I love learning traditional homemaking skills and making things from scratch in our cozy cottage kitchen. Homemade kombucha is a fermented tea made with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Once you have an established SCOBY, you can continue brewing batch after batch of this refreshing drink right at home!
If you’ve wondered how to make kombucha, how long to ferment kombucha, or how to make fizzy flavored kombucha, I’m walking you through the entire process!
🍵 HOMEMADE KOMBUCHA RECIPE
Ingredients:
* 12 cups water
* 8 organic black tea bags
* 1 cup organic cane sugar or white granulated sugar
* 1 healthy kombucha SCOBY
* 2 cups plain, mature, unflavored kombucha (starter tea)
Supplies:
* Large glass brewing jar (at least 1 gallon)
* Pot for brewing tea
* Tightly woven cloth or coffee filter
* Rubber band
* Clean, pressure-rated fermentation bottles
* Pure fruit juice (optional)
🌿 STEP 1: BREW YOUR SWEET TEA
Heat 12 cups of water to boiling and transfer into jar for brewing. Steep 8 organic black tea bags for approximately 10–15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in 1 cup of sugar until completely dissolved.
The sugar feeds the yeast and bacteria during kombucha fermentation!
🌿 STEP 2: COOL YOUR TEA
Allow the sweetened tea to cool completely to room temperature before adding your SCOBY. Hot tea can damage the living culture. 75-85F
🌿 STEP 3: ADD YOUR SCOBY
Add 2 cups of mature, unflavored starter kombucha and gently place your SCOBY into the jar.
The starter tea helps acidify the mixture for fermentation.
Your SCOBY may float, sink, or sit sideways. That’s perfectly normal!
🌿 STEP 4: FIRST FERMENTATION (7–14 DAYS)
Cover your jar with a tightly woven cloth or coffee filter and secure it with a rubber band.
Place somewhere warm, away from direct sunlight, ideally around 75–80°F.
Allow to ferment approximately 7–14 days. Warmer temperatures generally speed up fermentation, while cooler temperatures slow it down.
After about 7 days, begin tasting with a clean utensil. The longer it ferments, the less sweet and more tangy it becomes.
🌿 STEP 5: SAVE YOUR SCOBY
Once your kombucha reaches your preferred flavor, remove your SCOBY and save approximately 2 cups of plain finished kombucha.
Use both to start your next batch of homemade kombucha!
🍓 STEP 6: FLAVOR WITH FRUIT JUICE
Now for the fun part! You can drink your kombucha plain or make delicious fruit-flavored kombucha.
I like using approximately:
* 3/4 finished kombucha
* 1/4 pure fruit juice
For example, for 32 ounces:
* 24 oz finished kombucha
* 8 oz pure fruit juice
Try grape, apple, pineapple, cherry, mango, peach, or mixed berry juice!
Pure fruit juice without added sugar works because its natural sugars can help create carbonation during the second fermentation.
🥂 STEP 7: SECOND FERMENTATION (1–3 DAYS)
Pour your flavored kombucha into clean bottles specifically rated for carbonated beverages, leaving 1 inch at the top.
Seal according to the bottle manufacturer’s instructions and leave at room temperature for approximately 1–3 days to develop natural carbonation.
The yeast consumes sugars and produces carbon dioxide, creating those wonderful fizzy bubbles!
Some batches may take longer depending on temperature, sugar content, and yeast activity.
Important: Pressure can build quickly! Use only pressure-rated fermentation bottles, monitor carbonation carefully, and never rely on time alone to determine whether a bottle is safe to open.
🌸 STEP 8: REFRIGERATE & ENJOY!
Once carbonated, refrigerate thoroughly before carefully opening over a sink, pointing the bottle away from yourself and others.
Enjoy your homemade fizzy, fruit-flavored kombucha!
KOMBUCHA SAFETY TIPS:
Always use clean equipment, sufficiently acidic starter tea, and a healthy SCOBY. Finished kombucha is commonly kept around pH 2.5–4.2. Discard the entire batch if you notice fuzzy mold or spoilage. Homemade kombucha may contain alcohol, and carbonation can create significant bottle pressure. People who need to avoid unpasteurized drinks should consult their healthcare provider.
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