Ingredients needed
14 cups water
1 cup sugar
8 tea bags
2 cups starter tea (or store bought kombucha)
1 SCOBY per fermentation container
1 cup vinegar (or store bought kombucha)
Materials needed
Pot to boil water
1-gallon bucket, or jar for the fermentation container
Tea towel or tightly woven cloth
1-gallon growler
Procedure
1. Measure out 14 cups water and bring it to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Place 8 tea bags into the hot water and steep for 30 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags. Once tea is cool (room temp about 72 degrees Fahrenheit), add 2 cups of starter tea along with 1 cup of vinegar (or store bought kombucha) to prevent mold growth and lower pH.
3. Pour the mixture into the fermentation container. Gently slide the SCOBY into the tea with clean hands, then cover the container with a tea towel or any tightly woven cloth. Secure in place with a rubber band.
4. Keep the fermentation container at room temperature (72 degrees Fahrenheit) in a dark place where it won’t be disturbed. Let it ferment for 7 to 14 days and check periodically.
5. After 7 days start to taste the kombucha daily until it obtains the flavor and acidity that is desired.
6. Once kombucha is ready, remove the SCOBY and store it at room temperature in roughly 1 cup of the kombucha that was just brewed using a breathable container. Refill the liquid with sweet tea as it begins to absorb and evaporate.
7. Transfer kombucha into the growler, and add any herbs or fruit for flavoring as desired. (To carbonate the kombucha keep the kombucha sealed in the growler at room temperature for 1 to 3 days).
8. Refrigerate the kombucha to stop the fermentation.
The White Labs SCOBY is large enough to start 1 to 5 gallons and will grow over time to accommodate larger sizes. If you are making a batch larger than 1 gallon you will need additional starter liquid, which is not provided in the SCOBY package.