This sugar is consumed in the fermentation process. If you are too busy, and the tea is already cooled, the sugar can be added to the tea, it will still be consumed, it just may not fully dissolve, which is fine. Organic sugar should be used to ensure the optimal nutritional quantity of the tea.
Pour the cooled sweet tea into a quart mason jar or glass jar. When the tea is room temperature, meaning you can stick your finger in the sweet tea and stir it around for ten seconds without it being too hot or too cold, add the Kombucha bottle from the store to the quart mason jar. If the tea is hot at this time, the beneficial aspects of the Kombucha will be killed by the heat and impede the process.
Once the sweet tea and store bought Kombucha have been added to the mason jar, fill the jar to one inch of the top with filtered water. Top the jar with a coffee filter or cloth and secure it in place with a rubber band. If the liquid in the jar is too high, it will cause the SCOBY to bulge the top of the vessel and attract fruit flies to lay their eggs on top of the coffee filter which will leach into the brew.
The SCOBY will grow to the size of the vessel as it is sealing the tea, preserving it from contamination. Writing the date with a Sharpie marker, on top of the coffee filter, enables you to know the time the SCOBY is formed. The time depends on the temperature of your house, as well as the air flow where the vessel is placed. It will start out as a thin pancake and get thicker as it brews. The thin pancake is just as beneficial as the thick one. This SCOBY is very durable and can be touched, picked up with your fingers, removed with a utensil or poked.
Do not allow the SCOBY to come in contact with freezing temperatures, very hot environments like boiling liquid, direct sunlight or metal utensils stainless steel, plastic or wooden are all fine to use with the SCOBY and Kombucha. During the brewing process, the Kombucha consumes the caffeine in the tea, as well as the sugar.
All of these are fine. Pour the liquid out of the mason jar into another glass, being sure to leave one cup of the Kombucha as the starter for the next batch. It's tart and slightly sweet. It smells awful and yeasty, but doesn't really taste like it smells. Sounds a lot like water sugar kefir, except water kefir is a whole lot easier to make and doesn't smell strange but is also a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. I'd suggest that if you're using tap water, let it sit overnight in an open container to dechlorinate first.
That way it you won't be killing off the stuff you're trying to encourage. I LOVE store-bought kombucha It's outrageously expensive. I would love to learn to make it, but I'm afraid my husband would turn me out of the house for running a distillery out of our kitchen! Is water keifer signficantly friendlier on the nose?
The water kefir I've tried does taste and smell milder than kombucha. But I don't think there are culture strands in commercial water kefir, so you would have to locate another source of water kefir grains. I think you can convert dairy kefir grains to water kefir grains, but I've never tried it!
It works! I read your blog and tried it at home and it came out great, I let it grow for about a month and had a beautiful hearty mother. Now I'm just about ready to harvest my first batch! Thank you! So I want to do this, but I'm wondering, would it save time if I took the strands out of a few bottles of store bought kombucha and used those together?
I can find a lot of guides for brewing from store bought raw kombucha, but they always take from a single bottle, so I'm not sure if there's any reason to or not to mix multiple cultures from the same type and brand. Kim -- I can't see a problem with adding strands from other bottles.
And it seems reasonable to think more strands might ferment more quickly. Tell me how it goes! It worked brilliantly :D I'm shocked by how delicious my kombucha came out, and how fast the mother grew.
I brewed the first batch too long so I kept that one for starter fluid and hair conditioner! I used the new "Enlightened" GT's, and wasn't sure whether I could make something as potent as their original from it, but it "feels" very strong, and is nice and fizzy so I think it's just fine.
I've started adding slices of fruit once bottled for different flavors, and those have all come out great, too. I also got great results using your method! I failed before using GTs so this time bought some homemade kombucha in, of course, San Francisco.
Also this time I put it in my closet so I wouldn't obsess over it all the time. I did my thing and it did it's thing and now I have a great Scoby.
