How to Make Kombucha

Ever wondered how kombucha – the deliciously fizzy fermented tea – is made? We’re breaking down the basics of how to make kombucha, from start to finish! No fancy equipment or ingredients needed.

Bottle of kombucha on a white counter

Curious how to make kombucha, the gut-loving healthy fermented tea? Tired of paying $5 per bottle when you could be making it at home for a fraction of the price? Let’s brew!

Making homemade kombucha has three main steps (click the links below to jump around the post):

  1. Make SCOBY (1 to 4 weeks) – make the “mother”
  2. First Fermentation (6 to 10 days) – make the actual kombucha tea
  3. Second Fermentation (3 to 10 days) – carbonate the kombucha tea
How to make kombucha infographic

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Kombucha scoby in a jar

How to make a kombucha SCOBY

The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) is a pellicle that forms on top of the brew. The SCOBY is the “mother” that kickstarts each batch while also protecting the kombucha from contaminants like dust and debris. While you can buy a ready-made SCOBY (online or even on Craigslist), it’s easy to make it yourself!

Close up photo of kombucha SCOBY

Ingredients to make a SCOBY

Supplies needed to make a SCOBY

How to make a SCOBY

1. Make Sweet Tea: Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it. Add the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least 20 minutes (or until tea has cooled).

2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature. Quicken this process by boiling just 2 cups of water, dissolving the sugar, and steeping the tea for 20 minutes. Then add remaining 5 cups of cold water, which will bring the mixture to room temperature faster. Test that the tea is room temperature by drawing out some tea with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the kombucha in the straw.

3. Add Starter: Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then pour store-bought kombucha in, making sure to include any gunkies that may be at the bottom of the kombucha bottle. These are great for kickstarting the fermentation!

Pouring starter kombucha into jar

4. Cover: Cover with a few layers of the tightly woven cloth to keep out bugs and debris, securing with a rubber band.

5. Ferment: Set somewhere dark, still, and room temperature (70-75 degrees F, 21-24 C) for 1 to 4 weeks, until a ¼ inch (½ cm) SCOBY has formed.

6. Go to 1st Fermentation: You now have a SCOBY! The SCOBY should live and grow for years if treated with love. Allow the SCOBY to remain in this liquid until you are ready to use the SCOBY for the next step, the 1st fermentation.

Things to note when making your kombucha SCOBY

  • No decaf: The SCOBY doesn’t like decaf tea and will not grow as well if fed it.
  • Only black tea: The SCOBY doesn’t grow well with green or fruity teas. Once your SCOBY is larger you can use green tea, but for now stick with black.
  • No honey: Honey can contain botulism bacteria that, when grown exponentially as bacteria and yeast tend to do in kombucha, can be dangerous. You can use honey in the second fermentation, once there are a higher number of good bacteria to fight off the bad, but for now, stick to sugar.
Kombucha in a jar for the first fermentation

The First Fermentation

So you’ve got a SCOBY and you’re ready to get this komboo-choo train rollin’. The first fermentation is where you actually make the kombucha that you’ll be drinking!

Ingredients for the first fermentation

  • 14 cups (3.3 L) water (tap water should be fine)
  • 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
  • 8 bags black or green tea
  • 2 cups (480 mL) unflavored kombucha (either from a previous batch or unpasteurized, unflavored store bought kombucha)
  • 1 SCOBY

Supplies for the first fermentation

First fermentation instructions

1. Make Sweet Tea: Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar into it. Add the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least 20 minutes (or until tea has cooled).

2. Cool to Room Temp: Allow hot tea to cool to room temperature. Quicken this process by boiling just 4 cups of water, dissolving the sugar, and steeping the tea for 20 minutes. Then add remaining 10 cups of cold water, which will bring the mixture to room temperature faster. Test that the tea is room temperature by drawing out some tea with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the kombucha in the straw. (Don’t be impatient here – hot water will kill your SCOBY).

3. Empty the Jar: With very clean hands, transfer SCOBY to an equally clean plate. If this is your first round of kombucha, reserve 2 cups of the liquid the SCOBY was growing in (that can be your starter kombucha), discarding the rest of the liquid (it is very acidic and not nice for drinking).

4. Add Starter: Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then pour in unflavored starter kombucha. With clean hands, place SCOBY into jar.

5. Cover: Cover with a few layers of the tightly woven cloth and secure with a rubber band.

Covering jar of kombucha with cloth

6. Ferment: Set the jar somewhere dark, still, and room temperature (70-75 degrees F, 21-24 C) for 6 to 10 days. Begin tasting at about 6 days by gently drawing out some of the tea with a paper straw (using your finger to hold the tea in the straw – don’t use your mouth). It should be mildly sweet and slightly vinegary. The warmer the air temperature, the faster the kombucha will ferment. The longer the tea ferments, the more sugar molecules will be eaten up, the less sweet it will be.

7. Go to 2nd Fermentation: Reserve 2 cups from this batch to use as starter kombucha for your next batch (just leave it in the jar with SCOBY). The rest can move into the second and final fermentation.

Things to note about the first fermentation

  • Other teas can be used in this step! Feel free to experiment with green, white, oolong, or combinations of them. Fruit teas should be mixed with a few black tea bags to ensure the SCOBY gets what she needs to thrive.
  • Big SCOBY? Once the SCOBY gets to be about an inch thick, peel off a few layers to create a second SCOBY (use it to create another batch or gift it to a friend!)
Fizzy kombucha in a bottle form the second fermentation

The second fermentation

The final and most fun step in the homemade kombucha making process! The second fermentation is where the real magic happens, flavoring and carbonating your kombucha into effervescent bliss.

