Easy Kombucha Recipe: Brewing Steps & Troubleshooting

Boil the Water. In a large pot, bring 2 litres of filtered or spring water to a boil.

Brew the Tea. Remove from heat and add 10 tea bags (or 10g loose black tea) to the hot water.Steep for 4-5 minutes (do not over-steep to avoid bitterness).

Dissolve the Sugar. Remove the tea bags or strain out loose leaves.Stir in 120g of white sugar while the tea is still hot, ensuring it dissolves completely.

Cool the Tea. Allow the sweet tea to cool down to room temperature (21-27°C).This is crucial! Never add a scoby to hot tea - heat can kill the live bacteria and yeast.

Transfer Tea to a Jar. Transfer the cooled tea into a clean 2-litre glass jar.

Add Starter Tea. Add 200ml of starter kombucha tea (usually comes with a scoby). The starter tea helps lower the pH and prevents bad bacteria from growing.

Add Scoby. Gently place the SCOBY into the jar. It may float, sink, or sit sideways - all of these are fine!

Cover with Cloth. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, muslin, or a coffee filter and secure it with an elastic band.

Place in a Fermentation Cupboard. Place the jar in a warm, dark place at room temperature (21 to 27°C) for 7 to 14 days, out of direct sun and away from metal. It ferments faster at the warm end and slower at the cool end.

Tasting. Start tasting after 7 days using a clean spoon.If it’s too sweet, let it ferment longer. If it’s too sour, reduce fermentation time next batch. A new baby SCOBY will start forming on top - this is a sign of healthy fermentation! If old scoby floats at the top, the new scoby will attach itself to an old one.

Decide It Is Ready. Once your kombucha reaches the desired balance of sweetness and tang, it’s time to bottle and move to the second fermentation for carbonation and flavouring.

Gather your bottles. Use sturdy, airtight glass bottles (e.g., swing-top or screw-cap bottles designed for carbonation).Make sure they are clean and sterilised to prevent contamination.

Remove the SCOBY & Reserve Starter Tea. Carefully take out the SCOBY and place it in a clean bowl. Pour 200ml of kombucha into a bowl with Scoby - this will be your starter tea for the next batch.

Strain and Bottle. Using a funnel and fine strainer, pour the fermented kombucha into your bottles, leaving about 3-4 cm of space at the top. If you don’t want to flavour it, you can refrigerate it now as a plain kombucha.The guide for flavourings you can find in my recipe post.

Seal & Carbonate. Tightly seal the bottles to trap the carbonation. Store at room temperature (21-27°C) for 2-7 days to develop fizz. Warmer temperatures speed up fermentation. Cooler temperatures slow it down.

“Burp” the Bottles Daily. Check carbonation daily by slightly opening the bottle to release built-up gas. This prevents over-carbonation, which can cause bottles to explode. If no fizz forms after 3 days, leave it longer. If it’s too fizzy, refrigerate sooner. I use plastic bottles so this step is not necessary.

Chill & Enjoy. Once your kombucha is carbonated to your liking, move it to the fridge to slow fermentation and enhance the flavour. Serve chilled, Enjoy your homemade fizzy, flavoured kombucha!