1 cup unflavored kombucha, this should be unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha, 235 ml
First fermentation
14 cups water, 3.5 quarts, 3.3 l
8 bags black or green tea, or 2 tbsp loose leaf
1 cup white sugar, 200 g
2 cups unflavored kombucha, from a previous batch or store-bought kombucha, 470 ml
1 scoby
Second fermentation
Kombucha, from the first fermentation
Sweetener or flavor
Instructions:
Making the scoby
Make tea: bring 7 cups water to a boil in a clean pot. remove from heat and add 4 bags black tea. allow tea to steep for about 15 minutes. remove tea and stir in ½ cup white sugar. let tea cool to room temperature.
Alternatively, boil only 2 cups of water and add the remaining 5 cups of cold water once the tea has steeped and sugar has been added. this will quicken the process.
Add starter: add 1 cup unflavored kombucha then pour everything into a large glass jar.
Ferment: cover with a clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. set somewhere dark and room temperature (70-75°f, 21-24°c) for 1 to 4 weeks, until a ¼ inch (½ cm) scoby has formed.
First fermentation
Make tea: bring 14 cups water to a boil in a clean pot. remove from heat and add 8 bags black or green tea. allow tea to steep for about 15 minutes. remove tea and stir in 1 cup white sugar. let tea cool to room temperature.
Alternatively to quicken this up, boil only 4 cups of water and add the remaining 10 cups of cold water once tea has steeped and sugar has been added.
Combine with starter + scoby: if your scoby is still in the jar you made it in, use a clean spoon to push it down into the tea, then pour out all but 2 cups of the tea that’s in that jar (you can bottle the remaining tea to keep as a strong starter kombucha). pour in your freshly made cooled tea.
Ferment: cover with a clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. set somewhere dark and room temperature (70-75°f, 21-24°c) for anywhere from 6 to 10 days. begin tasting the tea at about 6 days. it should be mildly sweet and slightly vinegary when finished.
The longer the tea ferments, the more sugar molecules will be eaten up, the less sweet it will be. this process will go faster if it is warm in your house.
And repeat: reserve 2 cups from this batch to use as starter kombucha for your next batch (just leave it in the jar with the scoby). the rest can move into the second fermentation!
Second fermentation
Flavor: add your desired flavors to each bottle, then funnel kombucha into bottles, leaving about 1 inch at the top. seal each shut.
Ferment: let ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for 3 to 10 days.
This process will go faster if it is warm in your house. carefully open bottles to prevent volcanoes. you can do this over a bowl with a baggie over the top just in case!
Serve: if desired, strain out flavorings before serving. place bottles in the fridge to slow the carbonation process and to chill before serving.
