Ever wanted to brew your own kombucha? We have put together a
guide and top tips on how to create make this fermented drink at
home. Experiment with your favourite fruits and spices for
different flavoured kombucha.
Ingredients
1 litre filtered water
2 tbsp spiced leaf tea (tea bags can be used)
1 tbsp hibiscus loose tea
3 tbsp white sugar
Your choice of spices and chopped fruit to flavour
Method
Boil 500ml of the water in a pan and set aside the remaining
500ml.
Take the water off the heat and stir in the sugar until
dissolved, then add the tea.
Leave the tea to brew until the water has cooled (30-45
minutes). If you used loose leaf, strain the tea to remove the
leaves, or if you used tea bags lift out without squeezing.
Pour in the remaining cold water and stir. Pour into clean,
wide mouthed jars or bottles.
Cover the tops with muslin cloth and a rubber band to keep in
place. As this is your first kombucha, leave in a room temperature
environment to ferment. This process can take between a few days
and 2 weeks. During the fermentation process, the kombucha will
begin to change colour and become a cloudy.
During the fermentation process:
Check on the kombucha after a week to assess the fermentation.
Spoon a little out and taste. If it tastes more like a juice than
tea, with a pleasant sweetness and a slight fizz, then your
kombutcha is ready! If not, leave for a few days more and taste
again.
The idea is for a " SCOBY " to form. SCOBY stands for
"Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts", which will float to the
top of the kombucha. One you have created a SCOBY, this will be the
starter for other batches you may make. Place the cover back on and
leave to ferment for another week.
Use a funnel to decant the drink into bottles, or larger jars.
We recommend straining the kombucha through a fine sieve. To add
flavour to the drink, add chopped fruit or spices and herbs to the
jars or bottles first.
Place the formed SCOBY into a jar with some of the liquid to
keep it alive for your next batch.
Once full, seal the bottles with an airtight lid and leave to
stand in the fridge for a few days for the fruit and spices to
infuse. The longer it is left, the fizzier it will become. When you
are ready to drink, strain off the fruit and pour into a glass
ready to enjoy.
Top tips:
Carbonation will start to process in the second stage of
fermentation. This will make your kombucha become mildly
fizzy.
Have a read of our "making kombucha" article for lots of tips
and ideas.
Once you removed the first SCOBY from the fermented tea, place
in a jar and cover with the fermented tea to keep the culture alive
for your next batch.
When making your next batch of kombucha, place the SCOBY on the
top of the infused tea at its first stage of fermentation. The
SCOBY will grow each time and can be reduced by peeling away a
layer if it becomes too big.
The SCOBY will form and float at the top of the drink, forming
the shape of a 'disc'. Don't worry if your SCOBY sinks, it is still
active.
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