Make Kombucha yourself: Kombucha recipe for beginners

It may sound like a witch's kitchen, but I promise you: Making kombucha yourself is not rocket science. Our kombucha recipe has a few components that pack a punch and you will have a lot of fun enjoying your own kombucha from your fermentation vessel at home very soon. With the video instructions and the detailed tips, you will definitely succeed.

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Making Kombucha Tea: The Basic Recipe for Fermentation Newbies!

To make Kombucha, various ingredients are fermented with a tea fungus (also called Scobys). Fermentation is a preservation method that brings out a special taste. In the case of kombucha fermentation, bacteria and yeasts that have grown into the kombucha mushroom - also called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) - help.

Make DIY kombucha

How you can best prepare your kombucha in the fermentation vessel with starting liquid is explained in the video instructions Merle from KOMBUCHERY.

Make your own kombucha: the ingredients

When making Kombucha, we always recommend organic ingredients for fermentation.

Before you can make your kombucha tea you will need (per litre):

Place ingredients in a highlighted box

• 1 vessel (fermentation vessel, preparation vessel) made of glass with a volume of at least 1.5 liters and a large opening (rinsed out well without detergent)
• 1 kombucha mushroom, also called tea mushroom
• 8 g black tea or green tea
• 100 g e.g. whole cane sugar
• 1 liter of water (filtered if possible)
• Starter liquid or our Kombucha Original with a neutral taste
• 1 air-permeable drape (preferably made of fabric)

Scoby for Kombucha Recipe: Where do you get it from?

You can easily buy your scoby for the kombucha recipe online or if you are lucky enough that another kombucha lover gives you a tea mushroom that has already been grown . The starting fluid is included with most providers or you can use our Kombucha Original with a neutral taste.

Kombucha instructions in 10 steps to make the drink: Let's get started!

1. First, bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a large saucepan. You can then add 8g of black or green tea and let it steep for 12 to 15 minutes (while the water is gently simmering).
   
   
2. Then drain the tea and then add 100 g of sugar . The sugar should be stirred in until it has completely dissolved in the tea.

1. When making your own kombucha, it is very important that you let the sugar-added tea cool in a glass jar to at least 25 degrees room temperature . The sensitive Scoby must never be immersed in hot water . The living bacteria and yeasts, as well as proteins can be destroyed in this way.
   
   
2. Now add 100 ml of the starter liquid to the tea mixture.

1. Then you carefully add the previously carefully rinsed Scoby to the container.

1. You can now cover the opening of the preparation vessel with an air-permeable cloth and fasten it with a rubber band.

After completing these first steps of the Kombucha instructions, the Scoby (at a pleasant room temperature) now has about a week to process the ingredients of the tea, so to speak “eat them up”. If it lies at the bottom of the container, the Scoby will be slightly larger and usually form more Scoby offshoots. Often, however, the scoby will float and over time a thicker kombucha mushroom will form at the top of the glass.

1. Once the kombucha mushroom has reached the right level of fermentation after about 7 days (depending on your preferences and taste, we recommend a pH value between 2.9 and 3.1), you can carefully remove the scoby from the kombucha liquid Remove and remove tea residues with lukewarm water.
   
   
2. You can store the scoby in some bottled kombucha liquid (new starter liquid) for the next round of making your own kombucha.
   
   
3. Before you bottle the kombucha , we recommend that you filter the liquid through a very fine sieve or alternatively through a layer of kitchen roll to remove individual small scoby pieces. But that is not absolutely necessary.
   
   
4. The kombucha should then be left in a closed bottle at room temperature for another two days for secondary fermentation . Natural carbon dioxide can then form.

Yay! You have now fermented your first kombucha yourself and can enjoy a similarly delicious and refreshing drink like our KOMBUCHERY kombucha.

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Fact box – Make Kombucha yourself

Result: Following these instructions you will receive 1 liter of kombucha. You can always make new kombucha with your Scoby as you wish. Well cared for, it can last for months, even years.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 ml:
Fat < 0.5 g
of which saturated fatty acids < 0.1 g
Carbohydrates 3.6 – 11.8 g
of which sugar 3.6 – 11.8 g
Protein < 0.5 g

Working time: about 20 minutes (plus cooling time for the tea)

Fermentation time: approx. 7 days (depending on the desired PH value)

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Tips & Tricks for Kombucha Fermentation

Even if there are only a few ingredients and a short working time, care, hygiene and the quality of the components make a good kombucha fermentation.

Kombucha starter liquid

The amount of starter liquid must not be too small. Your Scoby should always be completely covered with it when it's resting to prevent mold from forming.

The rule of thumb for making Kombucha yourself is: 100 ml starter liquid per liter of tea.

