How To Make Kombucha: SCOBY Culturing

Ferment your first batch of probiotic-packed kombucha with the help of a homebrew kit.

By Christine Stoner
Updated on July 25, 2022
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by AdobeStock/flyalone
Save money by brewing and bottling your own kombucha tea at home, where you can customize the flavors of each batch.

Learn how to make kombucha. SCOBY culture care tips and more! Ferment your first batch of probiotic-packed kombucha with the help of a homebrew kit.

After hearing all the talk about the health benefits of kombucha tea, I did some research to see what the buzz was about. Kombucha tea is probiotic-rich and antimicrobial, which means it improves digestive function while helping to fight off bacteria that can cause illness. Studies show that increased consumption of probiotics may lower cholesterol, increase energy, and support immune function. This tasty beverage is also packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals, which cause damage on a cellular level.

Kombucha tea is brewed using a SCOBY. The term “SCOBY” is often mistaken for a mushroom, when in fact it’s an acronym meaning “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” When a SCOBY is added to green or black tea with sugar, fermentation occurs, and the SCOBY converts the sugars to carbon dioxide, a tiny amount of alcohol, and acids. After 1 to 3 weeks of this process, the result is a tangy, bubbly brew with a vinegar-like taste that can be modified through a second fermentation into flavors that’ll satisfy any palate.

From Kit to Kombucha

Bottled kombucha is widely available, but the cost adds up quickly. After sampling what was available at the local grocer, I started purchasing single-serve bottles to share with my family and friends, keeping my refrigerator stocked. Soon after, everyone in my household (myself included) was put on a one-a-day limit to keep us from rapidly guzzling the costly drinks. To address our expensive cravings, I investigated how kombucha was made. The recipe and preparation seemed simple enough, and with a little patience for the fermentation process, we could be drinking our own kombucha tea in a little more than a week.

To begin homebrewing, I skipped gathering supplies one by one and opted instead for the Kombucha Brew Now Jar Kit from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Store. The kit is perfect for beginners. It came complete with almost everything I needed: one SCOBY kombucha culture, strong starter liquid, Hannah’s Special Tea Blend for Perfect Kombucha, reusable muslin tea bags, organic evaporated cane juice sugar, a fermentation vessel, an upcycled cotton cloth cover, a rubber band, and an e-guide with batch-brew and continuous-brew instructions. The only thing I had to provide was purified water.

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