Now if only I could make beet kvass taste as good. I know this depends on a lot of things, but just a general time would be really helpful. Hello, all I had started to brew my first batch of KT 11 days ago in a 2 gallon glass container. The first few days everything went quite well, but after day 2, It seems to have stopped progressing, visually speaking, though the smell had changed from a strong yeast odor to now a strong vinegar smell with only a bit of a yeasty smell, and this transition happened in just a day.
No mold, just the initial bubbles with the milky substance between the "suds", which, as I'd stated already, is the initial stage, visually, but had not progressed into a scoby as yet. It is stored in a closet on a heating pad, which isn't all that hot even on its highest setting.
Is it okay to still wait and see if it produces a mother? Scott -- Sure, keep it going and see what happens. The mother often starts out looking rather ambiguously scummy. Sometimes you can't even see it until you poke it and realize there's a film growing over the surface.
I followed your instructions and I'm now starting my first batch. It smells wonderful and the mother looked really healthy. I started this batch from the new and tasteless GT's kombucha, simply because I miss the old, fizzy, potent GT's so much. I hope that I can make something comparable. On that note, does anyone know the reasons for GT's downgrade? I assumed they changed their process because of alcohol content issues. It kept disappearing and reappearing from the store just before it started tasting bland This method works soooo well!
I first started a batch out of GT's multigreen and then thought "oh shoot, I should've used the original". So I just kept that multigreen start in my cupboard and started another one with original. Both worked! The original definitely grew faster, and I ended up chucking the multigreen because I don't really need 2 batches of kombucha going, but I was impressed at how foolproof this was. I'm so excited, thanks for your insight! Yes, you can use evaporated sugar cane instead of plain sugar.
The kombucha will be a little cloudier. I've used both the original GT's and the new type. They both worked fine. Some places still sell the original, but they card you for it! I almost have a nice looking "mother". What do I use as starter liquid for the actual 1st brew? Do I reuse the liquid I developed the mother in?
Thanks, Jonathan. Yes, the liquid you grew your mother in should be pretty acidic. Add a cup or so to your first full-scale brew. I have a mother that is almost ready, but there are a few dark spots. They have been there for a couple of weeks. They have not gotten larger or spread at all. How do I know if its mold or not? Does anyone have a cut and dry way to know. Thanks for the information. I used your instructions and all seemed to be going well until about a week ago.
It hasn't changed. I know part of the issue is temp and light. I've moved it now but read somewhere that I should be tasting it? I did and it was very vinegary. I still don't have a large enough mother so I'm confused on what to do next.
Any ideas? Nicholas Mom: Kombucha mothers can certainly be blotchy. I have a mother right now that has a lumpy, bubbly texture. Mold, though, will grow, and tends to be strange colors black, green, blue, white , whereas the kombucha mother is beige to brown. I hope that's somewhat helpful! Haley: Sometimes kombucha mothers seem to stall for a few days.
If it's very vinegary, the mother may have consumed all the sugar. You could add another cup or two of sugar-tea mixture and see if that jumpstarts it.
I went ahead and started over. I felt like I moved the first one too much. When I dumped it out, there was nothing that resembled a scoby - just some sediments at the bottom. I followed your directions again and it's going MUCH better! I'll be doing the "boost of food" this week! Thanks you! These directions look fantastic and I'm super excited to try my first batch. I have heard that you can use an organic green tea as well, but perhaps that is a rumor going around?
Wanted to check before I try my first batch. Yes, I've made green tea kombucha before. The main thing is that the kombucha metabolizes caffeine, so just don't go for decaf tea. Thanks for posting this! This is the best set of instructions I've found online I tried starting a batch a week ago, and I'm wondering if maybe I have mold growing.
I used 1 cup of GT "enlightened" original kombucha, and made tea according to your instructions. I made sure the mason jar was very clean, and even boiled it before adding my kombucha mixture I cooled it before adding the stuff. There is what looks like the beginning of a mother floating on the top, but it hasn't covered the entire surface of the liquid, and there are some dark spots on it. Should I toss it, feed it with more tea and sugar, or let it go for a few more days and re-evaluate?
