How to Make a Kombucha SCOBY
Do you love kombucha, and want to make it at home? The first step is growing a SCOBY. Here's how to Make a Kombucha Scoby from scratch!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time7 days d
Total Time7 days d 30 minutes mins
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 1 scoby
Calories: 1kcal
large pot to boil water / steep tea
Large Glass Jar (2 quarts minimum), or Multiple Smaller Jars
paper towels or napkins (avoid using cheesecloth if you have a problem with fruit-flies)
rubber bands
- 7 cups water
- ½ cup granulated white sugar (do not substitute raw sugar)
- 4 bags black tea (or 1 TB loose black tea)
- 1 cup store-bought raw kombucha (unflavored, unpasteurized)
Equipment Needed:
- large pot to boil water / steep tea
- 2 quart glass jar OR 2 1-quart glass jars
- paper towel or napkin (avoid using cheesecloth if you have a problem with fruit-flies)
- rubber band
Tip: The SCOBY will most likely grow on the TOP of the jar-- so if you don't see anything happening, look under your napkin!
Troubleshooting:
- This is normal: A new, transparent scoby disk appearing on the top of the kombucha batch; stringy pieces of scoby floating in the drink (like with a vinegar mother); the scoby floating on top, on the side, on the bottom– It doesn’t matter where it is, it’s working.
- This is not normal: The SCOBY is black. The tea has mold or smells rotten. Throw away your SCOBY and tea and start over.
More Help: If your SCOBY isn't growing, try the following tweaks:
- Use filtered water
- Use organic sugar
- Use organic tea
- Use loose-leaf tea, or tea in unbleached tea bags
- Switch brands of store-bought kombucha, and make sure to avoid using pasteurized kombucha as a starter (check the label)
Note: Avoid prolonged contact with metal once the SCOBY fermentation process begins.
Scoby nutritional information is unknown. Scoby are edible.
Calories: 1kcal