Kombucha, pronounced kom-boo-cha is a fermented tea that’s incredibly good for you.  We love it in our house, including the kids, and we drink it most days.  I have been brewing for years and it saves us a fortune, it’s great for our gut health and helps keeps us out of the sick bay.  I started brewing in glass jars which was okay and did the job, but I did lose a few SCOBY’s that went mouldy.

Then a few years later I purchased a Durand ceramic pot and honestly, it’s been a game changer.  My brews have never been so amazing, hand on heart they’re worth the investment!

To make Kombucha tea you will need a SCOBY.  You can either grow your own, purchase one online or from your health food store but my favourite option is to ask around.  Pop a post on Facebook or in a group you may be in, more often than not someone will have a spare SCOBY that they are happy to giveaway.  I would always ask around before you go and purchase one.

Making your own Kombucha tea is so easy and cheap!!  Honestly, once you make it, you won’t pay $5 for a teeny tiny bottle ever again.

:) Jo

February 20, 2018
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Ingredients

  • 1 SCOBY about the size of a can
  • 1 c kombucha tea starter liquid (pre-brewed)
  • 1/2 c sugar (white or raw)
  • 4 organic black or green tea bags (or a mix of both)
  • 2 L boiling water
  • sterilised bottles

Second Ferment Option

  • fruit of choice

Instructions

  1. For the second ferment add cut up fruit of choice to the bottled tea and secure the lids on tight and let sit for 24-48 hours to second ferment.
  2. Add in the SCOBY and already brewed Kombucha starter liquid (which you get from a previous batch of Kombucha).
  3. If you have a small SCOBY (about as round as a can) use this method. If your SCOBY is large (about as round as a bowl) double this method.
  4. In a 2 litre (approx.) jar or pot add tea bags (green, or a mix of black and green) and sugar.
  5. Fill the jar with boiling hot water leaving a gap at the top of about 2 inches. Mix around the contents to dissolve the sugar with a wooden spoon (don't use metal). See, it's just like making a black huge cup of tea...
  6. Let the water cool back down to room temperature, this is really important!
  7. Once the water has cooled back down to room temperature, discard the tea bags and tip into a kombucha crock or 2L glass jar.
  8. Put a stocking, muslin cloth or nut bag over the top of the crock and place it in a cool spot for approx. 8-10 days (a new SCOBY will form on the top. The longer you leave it the higher the vinegar taste, we like to leave ours for 10 days).
  9. Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid ready for the next batch. Use a glass jar to store this in and screw a lid on top. Sit on a bench in a quiet spot.
  10. If you want to drink plain Kombucha you can bottle the tea now and store it in the fridge. If you want to flavour the Kombucha then refer to the next steps as this is called a 'second ferment'.
  11. Open the lid of the bottles to 'burb' them otherwise the ferment can make the bottle expload. Adding fruit creates more fizz. The longer you leave it to ferment, the fizzier it'll get. We like to leave ours around 1-2 weeks. Once the second ferment has completed add bottles to the fridge and strain into a glass to serve.
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