Siobot -- I haven't personally experimented with these. Agave "nectar" is mostly made of fructose far more than high-fructose corn syrup!
In fact, they require glucose to produce glucuronic acid the detoxifying acid kombucha is famous for. I haven't tried brown rice syrup, either, but it would certainly be worth experimenting with! The critical thing, though, is that the kombucha mother almost completely transforms sugar into beneficial acids.
Humans may want to avoid refined sugar, but kombucha mothers can eat it and still live long vibrant lives. I have used rapadura a type of evaporated cane juice , which is basically table sugar with extra minerals.
It makes a cloudy, molasses-flavored kombucha; quite delicious! Can't wait to try this. I love kombucha and especially miss the old fizzy GT Dave's. Rosanna, where can you still get the old fizzy GT? Also, in your experience do your batches turn out fizzier the longer you let them grow? Thank you so much for posting this.
John S -- Not sure where you're at, but the Haight St. Market sells the old kombucha. They card you for it! To get fizzy kombucha, you need to do a secondary fermentation. After the kombucha is done brewing, pour it into bottles. Add a teaspoon of sugar per pint-size bottle, and any flavorings you like. Cap tightly and leave at room temperature.
If it's warm, check the kombucha after a day. If it's cold, it can take a week to get fizzy. The secondary fermentation is done when you can't taste any extra sweetness and the kombucha fizzes nicely.
Be careful! If you add too much sugar or extra fruit or ginger and don't check it soon enough, you can get explosions! My mother grew a baby during the second round the round where you're supposed to be getting the mother strong enough to brew and it's bigger HUGE than the mother. Can I use this to brew my kombucha or still use the mother? Jennie C -- Thanks! It's fine to use the baby. Usually at that stage it's all one mother, but it's fine if it separates.
Hello, I just started to grow the mother with GT Kombucha. I have a question. Do yu mean to use a lid or to continue with the cloth? It's obvious, just wasn't thinking. Thanks for sharing the info! I started a mother a couple weeks ago and it looks ready.
Can I drink the tea that I started the mother in or do I need to throw it out and start a new brew with the mother? I've brewed a lot of kombucha in the past; but it's been a few years. I can't wait to get started! My mother seems to have stopped growing. It's been about 9 days, since anything has happened.
Should I add sugar or more black tea, and how much? I don't want the tea too get too sweet. It was getting along so fabulously I found your directions to be very easy and helpful I was wondering what kind of things can I use to flavor the kombucha? I mde it with the ginger variety. I really love the blue-green algae variety. Any ideas from anyone would be appreciated. I'm working on my first batch, got it in a closet at 80 F. It's going well. I used table sugar, and pure glucose corn sugar.
I was hoping to make a liver tonic by increasing the Gluconic acids in the batch. I have some brown in the mother, but it's likely not mold because it has the leathery, rather than fuzzy, look. Thanks for the guide. Now all I have to be is patient, and try to get my family into this stuff. Hi, I just had to let you know that I have successfully created a mother from a store-bought bottle of GT original kombucha!
I was going to buy a mother, but this works great! I gave her the first 'feeding' a few days ago, at which point she kind of sank to the bottom of the jar I am using a large sun-tea type jar with a spigot at the bottom - hopefully this will work for a continuous brew , and now it appears that another baby is forming on the top! Thanks so much for the instructions.
I was worried that it might not work for me because we live on a boat in Alaska, and sometimes struggle a bit to keep the temp up, but here in our salon I have kept the temp right around , and it's obviously enough! Thanks for posting this. I'm excited to get started. By "cover it tightly" the second feeding do you mean with a regular mason jar lid or with the cloth and rubber band? See the last paragraph under "growing a mother" for more details.
Awesome set of instructions! My mother sank when I added the second round of liquid during the primary growth phase but the baby that formed on top has become vigorous and picture perfect.
