Hard Kombucha

This tutorial will walk you through how to brew hard kombucha (high-alcohol kombucha), and includes tips for brewing, equipment and flavoring!

I’ve been brewing traditional kombucha at home for years.

It all started as an kitchen science experiment and turned into a weekly routine.

Now we drink it almost daily!

Recently, though, I’ve been seeing something interesting pop up. Hard kombucha.

After trying several different store-bought versions, I started wondering if I could make my own. How hard could it be?

Turns out, it’s not hard at all.

I now make my own hard kombucha at home. And you can too.

This tutorial combines my years of home kombucha brewing experience with my husband’s beer-brewing experience into an easy, step-by-step tutorial for you to follow along with at home.

Want to try other ferments? Try drinks like milk kefir and water kefir, or try some of our other favorite ferments: fruit vinegar, fermented garlic, Instant Pot yogurt and homemade sauerkraut.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is fermented black tea.

Learn how to make traditional kombucha here, or keep reading for a quick overview.

Is Regular Kombucha Already Alcoholic?

Alcohol is a byproduct of yeast consuming sugar, so yes, regular kombucha does contain trace amounts of alcohol.

Traditional kombucha should have an ABV less than 0.5%, low enough that it can be sold as a non-alcoholic beverage.

To turn traditional kombucha into hard kombucha (or a high-alcohol brew), there’s an extra step.

What Does Hard Kombucha Taste Like?

To me, it tastes like a cross between regular kombucha and a sour beer.

If you want to try a store-bought version first, my favorite is from Elossa. We buy both Elossa’s berry and ginger versions at Trader Joe’s.

Sierra Nevada makes a hard kombucha under the brand name Strainge Beast. Strainge Beast is brewed with hops and tastes more like an IPA, but it’s worth trying if you’re into hoppy brews.

How to Brew Kombucha

To make hard kombucha, you need to start with a batch of, you guessed it, freshly brewed kombucha.

Start with a SCOBY

First things first: you’ll need a SCOBY.

SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. A kombucha SCOBY is similar to a vinegar mother, and it helps keep the tea safe to drink as it ferments.

Learn how to grow your own SCOBY or order a SCOBY online.

Brew Sweet Black Tea

Next, brew some sweet tea.

I recommend using organic black tea and regular white sugar.

I’ve been using Anthony’s loose leaf black tea. If you prefer tea bags, I like Lipton organic black tea bags.

Let the tea cool to room temperature and pour it into a one-gallon glass jar or two half-gallon jars. Note that if you use two jars, you’ll need two SCOBY.

Ferment The Tea

Once the tea cools down, add the SCOBY and a little bit of starter kombucha.

The starter kombucha can be plain, organic unflavored store-bought kombucha, it can be unflavored kombucha from your last brew, or if you order a SCOBY online, the SCOBY should come packed in starter kombucha.

The jar should now contain sweet tea, a SCOBY and starter. Cover the jar loosely using a tea towel or paper towel, and let it ferment for about a week.

How to Make Hard Kombucha

To turn regular kombucha into an alcoholic version, you’ll need to do a second ferment with brewing yeast.

It’s a pretty simple process, especially if you’re already used to brewing kombucha.

What Supplies Will I Need?

If you’re already brewing kombucha, you probably already own most of the supplies needed. Here are a few extra things you’ll need (or might want).

Brewing Yeast

You’ll need a brewing yeast. I recommend using either a champagne or wine yeast for the best flavor.

I use Red Star champagne yeast.

Airlock Fermenting Lids

While not essential, I recommend using airlock fermenting lids, which will allow gases to escape but stop air from coming into the jar.

Fermenting lids will help make the brewing process easier and more consistent.

I use these Easy Fermenter airlock lids, which are actually intended for use with food, but work perfectly for drinks too. I like them because they fit on my half-gallon jars.

Choose airlock lids that fit the container you’re fermenting in. Another option is to use a glass growler and a bubble airlock.

Hydrometer to Check APV

If you’d like to check the ABV (alcohol by volume), you’ll need a hydrometer.

