How to make Kombucha : The Fermented Probiotic Tea

Kombucha is not just your average tea — it’s an effervescent, almost vinegar-y tasting beverage. I became aware of it a couple of years ago, just as it was beginning to become trendy here in NYC, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

There are all kinds of health claims about Kombucha, which may or may not be true. I like it because I like how it tastes! It’s been around for many generations, probably about as long as fermentation has been around (i.e. a very long time).

Many things we eat are fermented! Of course kimchi, but also many things you might not think about, like wine and cheese.

I recently shot a video for CNN.com about kombucha. Mimi, who joined me in this video, was my (awesome) videographer for the piece, and we realized that we’re BOTH big fans of kombucha.

It’s actually not that hard to make it at home — the trickiest part is getting your hands on a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). We decided to get a Home Brew Kit from the guys over at Kombucha Brooklyn. (We’re big fans of them!)

So in this video I walk you through the kombucha brewing process as we put together the kit. I hope you learn something about kombucha you didn’t know before!!

What you need to make kombucha is:
-big ol’ jar!
-approx. 6 grams of tea
-1/2 c. sugar
-temperature strip or thermometer
-SCOBY in starter liquid, which is basically just the kombucha it grew in
-cotton towel big enough to fit over the jar’s opening

Boil 2 cup of water. Take it off the heat and add the tea. Let brew for 20 minutes.

If you have a temperature strip, affix it to the outside of your jar.

Once the 20 minutes is up, take the tea bag out. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then mix the tea liquid with 4 cups of cold water and put it in your big jar. This should cool it down to below 90 degrees, but you’ll want to double check that with the temperature strip (if it’s too hot, it will kill the SCOBY).

Then, add the SCOBY to the jar and cover it with the cotton cover, secured with a rubber band.

Let it sit out on your counter for 10 days. Once the 10 days are up, remove the SCOBY and refrigerate the liquid. There’s your kombucha! Now enjoy! 🙂

If you want to continue brewing kombucha, you need to keep the SCOBY alive and healthy, so you should repeat the brewing process as soon as you can!

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Produced, filmed, edited and hosted by Katie Quinn