I used the sediment from 3 bottles of GT, botanic 3, 7 and the regular just because that's what we had in the fridge and it turned out fine. I just need to keep it away from my wine barrels.
I disliked many of the varieties that my wife brought home and then got hooked on a few of the GT's and a local one called Revive. I used your directions and they have worked great to this point.
Very simple and straight forward. So I'm ready to feed my mother Is there a reason I can't use brown sugar? I have organic green tea looseleaf, brown sugar, and two half bottles of kombucha from the store. It must be some sort of extract of kombucha. Certainly it wouldn't have any probiotic benefits, but perhaps it contains some of the liver-supporting acids that are in regular kombucha. Not sure I'd ever want to drink hot kombucha, anyway. Kinda low on money right now and your instructions were just what I needed.
They really give you confidence to get started. I found a bottle with a lot of scoby in it and I started with the first step tonight. Hi, So I am in the process of growing my first mother via your instructions So is this normal? Do I continue or start over? And when I am ready to brew the real batch do I use both of them or just the new one? Thanks so much for all the help and instuctions!! So, it took a while but I finally found a store that carries GT Kombucha. The one was obviously flavored and without paying too much attention, I accidentally still got one with additives No 9 because my 4-year-old was getting in to everything in this tiny little health store and I just wanted to get out quickly!
I see that other people have used flavored types with some success - so I'm still going to give it a shot. However, my house is very old and although we keep it at 70, I'd say the ambient temp is closer to most days. Would it be a good idea to put my jar in front of a window that gets good afternoon sun so it's gets a bath of warmth most days or is it better to put it somewhere that would have a more consistent temp all the time?
Thanks for your very informative post and all the help you offer everyone! Maybe I'll try the top of the fridge and cover it with a dark towel - or on my dresser in the bedroom it's upstairs so warmer, and usually dark-ish.
Melaine -- Yes, the mother usually sinks to the bottom. Bubbles are fine. I use the mother and baby together in the next batch until they get a few inches thick and are in the way. Live Free -- Warm is relative. My house is usually less than 65 degrees. The warmer it is, the faster the kombucha ferments, but it's fine even in the 50s. Just slow. So far so good! I used the sediment and tendrils of 2 bottle of GT both had a good amount of material I also used plenty of the tea it came in to maintain acidity.
I has been about a week now and the beginnings of a mother are growing slowly due to room temp. May try to get it a bit more heat but satisfied overall with the process. Really fun project! Still having fun the mother is growing well but slowly fairly cool room.
It slowed down and I fed it a little and it made a big difference I had used a lot of the GT as starter. It tastes like it is supposed to taste though too sweet because of the feeding stage. Acidity is still good though. I'm not keeping it that warm but she is going through a lot of food. I know this from drinking it. It tastes great, you can easily tell when it goes from too sweet to vinegary and needing to be fed. I'm very pleased. I wish I have read your post first.
I see a slight baby kombucha growing very small.. Should I start the process like yours or wait a little? Dead microbes mean no new scoby, so check the bottle carefully. How do you even make tea?? Boil your water and make tea with 1 cup of water, adding about a tablespoon of sugar. Leave the tea to brew for about ten 10 minutes and remove the tea bag. You want to have either the same amount of tea as kombucha, or a bit less. If you add a lot more tea than kombucha then it will take you an eternity to grow your scoby.
I just judged it by eye. Approximately equal volumes, erring on the side of a bit less if you can. Strain the tea leaves out as you pour the tea into your brewing jar.
Leave your sweet tea to cool down. If it is too hot you will kill the scoby before it even starts. All you need to do now is cover your brew with a tightly woven cloth or a paper towel to prevent fruit flies or other contaminants getting in there, and leave it to grow. Stacey lives and works in the South Island of New Zealand with her husband, their 4 children, 4 hens, and a rabbit that they secretly think must have watched Monty Python's Holy Grail movie.
View all posts by stacey. Skip to content How do I make a kombucha scoby from scratch? Whatever your reason, it is totally possible to grow your own scoby.
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