2tablespoonsloose leaf tea blendor 6 green or black tea bags
1cupgranulated sugar
1SCOBY
1-2cupsstrong starter liquid(included with new SCOBY or leftover from your last batch of kombucha)
Instructions
Boil 4 cups of water, then pour it over the tea bags in a 1 gallon glass jar. Allow the tea to steep for 5-7 minutes and remove the tea bags (be sure to squeeze them to get all the tea out).
Add 1 cup of sugar to the hot tea and stir until it’s dissolved.
Once that’s complete, fill the jar until it’s nearly full (leave about 2 inches at the top) with cold, filtered water to bring the temperature down. Check to see if it’s below body temperature. If it’s not, you need to allow it to continue to cool so you don’t kill the SCOBY. Once it has cooled below body temperature, add your starter liquid and the SCOBY.
Cover the jar with the cloth cover (do not use cheese cloth as the weave is too loose) and secure with a rubber band.
Then put the jar somewhere warm and dark that gets good airflow for 5 days to let the magical brewing process happen.
After 5 days has gone by, get your brewing jar out or down from where it has been stored. Take a straw and insert it under the baby SCOBY and taste the homemade Kombucha. If it’s still too sweet, let it brew for a couple more days. If it’s too tart, you can reduce your brewing time with the next batch. If you’re happy with the taste, it’s time to bottle your Kombucha! Get out a glass bowl and place the Mother and Baby SCOBYs in the bowl. Add 2 cups of Kombucha from the top of the jar to the bowl, then cover and set aside.
Put your flavorings into the bottom of each of your bottles or jars. Then fill your jars almost all the way to the top with Kombucha and seal them tightly. DO NOT use a metal lid.
After you seal them, put them in a warm, dark cabinet for 2-3 days for the second fermentation phase. Be sure to burp the jars every day so you don’t risk them exploding. After a couple days, open the jars and taste them. If they taste done, strain the solid flavoring items from the kombucha, transfer the jars to the fridge if you like your Kombucha cold like us.
Use the SCOBYs and liquid from the bowl you set aside to brew another batch following the same instructions each time.