---
title: 'Kombucha'
tags: ['drink', 'sweet']
date: 2022-12-30
author: elias-pahls
---

The simple yet comprehensive guide to making tasty kombucha. This is intended
to give you an initial overview of the process. I strongly encourage you to
experiment with brewing times, teas, flavors, etc. The scoby is extremely
tolerant, so the worst that can happen is that your resulting kombucha won't be
that great.

## Ingredients

- 5l (1 gallon) jar
- 3-5 tbsp black (or green) tea
- 2 cups sugar
- kombucha scoby
- optional additional teas
- optional juices, fruits, spices
- patience ;)

## Directions

Primary brew:

1. Boil 1-2l of water.
2. Rinse all the dishes you will be working with boiling water; this is
   important so the brew doesn't go bad while fermenting.
3. Steep 3-5 tbsp (or 5-6 bags) of tee in 3-5 cups of water.
4. Strain the leaves from the tea and add 2 cups of sugar (or honey).
5. Add other optional teas to your liking; I like to add a good handful of
   rosella tea; steep and strain this in boiling water separately.
6. Add 4l of water to the tea concentrate and pour into a wide mouthed jar.
7. Let the tea sit until it is less than 40°C; add ice cubes if it has to go
   quick.
8. Add your scoby to the jar and seal the mouth tightly with a cloth or paper
   towel and a rubber band. The scoby has to breathe, but you want to prevent
   insects and dirt from getting into the jar.
9. Let the jar sit in a warm dark spot for 10-14 days.

Second brew:

1. Taste the brew after 10-14 days; if it has started to carbonate and the
   sugar is mostly gone, it is ready. The brewing time will strongly depend on
   your personal preference, shorten or lengthen as you wish.
2. Once ready, strain 4/5 of the brew through a sieve into re-sealable glass
   bottles.
3. Make another batch of primary brew and refill the big jar; the remaining old
   brew will act as a starter. Rinse the jar and remove parts of the scoby once
   in a while.
4. If you wish you can add juices, fruits, or spices to your brew. These will
   partially ferment and add a special character to your kombucha. One nice
   addition is apple and cinnamon mixed in with green tea.
5. Let the bottles sit in a warm dark spot for another 3-14 days; the
   carbonation process will continue, so make sure to release pressure from the
   bottles every other day.
6. When you are satisfied with the carbonation and the flavor, put the bottles
   in the fridge. Here you can store them for weeks at a time.
7. Enjoy your kombucha, rinse, and repeat.
