Introducing my first ever batch of kombucha. I infused black tea and a SCOBY with sugar for 3 weeks. After removing the SCOBY, I pour enough of the brew in a mason jar to cover the mama and newly formed baby SCOBY. Then, I let apples, fresh ginger, and an array of other warming spices infuse for 24-48 hours before bottling. I’ll have them sit for 1-5 days [“burping” the bottles at least once a day] depending on the batch before putting the kombucha in the fridge for consumption.
COVID-19 has been the birth of new hobbies, such as canning and bottling. With all the free time I have been unemployed with no children, I wanted to delve into something new. Kombucha has been something I have enjoyed for many years. It has gut-healthy probiotics, which help with digestion. With the prices ranging from at least $2.99 per 16 oz bottle, it was pricy to continue buying store-bought Kombucha. Now that I’m no longer living at home with my family, I have more room to store everything. It is a wonderful feeling to have the space and energy I need to expand my creativity. The inspiration began when my friend gave me my first SCOBY from her home-brewed batch. SCOBY stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. This is what ferments the tea.
Before brewing, I had never even heard of a SCOBY. While I learned a bit about fermentation in my IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching) course, I forgot all about it. Just like any information, it’s easy to lose it unless you use it. I used Google and Kombucha Kamp to figure out how to make my own brew. I needed to make sure I had the proper equipment on hand or else I could easily screw it up. What I ended up needing are:
1-gallon jar with a spigot —> I ordered one off Amazon for a little over $20. Seriously, the spigot makes for a much quicker bottling experience. Feel free to order more if you want to make multiple brews at a time. You need the jar so you can allow your brew to ferment before bottling.
100% tightly woven dishcloth —> You can get these from Wal Mart on the cheap
3 1 liter soda jars with stopper lids —> I bought a pack of 6, so I can make 2 brews at once
1 4 lb bag of sugar —> You don’t need all of it, but you will use a lot if you are doing multiple batches
Tea bags —> Green Tea, White Tea, or Black Tea are your best bet for optimal health of your SCOBY
I understand it’s a lot of up-front costs at first, but you won’t need to buy the supplies again. In the long run, the money spent will save you later when you have 3 liters of Kombucha at your disposal per batch. If you follow the recipe and directions, you are bound to have a successful batch of Kombucha that will last for at least a month. I’m excited to share with you the first recipe (and my favorite) I ever brewed. If you love the fall taste of Honeycrisp apple cider that is carbonated, this is for you. The ingredients are as follows:
Ingredients:
For the Kombucha:
3 ½ quarts water, divided
1 cup sugar
8 black tea bags (I used Bigelow Vanilla Chai Black Tea)
1 SCOBY (make your own or get one from Kombucha Kamp) with prepared liquid
1-gallon jar with spigot
1 100% cotton tightly-woven dishcloth
1 large rubber band
6 16 oz soda jars with stopper lids (or 3 1 liter bottles)
1 funnel (if you opt-out of using a spigot)
For the Apple Cinnamon Chai Spices:
4 large honey crisp apples (or 7 small apples)
5 cinnamon sticks
2-inch knob ginger, peeled and cut in half
½ tsp ground cloves
4 whole cardamom pods (or ¼ tsp of dried cardamom)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (only if you use regular black tea)
More honey to sweeten (optional)
Directions:
1) Brew 1 quart (4 cups) of water with your tea bags and sugar. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugars. Let it cool before you transfer your liquid to the jar. I left my brew sit for 2-3 hours or you can leave it overnight.
2) Transfer your liquid to your mason jar. Add the remaining 2 ½ (10 cups) of water to your jar. WITH CLEAN HANDS, grab your SCOBY and transfer it to your jar. This begins the fermentation process. Close your jar with a dishcloth and rubber band. Store in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks. I checked my brew 1x/week to ensure my Kombucha is healthy. A second SCOBY should start forming form along the top of the jar. After a few weeks, the SCOBY should be fully formed. If your momma SCOBY sinks to the bottom, it’s still good.
3) When your Kombucha is ready, you can use the SCOBY again for a new batch. WITH CLEAN HANDS, transfer your SCOBYs with 2 cups of your liquid to a separate mason jar. This will become your SCOBY hotel to use for future batches of Kombucha. Add your spices to your jar and let it sit for 24 hours – 3 days.
4) Transfer the Kombucha to your soda bottle using your spigot or funnel. Let sit for 1-5 days for fermentation #2. Be sure to “burp” your bottles at least once per day to avoid a fizzy explosion upon consumption. Burping is where you pop the lid without fully letting all the air out.
5) Transfer to the fridge and enjoy after 24 hours. These will last 2-4 weeks.
** I took all of the apples that I infused in my Kombucha and made them into apple butter. It’s so freaking delicious. You will never be able to find something at the store like this.
There are many questions that people ask when they are trying to brew their first batch of Kombucha. I am here to answer a few of them to help you along the way of brewing the perfect batch without fail. With my trials and tribulations, I will share what I’ve learned. Please note that this does not guarantee a successful brew, but this serves as a guide when you are stuck.
1. What fruits can you put in your Kombucha? —> I have tried everything from apples, peaches, pomegranate, mangos, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and kiwi so far. Just be careful because some of the smaller fruits like blueberry and pomegranate get stuck in the spigot and can clog it. However, using the berries has made for some of my favorite brews. It’s a risk you have to be willing to take.
2. Can you use Chai Tea in Kombucha? —> I highly DO NOT recommend using Chai Tea in Kombucha. The oils from the Chai can damage the SCOBY. The black Chai Tea I used for this recipe has come out successful. Using LOOSE LEAF Chai Tea is the only time I’ve ever had a failed batch. The SCOBY didn’t form properly on the top, which means it did not ferment correctly. It was bubbly and broke easily. I had to discard the entire batch. L
3. Can you use Loose Leaf Tea in Kombucha? —> You can. It’s a gamble every time. It’s not recommended because of the risk of damaging the SCOBY from the oils. I have used two different types of loose leaf tea that had more fruit and floral notes in them. Those batches came out successful. Again, the only time I ever had a failed batch is by using loose leaf Chai Tea.
4. How many times can you use a SCOBY? —> I have used mine for many months. Until the SCOBY turns black or gets mold on it, there is no issue using the same SCOBY for multiple brews.
5. How do you store your SCOBY? —> I use mason jars with Kombucha liquid (before infusing it with fruits) and make a SCOBY hotel. There, I can store multiple SCOBYs in there. I recently bought another gallon jar because I have so many SCOBY’s I don’t even know what to do with all of them. I add fresh brewing liquid to every brew (about 4 weeks) in order to make sure that the SCOBYs don’t get moldy.
Have any more questions? Feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to start a conversation with you.
Happy Brewing!