What do I do? Is it a lost cause? Merci!
Amanda says
Hi Yves,
Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated! The kombucha grey/white thing is almost definitely a new SCOBY forming. You can let it get thick enough that it’s easily removable, or you can just ignore its existence and continue the kombucha-making cycle. You’ll get a new SCOBY with just about every batch. Ravie de vous connaître. N’hésitez pas à me poser toutes vos questions fermentation!
Yves Guyon says
Upon closer examination I think it’s another scoby, not mold. it is opaque white/grey? How big should i let it get?
Kitchen'r Jon says
Hi Amanda,
My kombucha never gets carbonated (and my ginger bug definitely does, way too much!). I got my scoby from a guy on kijiji (canadian equivalent of craigslist). Is it possible that my scoby is really just a vinegar mother? I’ve tried so many things to get it to carbonate and none have worked. Thoughts?
Thanks!
-Jon
Amanda says
Hi Jon,
I’ve actually fermented kombucha with a vinegar mother and gotten really bubbly “kombucha,” so I don’t think that is the issue. What have you tried to get carbonation going?
Top things:
Warmer primary fermentation
Secondary Fermentation with fruit (berries especially add bubbles)
After secondary, add a large pinch of sugar before bottling in a truly airtight container.
I will also tell you that I never had particular luck (it was inconsistent) with carbonation until I got the SCOBY I use now (which I got from a friend, but she got it from Kombucha Brooklyn). How is the health of your SCOBY in general? Does it reproduce every batch, is it thick? Lots of yeast strands or mostly white? You might also want to try rebalancing the tea/sugar/water/starter tea ratio you use. I’ve had a lot of success with the ratios from this Cultures for Health Chart. It might be worth getting another SCOBY, but with the winter coming, you’re going to get less carbonation in general (in my experience). I hope that helps!
Amanda
Kitchen'r Jon says
Well, I think there’s yeast, because there’s definitely brown things hanging down from the scoby. It seems more or less healthy, it floats and seems to grow from batch to batch. I’ve added sugar to the bottles and use swing tops. It’s definitely warm in my house too. I’m wondering if I’ve been making the tea too strong, I’ll try the ratios from that link. I’ll keep tweaking things but may eventually need to try a new scoby.
Thanks!
Amanda says
No problem! I don’t want to be the one to tell people to buy stuff, but I really did have a better experience with this SCOBY than I have in the past. The continuous brew also definitely helps with carbonation. Might be worth a go! Good luck and let me know if you ever crack the code!
Nicole Giusti says
Hi Amanda! Thank you for your very informative post. I was looking for classes to start learning how to make kombucha in the Philadelphia area, but if you had an extra SCOBY I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind donating it to me! I live just a few blocks south of the Italian market, and would not mind picking up from you. Please let me know!
All the best,
Nicole
Ali says
Amanda,
Thanks for the great blog post. I just moved to Philadelphia this fall from Santa Cruz, CA where I brewed kombucha in the past. I am trying to find a SCOBY I can buy off someone locally. If you have one, please email me and I can pick it up! Thanks.
Cheers,
Ali
Barty says
How do you: make sure the tea doesn’t explode during the secondary fermenting process/stop the fermentation during the secondary phase. In other words… Do you know it is ready by opening it and tasting it? Say it is done… do you ensure it doesn’t explode by not keeping it in a sealed jar or…?
Amanda says
Hi Barty,
There are a few ways I make sure my ‘booch doesn’t explode:
1. Use plastic bottles, or at least have one plastic bottle. When the sides are hard, it is fully carbonated and should go in the fridge.
2. Don’t do secondary in a sealed container. A mason jar works fine. You can then bottle it after straining out whatever fruit/herbs/etc. you’ve added during secondary, if you are concerned with carbonation.
3. Do secondary for a longer period of time in the fridge. (Some of the yeasts may die off in a cold fridge so you have to decide if this is right for you).
I hope that helps!
Amanda
Kyler Thomas says
This sounds amazing and I’d really like to give homemade kombucha a shot. Do you happen to have an extra SCOBY that is in need of a loving, new home? I’m a med student in Philly (Society Hill area).
Best wishes,
Kyler
Amanda says
Hi Kyler,
I would love to offer you a SCOBY, but I’m going to be out of the SCOBY sharing business until at least May, I’m sorry to say! I have two larger classes between now and then and for both, participants will get a SCOBY to take home, which leaves me in production,rather than sharing, mode.
