6 inch square piece tight-weave breathable cotton piece
1 rubber band
Ingredients
1gallonfiltered or bottled water without chlorine
1cuporganic evaporated cane sugar
¼cuploose-leaf black tea or half green and black tea
1 ½ cupsunflavored, unpasteurized plain kombucha
1liveSCOBY (gallon brew) or 2 SCOBYs (half-gallon brew)
Instructions
Brew kombucha
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add sugar and tea. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let the tea steep for one hour until it is at room temperature.
If brewing in a one-gallon jar
Strain the tea leaves from the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a one-gallon jar and top with water to about ¾ full. Test the temperature. It should be lukewarm or cooler. If it is not, stir in a few ice cubes to cool the mixture.
Pour 1 ½ cups of starter liquid from growing a scoby into the jar. Or, use store-bought unflavored, unpasteurized kombucha. Finish topping off the jar with water. Leave enough room to float your SCOBY on top. Gently add the SCOBY.
If brewing in two half-gallon jars
Strain the tea leaves from the brewed tea. Pour all the tea into one of the half-gallon jars and top to ¾ full with water. Test the temperature and add a couple of ice cubes if needed. It should be lukewarm or cooler.
Pour 1 ½ cups of starter liquid from growing a scoby into the jar. Or, use store-bought, unflavored, unpasteurized kombucha. Finish topping off your first jar with water.
Pour half of the mixture into the second half-gallon jar. Top both jars with water. Leave enough room to float a SCOBY at the top of each jar. Gently float the SCOBYs on top.
Ferment kombucha
Cover the jar(s) of kombucha with a breathable cotton cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Don't use cheesecloth, as it lets tiny insects in.
Place kombucha brew in a dark cupboard. Check in 7 days for a balanced flavor, not too sweet or too tart. Slide a straw down the side of the jar and cap the top end with a finger to draw out a sample. Continue checking every couple of days if needed, up to 3 weeks in cold climates.
Serve
Once your kombucha brew full of beneficial probiotics has the taste you prefer it's ready to drink. Serve it chilled or over ice.
Store
Store kombucha brew in a tightly capped bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month. After that, it will grow increasingly tart leaning towards vinegar. You can use kombucha vinegar in salad dressings and other recipes.
Optional second fermentation
If desired add fruit for a second fermentation. Your double-fermented kombucha will taste fantastic and be full of lively carbonation!
Notes
Ingredients
Tea - use unflavored real tea that is not decaffeinated. See notes on the best tea above.Sugar - use evaporated cane sugar, preferably organic.Water - use filtered or purified water without chlorine.SCOBY - make sure your SCOBY is healthy and include the starter liquid with it.
Equipment
Brewing vessel - a glass jar is preferred. Don't use plastic.Cover - use a tight-weave thin cotton fabric that breathes to cover the brewing jar. Cheesecloth is not recommended, as small insects can crawl through it.
Preparation
Clean hands and equipment and make sure there are no traces of soap present.Cool tea to room temperature before adding starter liquid and SCOBY.Store kombucha brew in a dark location (pantry or cupboard) where it won't get jostled.Test flavor by slipping a finger-capped straw down the side and extracting a taste.Throw out any batch that shows signs of mold or smells foul.Remember to set aside a portion of starter liquid (1 ½ cups per gallon) to brew the next batch.Rinsing SCOBYS in filtered water or trimming them to fit a new vessel is fine.