The more acidic the preparation liquid/starting liquid, i.e. the lower the PH value, the less is needed to prepare your kombucha. However, it is better to be generous than to use it too sparingly. In this way the growth of the Scobys can be guaranteed.

Do's & Don'ts in the tea selection

• Do not use tea with a high proportion of essential oils or artificial flavors (e.g. fruit tea, tea made from sage or lemon balm).
• Use loose tea rather than tea bags.
• If you use fruit tea or tea other than black, green or white tea - only mix it - not pure!

Hygiene & cleanliness

To ensure that no germs or foreign bodies get into your kombucha, it is recommended to clean everything very thoroughly. It is best to use vinegar to clean all objects and tools. You can also clean your hands with vinegar water.

The best water for boiling the tea

It's hard to believe, but the quality of the water plays a major role in Kombucha production. The rather inconspicuous ingredient can affect your Scoby positively and negatively. Conventional tap water may have residual chlorine and chemicals, as well as fluoride. These substances can harm the Scoby. It is therefore best to always use filtered water.

Kombucha Storage & Kombucha Care

The finished Kombucha drink can be kept for up to 6 months. Bottling the kombucha does not automatically stop the fermentation process. Over time, the kombucha becomes a little more acidic and acquires more sparkling natural carbon dioxide.

Kombucha should be stored as cool and dark as possible. This works best in the fridge or in a cold basement room. Here Kombucha is only exposed to a few external influences and can be stored in peace. The shelf life can be extended by some time. Constant cooling delays the fermentation and the kombucha only slowly becomes a little more acidic.

Prepare Kombucha again: Can I make the tea fungus myself?

You can also prepare a kombucha mushroom yourself without a starter kid from the internet. The ingredients are the same and it just takes a little more time and patience.

With tea, cane sugar and our KOMBUCHERY Raw Original as a starting liquid, the kombucha mushroom can form on its own within 7 to 21 days , depending on the conditions.

It is exciting to watch how small foam bubbles form on the surface of the liquid. These become denser over time until the kombucha fungus can be seen. The patience is worth it! Making kombucha yourself is really exciting!

FAQs: Make your own kombucha drink

Can kombucha be dangerous?

Kombucha cannot be dangerous. But the same applies here: everything in moderation . Since kombucha is a probiotic drink, you should slowly get your body – especially your intestines – used to the drink. In addition, the longer the kombucha stands, the more healthy acids it produces. Some people are sensitive to too much acid. In this case, you can dilute your kombucha with water or if it eventually becomes too acidic to drink, you can use it like vinegar but for salad dressings . He won't be really bad.

How much kombucha is healthy?

With kombucha it is the same as with all other foods: you should not overdo it with consumption. Start with a small glass a day and see how the kombucha suits you. After a few days you can drink more.

There is no maximum amount that should be considered and that would lead to side effects.

Can you divide the kombucha mushroom?

You can separate individual layers of the kombucha mushroom from each other with clean hands. Simply peel it off very carefully. Or take a standard pair of scissors cleaned with vinegar and carefully cut the Scoby into pieces. With the individual parts you can make a new Kombucha in the starter or give it away.

Which tea is suitable for kombucha?

Black tea is particularly suitable for making kombucha yourself, but oolong tea or green tea are also good choices for successful fermentation. A combination of green and black tea is also one of many possible alternatives.

Our favorites:

• Black tea Golden Monkey: Darjeeling, Frisian blend (Assam, Ceylon, Indian Himalaya)
• White tea: silver needle, shou mei, oolong tea
• Green tea: Sencha & Matcha, New Spring, Chun Mee

How much alcohol is in kombucha tea?

The duration and type of fermentation not only influences the taste but also the alcohol content in the kombucha. Kombucha can contain up to 3% alcohol . Most of the time it is actually less. After 14 days of fermentation, the alcohol content is at most 0.5 to 1 percent .

Sugar in Kombucha

The added sugar is mainly needed for the microorganisms during fermentation. Yeast and bacteria need sugar as a food source for the metabolic processes. In the end, depending on the fermentation technique, a sugar content of 3 g to 12 g sugar per 100 ml Kombucha remains. You can also experiment with the type of sugar yourself.

If, like us, you like it tart and not too sweet, you can vary the amount of sugar, but you should never go below 80 g of sugar per liter, otherwise the microorganisms will not receive enough nutrition.

Shelf life of Kombucha

Unpasteurized kombucha has a shelf life of around 3 to 6 months . Filling the Kombucha drink does not automatically stop the entire fermentation process . The kombucha should therefore be stored as cool and dark as possible. This works best in the refrigerator or in a cool room. Here the kombucha is not exposed to any external influences and can be stored protected from the sun and heat . Kombucha that is not stored in a cool place will not go bad either. It only tastes more acidic and develops more natural carbonic acid.

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