Kombucha: How to Brew Kombucha

Once you have a SCOBY, the world is your oyster--or at least the near endless capacity to make your own kombucha.

Like creating the SCOBY, a container is needed. Glass is best, as metal tends not to be conducive to SCOBY health, and plastic can create its own issues. Gallon glass jars are available at many stores, including the gallon Ball jar, but in a pinch, any gallon glass vessel will work, including tall glass vases, which can be found in many thrift stores.

A vase doing double-duty as a brewing vessel


EQUIPMENT

Large pot
Spoon
Metal mixing bowl
Gallon jar or vessel
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
Coffee filter or T-shirt scrap
Rubber band


INGREDIENTS 

Bottle of organic, unpasteurized kombucha (plain is best, like this one)
One cup raw, organic sugar
One tablespoon loose organic tea (I use either Davidson's Organic Imperial Green or Earl Grey) or four tea
        bags of organic green or Earl Grey tea
One gallon unfluoridated water


DIRECTIONS

Add the water to a pot and bring to boil.

Put the tea and sugar into the metal mixing bowl, and pour in the boiled water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour two cups of prebrewed kombucha to the gallon jar and add the SCOBY.

When the contents of the metal mixing bowl have cooled, remove the tea bags, and pour the contents into the glass vessel. If using loose tea, pour the contents through a strainer.

Cover the glass vessel with a coffee filter or T-shirt scrap, fastening it in place with the rubber band.

Place the jar or bowl in a dark corner of a room, and let stand from five days to two weeks, depending on the seasons and your preference on sweetness. In summer, even in Maine, the kombucha can be ready in five to seven days. Winter in Maine slows the process to over a week to two weeks.

Test the kombucha by inserting a straw past the SCOBY. The finished kombucha should have an effervescence similar to seltzer water as well as a level of sweetness.  


A note on kombucha:

This will be the last time you will need to use prebrewed kombucha. Once you have completed your first batch of kombucha, you have the ingredients to make future batches: the SCOBY and kombucha.

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