Steps to Making Kombucha:

1. Bring 4 cups of filtered water to a boil in a clean pot

2. Remove the water from heat and add tea. Steep for 10 minutes, then remove and discard (longer = stronger)

3. Add sugar. Stir until completely dissolved

4. Pour 8 cups of cool or room temperature filtered water into the gallon glass brewing jar

5. Add your fresh-made sweet tea to the gallon glass jar. Stir to mix with the water

6. Allow the jar to reach room temperature (68-86 F). *If the sweet tea in the jar is still too hot, do not rush this! Your SCOBY can be damaged if the temperature is above 86 F

7. Gently add your starter tea and SCOBY to the jar
8. Cover the jar with a coffee filter and secure the filter over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band

9. Place the covered jar in a dark, warm area with sufficient airflow where it will not be disturbed* (a shelf in a closet with the door cracked open is ideal). Room temperature of your brew's location should be between 68-86 degrees F**. Leave the jar to ferment for 7-21 days.

   *Moving your jar causes new SCOBY particles to sink to the bottom and can inhibit proper baby SCOBY growth. Be patient and do not move your jar! It will pay off :)

   **Kombucha ferments faster with warmer temperatures - if your ambient temperature is on the lower end of this range, you might want to add a couple days to your fermentation before disturbing and testing your kombucha

10. Check on your kombucha and begin tasting on day 8 (Add 2 days if ambient temperature is below 70 degrees). The kombucha should smell and taste slightly sweet and tart. You can use a straw or spoon to gently push the new SCOBY aside and extract kombucha as pictured

    

11. a. If the kombucha is still too sweet for your taste, allow it to continue fermentation. Taste as often as once a day until it meets your preferences!

12. b. If the kombucha is not as sweet as you would like, reduce your brew time and begin tasting it earlier in the future.

13. Is the kombucha just the way you like it? Time to prepare for your next batch!

    **FYI, you should make sure you have enough time to immediately brew more sweet tea and create your next batch BEFORE removing SCOBYs. If you do not have time to brew for your next batch yet, we recommend leaving your current brew (and SCOBYs) to ferment until you do have more time**

    With clean hands or food-grade gloves, remove your mother SCOBY as well as the new baby SCOBY that has formed on the surface. Stir your kombucha, and use a clean ladle to remove 1-2 cups of the kombucha brew to accompany your SCOBYs. Stirring the kombucha ensures your starter tea will have an even balance of the yeast and bacteria you need.

    You will be brewing fresh sweet tea for your SCOBYs and starter tea shortly; while they wait, you can keep them at room temperature in a glass vessel (mason jar, large mug, etc.) covered with a coffee filter and rubber band.

Finish NOW or Second Fermentation? This part of the process is once again a matter of preference. If you are happy with your kombucha as is, read the instructions under "Finish Now". If you want to flavor and/or carbonate your kombucha, read the instructions under "Second Fermentation".

Finish Now:

1. With your SCOBYs and 1-2 cups of starter tea removed and set aside for the next batch, pour the remainder of your fermented kombucha into another container (or containers) and place it in the fridge. It is ready for you to enjoy! Skip ahead to "Starting Your Next Brew"

Second Fermentation (OPTIONAL):

1. If you choose to carbonate and/or flavor your kombucha, this step is for you! You will need flip-top bottles for this option. Don’t have them? No problem! Check out these alternative options you should have around the house!

2. Once you have your bottles, we are ready to go! Prior to secondary fermentation, kombucha is not really carbonated. Yeast is re-activated by sugars we add for the second fermentation process, and it releases gas as a result; this means that we need to add sugars during this step in order to get the carbonation we desire! Flip-top glass bottles keep the carbonation sealed inside, and we will end up with a nicely carbonated kombucha.

3. For the purpose of this guide, we will use 1.5 cups of fruit juice to keep things simple. There are many other options for flavoring your kombucha if you are feeling more adventurous! We will begin by splitting the 1.5 cups of fruit juice up between the flip-top bottles we are using (approx. 1/4 cup juice per bottle).

4. Then, we will add the remainder of our first batch of fermented kombucha to the bottles, leaving one inch of headspace at the top of each bottle.

   

5. Seal the bottles, and leave them at room temperature for 2-7 days (this will vary based on the temperature, amount of sugar, etc.). Check on them each day, lifting the lid briefly to release excess pressure. Once you are happy with the carbonation level and flavor, place the sealed bottles in the fridge.

Starting Your Next Brew

1. Get your next batch started immediately! Begin at step 1. This time, you can use the SCOBY (the mother, baby, or BOTH) and starter tea that you set aside earlier rather than using a purchased or gifted SCOBY and starter tea!

2. Enjoy! Whether you called it a day after the first fermentation or took your tea through second fermentation, the only thing left to do is enjoy the fruits of your labor! You can also flavor your beverage further at this point if you choose to do so. Time to impress your friends and family with your DIY kombucha skills, or keep the fermented goodness all to yourself :)