You might try asking on the Philadelphia Urban Farming Network (PUFN) group. Lots of kombucha-types get the messages and many are willing to share SCOBYs!
Kristin says
Hi Amanda,
I live in South Philly and would love to start brewing kombucha! Could I still arrange to get a scoby from you?
Amanda says
Hi Kristin,
I would love to offer you a SCOBY, but I’m going to be out of the SCOBY sharing business until at least May, I’m sorry to say! I have two larger classes between now and then and for both, participants will get a SCOBY to take home. That means I won’t have any extras to share.
You might try asking on the Philadelphia Urban Farming Network (PUFN) group. Lots of kombucha-types get the messages and many are willing to share SCOBYs!
Alina says
Hi Amanda!
I am so happy I found you and your scoby!
In Russian it’s called a tea mushroom, and my mom used to have one but she had too many fruit flies because of it so she got rid of it. This was years ago. In the past year and a half I’ve had many digestive problems and learned that kombucha can really help me due to it’s probiotic qualities and many healthy gut bacteria. I am 95% recovered from gastritis and but have IBS, which I am trying to cure. I was really sick and had no hope, and doctors didn’t do much. With research and experimentation with things I found I am recovering. Please please share your scoby with me. You will save my life. 🙂 What is your email? My phone number is [deleted]. I will be more than happy to pick it up. I’m close to center city, Philadelphia.
Amanda says
Hi Alina,
I’m so glad to hear you’re on the mend!
I would love to offer you a SCOBY, but I’m going to be out of the SCOBY sharing business until at least May, I’m sorry to say! I have two larger classes between now and then and for both, participants will get a SCOBY to take home. That means I won’t have any extras to share.
You might try asking on the Philadelphia Urban Farming Network (PUFN) group. Lots of kombucha-types get the messages and many are willing to share SCOBYs! You can also buy them from Kombucha Brooklyn online or Philly Homebrew Outlet in Nolibs.
Good luck with your healing journey!
Mariel says
Hi Amanda,
This is a wonderful blog! Is there any chance you still have scobys to share? I want to get one as a birthday gift for my sister, who is revved and ready to start making her own kombucha. I live pretty close to the Italian Market so I’d be more than happy to pick it up.
Thanks!
Taylor R says
Hey Amanda!
I live in Philadelphia and would be very interested in getting a SCOBY from you. I live in Manayunk and can get into your area very easily. Would it be possible for the two of us to meet up?
Thank you for the helpful article!
Nina Rose says
Hi Amanda!
Great blog! I’m looking to try to make Kombucha for the first time and wondering if you have any extra SCOBY you are able to donate. I live in the Italian Market area.
Thanks 🙂
Judy says
Thank you for the scoby you gave me at the PA farm show this year. I am attempting to make my first kombucha but I don’t have any starter tea. I ask the girl at my local health food store about it and she told me she never uses starter tea in her kombucha. I’ve read where I can use distilled vinegar in place of it. If this is true how much should I use. I only want to make a small batch at first.
Thank you
Amanda says
Hi Judy,
I put starter tea in the bags with the SCOBYs, so you should be alright to make a small batch just with that. I can’t remember how much finished kombucha I put in each bag, but you can measure it and make sure it ends up being about 15% of the total amount of tea you use (more is fine, less isn’t a good idea for a first batch, especially in the winter). So if you have 1/2 cup of finished kombucha in your bag, use a SCOBY and 3 cups of cooled, sweet tea to get it going.
If the bag leaked or your SCOBY “drank” the remaining liquid you can absolutely use distilled white vinegar as a substitute for the first batch. After that first batch, just make sure to save the amount of finished kombucha you’ll need for your next batch.
I hope that helps!
Eve says
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for the great kombucha tips!
Just a quick question: on the kombucha FAQ page, you write a SCOBY can hold out for months if kept at room temp and regularly fed with fresh liquid. What kind of container do I keep it in? I’ll take a wild guess that it’s going to keep fermenting and sealing the vessel would thus be dangerous, but does that mean I’ve got to keep it in a glass jar covered with cloth while not “actively” fermenting kombucha, too? And is it going to turn the liquid into vinegar?
My kombucha cravings were tickled after I read your post on golden kombucha a couple days ago, and I’m starting my first kombucha batch as of this evening. The (immensely short) how-to guide I got with my SCOBY told me to store it in the fridge if not in use.
