The best method for beginners is right here.

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fizzy drink made by fermenting sweetened tea.

Side view of several bottles filled with kombucha

Emma Christensen

This fermentation is made possible thanks to something called a SCOBY.This stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.

It’s similar to the mother used to make vinegar or the starter used to make sourdough bread.

What Are the Benefits of Kombucha?

Fizzy homemade kombucha in a glass

Emma Christensen

Why would anyone want to make fermented tea using a blobby pancake?

Personally speaking, I just find that regularly drinking kombucha seems to keep my whole digestive system happy.

GTs is a very good, widely available brand, though it tends to be fairly vinegary and tart.

Add the scoby for homemade kombucha to the jar with the sweet tea and prepared kombucha

Emma Christensen

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t and either the scoby never forms or it develops mold.

If you want to give this a try, just be prepared for a bit of a science experiment!

First, make a strong, sweet tea and let it cool.

Filled jars of kombucha with the flip-tops on

Emma Christensen

Transfer it to a gallon jar and slip the scoby into the liquid.

Cover the jar with a double-layer of finely-woven dish towels secured with a rubber band.

This lets air flow into the jar and keeps bugs and dirt from getting it.

use a small funnel to pour the finished kombucha into swing top bottles

Emma Christensen

Kombucha will ferment faster at higher temperatures or slower at lower temperatures.

Let the kombucha ferment for one to three weeks.

Start tasting it after a week; just pour a little from the jar into a glass.

Several bottles of store-bought juice on a counter

Emma Christensen

Once the kombucha tastes good to you, it’s ready to be bottled.

Transfer the remaining kombucha to clean swing-top bottles or recycled plastic soda bottles.

Secure the caps and leave the kombucha at room temperature for one to five days to carbonate.

It’s fine if the scoby sinks to the bottom of the jar

It’s totally fine if your scoby floats on the top of the liquid, sinks to the bottom, or floats somewhere in the middle.Emma Christensen

Check each day by opening up one of the bottles.

Refrigerate all bottles and drink within two weeks.

The sugars in these ingredients are like a fresh meal to the yeast in the kombucha!

Pouring homemade kombucha into a glass

Emma Christensen

Check your bottles a little more frequently than you would otherwise.

Your Next Batch of Kombucha!

With each new batch, another layer will grow on the surface of the kombucha.

Add the sugar for making kombucha into the water in a medium saucepan

Emma Christensen

Check it occasionally and top it off with some fresh sweet tea if needed.

Trouble-Shooting Kombucha

There’s a brown spot on my scoby!

And weird brown threads hanging off it!

Next, add the tea for making kombucha into the sugar water n a medium saucepan

Emma Christensen

This is totally normal and actually a sign of a healthy scoby.

I’m not sure if this is yeast or actually mold.

How can I tell?

Let the tea for making kombucha steep in the medium saucepan for at least 10 minutes or up to a few hours

Emma Christensen

If you’re not sure, just wait a few days and see what happens.

I definitely have mold on my scoby.

Can I save it?

Pour the cooled sweet tea into a large jar to make homemade kombucha

Emma Christensen

My tea bags burst and now there’s tea in my scoby!

Strain out any loose tea and transfer the liquid to a new jar.

Keep an eye on your scoby for the next week or so to double-check no mold starts to grow.

Add water for homemade kombucha to top off the sweet tea in the jar

Emma Christensen

My scoby sunk to the bottom!

Or is floating in the middle!

or even float in the middle of the liquid.

Add the prepared kombucha to the jar with the sweet tea for making kombucha at home

Emma Christensen

Scobys tend to become more buoyant the longer you brew with them.

My kombucha isn’t carbonating.

What did I do wrong?

Stir the prepared kombucha, the sweet tea, and the water together in the jar for homemade kombucha

Emma Christensen

There are lots of reasons why your kombucha might be carbonating slowly or not carbonating at all.

The second most common reason is that there isn’t enough sugar left in the kombucha.

Try adding a few mashed-up raisins to the bottles or a little fruit juice.

Covered jar of homemade kombucha on a counter

Emma Christensen

If your kombucha ferments even a little bit, its safe for you to drink.

If youre still not sure, wait a few more days.

If it hasnt really changed, then its probably fine.

Remove the scoby from your current batch of kombucha and place it in a bowl or measuring cup

Emma Christensen

Alcohol in Kombucha

There is a small amount of alcohol in all kombucha, even store-bought kombucha.

Add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the tea before continuing.

The scoby should be at least 1/4-inch thick and feel smooth, wet, and rubbery

Emma Christensen

Pour the sweet tea into a 1-gallon jar and add the remaining 2 1/2 quarts of water.

If it still feels hot, wait for it to cool before continuing.

Stir the prepared kombucha into the diluted sweet tea.

You might see or feel gritty slimy bits on the bottom; these are clumps of yeast and are ok.

Emma Christensen

Be sure to include any blobs or floaty bits that are in the kombucha.

An unused corner of your countertop, a kitchen cupboard, or an out-of-the-way shelf is great.

Complete darkness isnt necessary; just see to it it wont be exposed to direct sunlight.

Place the scoby in a bowl or measuring cup and cover with 2 cups of prepared kombucha

Emma Christensen

Kombucha ferments best between 70F and 75F.

Warmer temperatures make it ferment more quickly and cooler temperatures make fermentation slow down.

Start tasting the kombucha after a few daysjust pour a little into a glass.

You will also start to notice a vinegary aroma around the jar.

This is a sign of healthy fermentation.

Continue tasting the kombucha every few days until it tastes good to you.

Once it tastes good, its ready!

Lift it out and transfer it to the bowl.

Leave any wet brown clumps of yeast attached.

Pour out 2 cups of your kombucha and pour it over the scoby.

Use this as your prepared kombucha for your next batch.

Divide the remaining kombucha between your bottles.

Cap each bottle tightly.

Consume all bottles within two weeks.