kombucha!
Author: 
Recipe type: Drinks
 
Give yourself at least a week to ferment the brew. Read my post above for more details on ingredient and equipment choices -- very important!
Ingredients
  • 1 gallon filtered water (OR LESS - SEE MY UPDATES BELOW)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 4 to 6 teabags, preferably organic black or green caffeinated tea*. If using loose tea, estimate 1 to 2 grams tea per bag. Do NOT use oily teas (like Earl Grey or mint teas) as the oils prevent proper SCOBY growth. I really like the Chinese Pu-er black tea mixed with green tea.
  • -A SCOBY and prior kombucha brew liquid (about ½ cup to 1 cup works; some sources note using 2 cups)** . If you obtain a fresh SCOBY, they usually come with starter liquid.
  • Wide mouth gallon glass or lead-free ceramic jar without a lid
  • Thick cheese cloth, tea towel, coffee filter, or paper towel (anything with a thick weave)
  • Rubber band
  • IMPORTANT UPDATE 2022!!! COVID killed My SCOBY - I couldn't find any cane sugar in the stores early 2020 and ended up killing the culture. Soooooooo, I got a new SCOBY May 2021 and have adjusted the recipe for a stronger and more healthy brew. You need:
  • -1½ cup cane sugar
  • -12 black tea bags (each about 1½ teaspoons)
  • -12 cups of water
Instructions
  1. PREPARE THE TEA: Boil the filtered water, add the sugar, and the desired number of teabags. Allow to sit and cool to room temperature. (Cool to at least 82 degrees F or the hot liquid may kill the SCOBY. I check temp with an instant read thermometer.) Alternatively, you can boil less water, add the sugar and teabags, adding the remainder of the water to cool more quickly. You can also try to decaffeinate tea yourself: steep the black tea for 60 seconds and dump the liquid. Use new boiling water to use the tea again to make the final tea to use in the kombucha. About 50% of the caffeine will be present in the first steeping.
  2. GET THE SCOBY READY: Try not to handle or the SCOBY too much or expose it to air uncovered: this could introduce nasty stuff like mold that could contaminate the culture. Once I pour the cooled tea-sugar liquid into my fermenter jar, I wash my hands with a non-perfumed soap then rinse them with white distilled vinegar. THEN I handle the SCOBY.
  3. PUT 'EM TOGETHER: Gently add in the SCOBY and the starter liquid after everything has cooled to room temperature. Cover with cloth/coffee filter and secure with rubber band. Do NOT cap the jar with a screwtop lid. There needs to be off-gassing with the fermentation. Keep in a cool to warm (but not hot!) area of the kitchen without bright sunlight. Don't jostle the jar around for the first week to allow the new SCOBY, the "baby" to form. Allow to sit for 7 to 30 days, tasting at 7 days to determine desired sweetness level. The warmer the room, the faster the fermentation. The ideal temp for rapid growth is 76 to 84 degrees F. My kitchen tends to be around 76 degrees F. Again, the widemouth jar and cloth cover allow gas exchange. The cloth cover also prevents nasty things from getting into the brew. You don't want fruit fly larva in your drink. If that happens, throw everything away.
  4. You can stop and drink your kombucha here. Pour the kombucha into a storage container, leaving the SCOBY, its "baby", and about 1 to 2 cups of liquid in the fermenting jar. Store the brewed kombucha in the fridge.
  5. START THE NEXT CYCLE: You can keep the SCOBY with kombucha covered in the fermenting jar for a few days (kind of like a short vacation hotel stay). Start the cycle over by brewing another batch of tea and sugar.
  6. OTHER FLAVOR OPTIONS/SECOND FERMENTATION: Want to do a second fermentation with fruit juice? This is a time to add other flavoring, fruit juices being popular favorites, about 2 ounces of juice per 12 ounces of kombucha. I have also heard others using 2 to 3 ounces of juice (unpasteurized or organic are better than conventional) per quart of kombucha. You can also use undefrosted frozen organic fruit.
  7. I like ginger kombucha. Add a 2 cm diameter slice of organic ginger to your 12 ounce bottle, seal, and allow to sit at room temperature for 2 to 5 days. I've also tried 3 cups of kombucha mixed with 6 ounces of mashed organic raspberries. NOTE: Bottles during second fermentation have theoretical potential to explode! Do NOT store them uncovered. Ambient temperature makes a difference. A cupboard or Tupperware bin is safest. I err on the side of caution and ferment for less time. Important also is consider your bottles: make sure they are sealed correctly and check daily. You need a pop-top corked or screwtop bottle. Screwtops don't work as well for me. Pop each open to expel the gas: they will recarbonate without a problem.
  8. After a couple rounds of brewing, you can wash your brewing container, though it's not necessary. Washing it without any other dishes, placing your container in the dishwasher under a hot water rinse works. There will be yeast build up at the bottom that may disrupt the balance in the milieu. You do need some of the yeast to help continue the culture, but if it looks really cloudy, you can wash. Wash well with hot water then rinse with white distilled vinegar.
  9. Ka-pow! You made kombucha!
Notes
* I love rooibos tea, a red, uncaffeinated, low tannin tea historically popular and originating in South Africa. It got me through medical school. See notes in the post on using caffeinated versus decaffeinated versus uncaffeinated teas.

** If you don't have starter, white distilled vinegar can be substituted per some sources I've read. It's not optimal but may work. I've never tried it.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/drink-recipes/kombucha-and-tracy-bonham/