How-To
Get a big pot with 3 quarts of filtered water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Place 4 bags of tea into the pot and brew for 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat, remove the tea bags, and stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat until completely cool, which will take about an hour. It’s important for the tea to be cool before adding your SCOBY, so as not to damage it.
Pour your cooled tea into your container of choice. Next, pour in 1 cup of starter tea from either a store-bought bottle of plain kombucha or a previous batch. With clean hands, place your SCOBY, into the tea. The SCOBY may sink or float, and either is ok. Place your cloth around the opening of the jar and secure it with a rubber band. This allows the contents to breathe while also keeping out any pests like fruit flies.
Your Kombucha will need 7-12 days to ferment, depending on your tastes. After the first week, check the Kombucha by reaching in a small cup or spoon to taste test. Once the brew has reached its peak, it will taste just slightly sweet, tangy, and light. If it tastes too sweet, give it a few more days, and if it tastes too sour, or like vinegar, it’s been fermenting for slightly too long. If you completely forget about your kombucha and it does turn into vinegar, one really great way to utilize that is to create your own oil and vinegar salad dressing. You can also use the soured kombucha as starter tea for your next batch, or simply toss the batch and start over, but just always remember to keep your SCOBY.
When your tea has finished fermenting, a new layer of your SCOBY or perhaps an entirely new SCOBY will have formed on the top of your jar. You may also notice sediments at the bottom or floating fibers inside the jar, all of which are completely normal.