Ingredients for the second fermentation

  • Homemade kombucha from the first fermentation
  • Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar). While there are many flavor combinations here on Brew Buch, we generally work with a ratio of 1 cup kombucha to:
    • 1 to 2 Tbsp mashed fruit or fruit juice
    • 1 to 2 tsp honey or sugar

Supplies for the second fermentation

You just need a few flip top fermentation bottles for the second fermentation. These bottles are meant for fermentation and have an airtight seal, which will prevent carbonation from escaping. If you don’t have these, canning jars will do an alright job, though they aren’t truly airtight.

Bottles of kombucha on a white counter

Second fermentation instructions

1. Bottle: Funnel kombucha into bottles, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at the top (3.8 cm).

2. Sweeten: Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly.

3. Ferment: Let ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for 3 to 10 days.

4. Serve: If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in fridge to slow the carbonation process and to chill before serving.

Things to note about the second fermentation

  • Blast Zone: Your jars can explode if the pressure becomes too high! For your first few batches while you’re still getting the hang of how kombucha reacts to your environment, bottle a portion of it in a plastic bottle. This will act as a gauge for the others; when the plastic bottle is rock solid, the rest are probably done. “Burp” them by opening each to release some pressure, then place them in the refrigerator to slow fermentation.
  • Faster Fermentation: Be aware that the kombucha will ferment more quickly when it is warmer and when there is more sugar/fruit. It will ferment more slowly in the opposite conditions!
  • No fizz? Check out our troubleshooting guide to flat kombucha here.
Flavored kombucha in bottles with jug of kombucha

This guide to was originally published on our sister site, Live Eat Learn, as part of the Simple Guide to Kickass Kombucha!

34 thoughts on “How to Make Kombucha”

  1. Hi Sarah,
    Can you explain whether mass of SCOBY affects the brewing time for the kombucha and why? For example a SCOBY mass of 0.5 g and 1.5 g, the 1.5 g will drop pH lower right?

    Reply
  2. Love the recipe and diagram! Is there a way I can make a half-batch of the recipe for the second fermentation? And would I be using the full scoby or only half of it if so?

    Reply
  3. Hi, I added fruit during second fermentation and just burped all my bottles and refrigerated. At what point should I strain out the fruit? Can I strain all the bottles right now, or will it lose its carbonation? Alternatively, should I wait to strain just before I drink it?

    Reply
  4. Hello,

    Do I need to add a store bought Kombucha to every time I make a batch? or is that for the first ferment only?

    Reply
  5. Great info – thank you!

    I’ve been gifted a scooby in a couple of cup fulls of black tea kombucha. In order to make some more kombucha, can I use this black tea rather than an an unflavoured kombucha (as per your instructions) as an ingredient in the first ferment? Many thanks.

    Reply
  6. Hi! I’m on my first ferment again (with an already established scoby). Between my last batch and this one, it’s been a few weeks, and the scoby + reserved liquid have been left in a cool dark place. The reserved liquid is very acidic at this point. Should I use it in my ferment, or should I use a different kombucha with the scoby?

    Reply
  7. i am new at this and i have a couple questions? When you boil your water before adding tea…..can you use a pot that is teflon coated, or any kind of metal pot? Next question is do you half to use a paper straw instead of plasic one?

    Reply
  8. HEY! Thank you for your post! I am excited to start making kombucha. I do have a question.

    I am going the route to make my own scoby. When I am making my fresh batch of tea for the 1st fermentation, can i use the brew from making the scoby as my starter kombucha for the 1st fermentation?

    Reply
  9. What size of tea bags do I use? Regular cup size or the big family size, I have a two gallon continuos kombucha crock, does it matter if the tea is strong brew?

    Thank you in advance

    Reply
  10. Hi! Recently, I had the opportunity to try kombucha for the first time, which I ordered on this website, and I immediately became a fan. I will be just starting my kombucha journey, so thank you for your post! I also have a small question, can kombucha be consumed directly after the first fermentation?

    Reply
  11. Storing SCOBY between batches?

    Make a jar with some tea and sugar to keep it fed?

    Put it in the fridge?

    Leave it a room temp?

    Sealed or breathable container?

    Reply
  12. Hi! I am moving into my 2nd round of fermentation (adding ginger and strawberry!) but noticed my kombucha is already fizzy! Do I need to adjust my time to not have an explosion since it’s already partially carbonated? (I tasted some from the 1st fermentation and it’s not as fizzy as it should be, but maybe 3/4 of the way there.)

    Reply
  13. I used your list of supplies as a guide for buying what I need to start fermenting my own kombucha, thank you for all the helpful info!
    I do have one question; As I began to prep my first batch for F1, I started reading from multiple sources saying cheesecloth should be avoided for covering fermenting kombucha. Allegedly, fruit flies can wriggle through cheesecloth even if it’s folded over. Any comment on that statement?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  14. Hi. I just made my first batch of kombucha. It is 7 days and I decided to check on its progress. I see that I left 2 bags of organic black tea (no metal staples) in it. I took a very tiny taste and it tastes ok – a little vinegary. See if I get sick. The new Scoby is maybe a 1/4” thick at the top and covers the entire top of the 1 gallon glass container. It has strings. Is it safe to drink? I’ve returned it covered (without the added tea bag) to its dark hideaway. Thank you.

    Reply
  15. Hey there, I’m just getting started & so pumped! Thank you for your post!

    One of my tea bags broke on step one. Is it bad to leave some of the loose tea in there while the scooby is developing over the next few weeks?

    Reply

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