How To Make The Best Kombucha EVER
Thinking of making kombucha? You're going to love the booch. Get ready to have your life changed.
When I was first given a SCOBY (the bacteria that makes kombucha) by a friend, I googled how to make it and found SO many variations and complex systems. I felt like I had been given a living organism that I was sure to kill and didn't know what the flip I was supposed to do with it. Often tutorials go into detail about what is happening, how it's happening, and recommend all the added extras that just make life confusing. Far out google, I just want to make a yummy drink!!
I've refined all my learnings and now spend a minimal amount of time each week making the best kombucha EVER- not that I want to toot my own horn... but... toot toot.
I've switched many people over to the dark side, and have been asked endless times how to make it. So here I finally am, sharing Kate's Boochy secrets.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST KOMBUCHA EVER
You will need (for 1L of booch):
- x2 teaspoons of black loose leaf tea (fair trade please)
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- A SCOBY (if you're in Auckland, send me a message and I'll give you one!)
- x2 teaspoons of a flavoured tea of your choice (optional)
- Starter liquid: this is simply ready to drink kombucha (Ideally not the shop bought stuff)
- Medium sized tea strainer
- Small funnel
- 1L glass jar- without a lid
- 15cm x 15cm piece of fabric (depends on size of your glass jar opening)
- Rubber band, hair-tie, or piece of string
- A glass pop top bottle
- Measuring jug (boiling water proof)
Top tips to remember at ALL TIMES:
- Wash your equipment really well before beginning this process
- Wash your hands every time you touch your SCOBY (bad bacteria can kill it)
- Never put a lid on your scoby container/jar unless it's in the fridge (it will explode!)
- Never put your scoby in hot water- only room temperature
- If your scoby goes mouldy, throw it in the compost
Phase 1
Boil a jug of water
Pour 1L of water into your measuring jug
Add the black leaf tea, flavoured tea (if you desire), and sugar
Mix well and leave to cool
Once cooled, pour mixture into your glass jar
Add the starter liquid and the SCOBY- it should sit at the top of your mixture, but don’t worry if it floats down a bit
Place the piece of fabric on the top of the jar, and secure with your rubber band, hair tie, or piece of string
Place in a safe and dark place where it will not be bumped or constantly moved out the way e.g. pantry or cupboard
Leave here for 5-7 days (5 days in summer, 7 in winter)
Phase 2- now for the fun part!
Bring your brewing kombucha out of your safe place
Remove the fabric, and remove the SCOBY from the liquid
Separate the SCOBY in half as it would have made another SCOBY underneath it. Store this in a jar of kombucha in the fridge where it will stay dormant and keep for a while, pass onto a friend, or simply put it in the compost if you do not need it
Pour your kombucha through a tea strainer into a measuring bowl
Pour your kombucha into your large bottle using a funnel, but leave about 1/4 cup in the bowl to use as starter mixture for your next batch of booch
Put your bottle in the fridge
Leave your bottled kombucha in the fridge for a week or two before drinking - the longer you leave it, the more fizzy it will be
TA DA! I'm so proud of you! Enjoy your boooooooch.
Kombucha is not only good for your gut, but a great alternative to a wine in the evening or when you're trying to wean yourself of soft drinks. Chuck in some fresh strawberries and you're away laughing! If you have anymore questions or comments, please send them my way. And of course I would LOVE to see your kombucha and hear of the flavours you're making.