After reading about a third of your kombucha-related articles, that sure is no longer an option. Thank you again; you probably saved my SCOBY 😉 .
Cheers!
Eve
Amanda says
Hi Eve,
You can just put it in whatever jar. Some people just keep a cloth and rubber band over the top (ideal if it’s in a space where it won’t get pushed around and potentially knocked over), but if you need to put a lid on, it’s not the end of the world. When you add fresh tea, burp it.
Kombucha won’t turn into true vinegar, but the liquid will become very sour and vinegar-y over time. My SCOBY hotel liquid is usually just brewing liquid for a new batch. It’s one of the few things I will straight up waste, because I don’t even like the taste of it in salad dressing when it gets really old (a couple months old is still good for salad dressing, though).
I’m SO glad you’re starting your brew life! You’ll get the hang of it very quickly! Don’t be afraid if you’re not fully in love with your first batch or if you have questions or your SCOBY gets dangly things on it. You probably would not outright kill your SCOBY by keeping it in the fridge, but it is possible that you could diminish its microbial diversity over time, so why not keep it where it’s happiest instead?
Anyway, happy brewing! I wish you bubbly glasses of perfect-for-you booch!
Eve says
Hi Amanda,
Wow! Thanks for all the helpful information, and your kind words 🙂
I’ve got kombucha. I’m not sure it’s going exactly as I wanted, but there’s kombucha, so hooray. Mum said “cannot move” would be adequate to describe the amount of SCOBYs we were going to get, since the SCOBY mother lying in its tea is apparently lively and quick at making babies. The first few days, my biologist side wanted to hang about the kitchen 24/7 to watch the SCOBY grow. I literally only calmed down once we started the second batch 😀 .
Apparently my questions multiply as fast as does the SCOBY.
There’s some brown gunk at the bottom of the (first fermentation) glass. It was already within the first batch, and it’s still present within the second. My best guess is that it is harmless; the SCOBY’s obviously working, the tea smells like kombucha, and it tastes sort-of like kombucha (I’m trusting my nose over my tongue since I only knew store-bought kombucha before). Trying to strain the kombucha was of no use; the brown stuff dissolved for a few hours, and returned come morning. Still, any idea what it is? Can yeast be this powdery?
I don’t have to be worried about nudging the SCOBY when I take some tea for secondary fermentation, do I? The other day, one SCOBY sank to the bottom when I did, and someone was worried it was now dead. It obviously isn’t. There’s a new one (couple millimetres thick already!) forming. I’m just asking. You’re pretty much considered a kombuchologist within my family (excuse my word-inventiveness, please).
We tried to secondary-ferment (word?) with ginger. Which lasted exactly three days until the bottle was empty (:cough:). Next up was peach kombucha, which is out at room temp for some ten days by now and is hardly fizzy. I tasted the first fizz in the ginger kombucha the day the bottle emptied, so I’m a little confused. Maybe I shouldn’t open the bottle every day? That happened to the ginger one, too, though. Everything’s glass, and albeit there’s a wooden cork, I don’t want any peach kombucha in my kitchen drawers. Do you have any estimate how long your secondary fermentation kombucha usually needs till it turns bubbly?
Do you think fruit juice (organic, but bottled) would work for secondary fermentation in general, perhaps with adjustened sweetener given the amount of fructose?
Questions amass… and one real problem. My SCOBY hotel grew mouldy the other day (the green and furry kind of mouldy). I don’t really get why. Should I have paid more attention to it, rather than only feeding it fresh tea once? Might it have been “infected” by vegetables close by (the avocadoes that are unripe one evening and rotten the next morning)? In which case I’d be worried about the active fermentation glass, since I’m SCOBY-obsessed and we’ve got no SCOBY backup any longer… Or – my guess – was the ratio of three SCOBYs in a litre of tea too skewed? There was enough tea to cover all of them. Also, I swear it was only one SCOBY to begin with, but it tripled as I left it lying. (The word “reproduce” now associates “SCOBY” in my mind. It happened at work the other day. I might or might not have roped my boss into trying kombucha, on a lighter note.)
I’d be very glad if you could lend a virtual hand again. Thank you for the comprehensive info and the kombucha guides you’ve posted; I’d probably be way more confused still without those 🙂 .
Cheers!
Eve