Testing the ABV is totally optional, however, and you can skip this step and the equipment if you prefer.

Fermenting with Yeast

Start by activating the champagne yeast.

Bring one cup of filtered water to a boil, mix it with sugar, and then let it cool until it’s warm but not hot (about 95°F). It should be comfortable to the touch.

Add the yeast, stir, and then set somewhere warm for about 20 minutes. I like to set mine in a sunny window.

Remove the SCOBY (and a little starter tea) from the tea and set it aside for your next batch.

Add the yeasted sugar water to the tea.

Optionally, test the kombucha with a hydrometer to help determine the possible ABV.

Seal the tea with an airlock fermenting lid and allow it to ferment for seven to ten days.

I recommend testing it both lengths of time and seeing which you prefer.

After a week (or two), test the kombucha again with your hydrometer to determine the ABV. If you’re keeping track, that is.

Bottle + Carbonate

After fermenting, use a funnel to pour the hard kombucha into pressure-resistant swing-top bottles or small growlers.

Optionally, add juice to flavor the tea. More on that below.

Once or twice a day, open one of the bottles to see if the drink has carbonated.

Make sure to avoid using decorative glass bottles, or any glass container that’s not intended for carbonation, because the bottles could burst.

Flavor the Hard Kombucha

To flavor the kombucha, the easiest way is to add juice or simple syrup to the bottle before carbonation.

Use your favorite store-bought juice, or try adding homemade juices like cranberry juice or ginger juice.

You could also add simple syrups to the kombucha, such as basil simple syrup, lavender syrup, ginger syrup, mint syrup, honeysuckle syrup or pumpkin spice syrup.

The options are basically endless, so experiment to find your favorites!

Keep in mind that the yeast will continue to eat the sugar as the kombucha carbonates, so it can be a little difficult to predict how sweet the final product will be.

If the final product isn’t sweet enough, you can simply add more juice (or syrup) after carbonation.

Adding Flavors Other Than Juice

To add non-sugary flavors, like herbs, dried hibiscus flowers, citrus peel, or spices, infuse them after brewing with the SCOBY and before adding the yeast.

Simply add the (flowers, spices, whatever!) to the kombucha and let it infuse for about a day, then strain them out and proceed with the brewing yeast.

To brew with hops, you’ll need to bring your kombucha to a rolling boil, add the hops, and continue boiling for 30 minutes (at minimum). Cool the kombucha back to room temperature before adding the champagne yeast.

Keep in mind that there are lots of different types of hops. Some are intended to add bitter notes, others add flavor, others are added for aroma, and each type should be added at a different stage of the boil.

For tips on using hops, I like the book Brew Better Beer. It’s admittedly a beer brewing book and doesn’t address kombucha, but there’s some overlap.

Keep in mind that these flavor additions may provide less consistent results than simply adding juice, but go ahead and experiment! It’s part of the fun!

Can I Make Plain, Unflavored Hard Kombucha?

You can!

Keep in mind that the added sugars in juice or syrup help with carbonation, so if you’re having trouble carbonating your plain kombucha, try adding a sugar simple syrup to the bottles.

What’s the final ABV?

The ABV will depend on the temperature in your kitchen and the length of the ferment. The tea will ferment more quickly in warm temperatures and more slowly in cold, so the time of year will affect your brew.

The average ABV when I make this hard kombucha is approximately 4%. I generally ferment the kombucha with the SCOBY for 6 to 7 days and the kombucha with the yeast for about a week and a half.

How Can I Get a Higher ABV?

To increase the final ABV, try increasing either (or both) of the fermentation times. However, I recommend trying it with the times listed in the card first.

With longer ferments, it’s possible that the yeast will eat all (or most) of the sugar, making it difficult to carbonate without adding juice or syrup to the bottle.

A Caution for Home Beer Brewers

If you also brew beer, be extra careful about cross-contamination.

Kombucha relies on wild fermentation, whereas your beer brewing attempts to control the yeast completely.

Do not brew kombucha right next to your beer, and do not share any equipment. The wild yeasts can be extra difficult to get rid of and can contaminate your beer.