Kombucha is a drink believed to have originated in Central Asia centuries ago and is a sweet and sour, fermented tea drink. The base of the drink is a sweetened tea, usually in the form of sugar, and the end product is the result of a bacteria and yeast fermentation.
Kombucha has become readily available in both health food and mainstream supermarkets with entire shelves now stocking multiple brands. So why make it yourself? It is extremely cheap to make (less than 1/10th the cost of supermarket), you can control the level of sweetness and play around with unique flavour combinations.
There are two main ways to brew homemade kombucha - a continuous brew where you continue to fill it as you use it; or batch brewing, which we will focus on here. It is our preferred method as it allows us to make different flavours each week.
Ingredients for 1st fermentation (makes 1 litre)
1 Litre filtered water
2 Black tea bags
1/4 Cup sugar
100ml of live kombucha preferably including a piece of SCOBY - read on to make your own
Ingredients for 2nd fermentation
Handful of your chosen flavouring botanicals (rosella, mint, mixed berries or any fruit).
4 - 5 Tbsp honey
What is a SCOBY? and how to make one from a store-bought kombucha
A symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) aids in the fermentation process of kombucha. The SCOBY has a thick and rubbery texture and looks like a cloudy mass.
The steps to make your own SCOBY are very similar to the 1st fermentation steps below. The only difference is you will be pouring in a store-bought kombucha instead of the live kombucha and SCOBY. If you can, find a Kombucha that has no preservatives listed in the ingredients.
Once you have completed the steps below, leave it for 1-4 weeks (depending on the temperature) and you should eventually have a SCOBY form.
1st Fermentation Method
Boil 500 mL of filtered water in a large saucepan and dissolve the sugar.
Once boiling, remove from the heat and add your 2 teabags, leaving it to steep for at least 5 minutes to create a strong sweet tea.
Remove the teabags and add the remaining filtered water and allow the water to reach room temperature.
Once at room temperature, pour the tea into a sanitised, wide-mouthed glass jar. Ensure you leave enough space as you now need to add the live kombucha and SCOBY or your store bought kombucha if starting a SCOBY (in this case set aside for 1-4 weeks or until you see a SCOBY forming).
Cover the jar with a clean tea towel/ cheese cloth, coffee filter or something similar. We want to allow air in and out but not allow fruit flies in.
Set it aside, out of direct sunlight ideally between 24-30 degrees Celsius.
After roughly 1 week a new thicker SCOBY should have formed on top of the liquid. You might want to taste the liquid from day 5 onwards. The longer you leave it, the less sweet and more acidic it will become. Once you are happy with the taste, it is time to move onto the second fermentation.
2nd Fermentation Method
This second fermentation is where carbonation occurs and where the flavour is decided. Flavours we are enjoying at the moment are rosella + lemon balm, mixed berries and mint, and tropical - mostly from passionfruit jam.
The amount of carbonation that is produced will depend on any residual sweetness of the 1st fermentation as well as any sugars in the flavours you add. We always add a tablespoon of honey to each flip top bottle to ensure some carbonation happens.
Line up flip top bottles and add roughly 2 tbsp of chosen flavouring ingredients and 1 tbsp of honey. You can experiment with more or less until you have developed your favourite flavours.
Remove the SCOBY from the liquid created during the first fermentation and set aside in a bowl with some reserved liquid (about a cup).
Using a funnel if needed, pour the kombucha into each of your bottles and then seal them up. Leave again at room temperature for around 5 days and then place them into the fridge to chill before drinking.
