Like all things in life - the best is often homemade! So here is 8 simple steps to get you brewing your own at HOME.
Equipment:
Heat Proof Jar (like a Kilner Jar - the size of this dictates how much you make)
A long handled Spoon (e.g. wooden or plastic, NOT metal)
Plastic Sieve
A square of tight weave cotton (e.g. clean tea towel) - this is to cover the mouth of the jar
A strong elastic band
A heat proof jug (1.5L) - this is to brew your tea in
Ingredients:
SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
Tea (if loose tea 3-4 teaspoons, if not 3-4 tea bags) - choose your preferred tea: black tea, green tea, white tea
60-80g Cane Sugar i.e. granulated
1 litre of filtered water
Instructions:
1. Boil the litre of filtered water.
2. Put the teabags/tea leaves into your glass container and pour on the boiled water. Allow to ‘steep’ for anything between 5-15 minutes; to taste. Being mindful that the scoby’s action relies on the tannins in the tea to ‘ferment’ i.e. they LIKE the tannins!
3. Remove the teabags or tea leaves, then add the sugar and stir until dissolved (a wooden or plastic spoon is best – to avoid, inadvertently, using anything metal once the scoby is in the picture).
4. Leave the sweet tea to cool.
5. Once ‘cool to touch’ - It is then time to put the cold tea into the wide-mouthed jar and place your scoby AND the accompanying liquid from the bag, with it.
***Note: The scoby may float, sink or hover; all are good and the position it takes will not affect your brew.
6. Put the square of cloth across the mouth of the jar and secure with the elastic band.
7. Finally, place your jar somewhere at a (relatively) constant temperature (20-24*C) away from direct sunlight.
8. Allow your Kombucha to ferment for 7 days. Then sample it to see how it is progressing.
From here-on, test daily until you decide it is fermented enough for your taste. The longer the fermentation time the lower the sugar content of the tea. You might want to start with a ‘young brew’ (slightly sweeter and less tangy) initially and build-up to a more ‘mature’ brew (more tangy and less sweet) with each new batch. The usual brew ‘window’ is anything between 7 and 30 days.
As you get more experienced you will come to know the ideal brew duration that best suits your palette. Essentially, Kombucha should taste a combination of fruity/sour/tart – and may have a slight natural fizz to it. It will/ can smell a little like cider vinegar and, maybe, slightly yeasty.
When your brew is ready, pour it into the jug/bottle you plan to keep it in – but keep 100-125ml of the original tea, with the scoby, as a ‘starter’ for your next batch.
At this point you can add flavourings (we advise natural) e.g. crushed pomegranate seeds or fresh mint. Put your jug/bottle in the fridge. Decant your kombucha as and when you like to drink it. Chilled is best.
The longer you leave home brewed Kombucha in the fridge, the fizzier it can become – depending on how much sugar was left in the liquid, when you decanted it from the scoby. It is therefore important to ‘burp’ the bottle if it is lidded. It is not imperative to store your kombucha in the fridge, but if you keep it at room temperature be mindful that there are still live micro-organisms and yeasts in the kombucha, and they will continue to ‘ferment’; so ‘burping’ the container becomes even more important if you want to avoid a ‘feisty’ bottle exploding!
It is quite normal for ‘fuzz’ or ‘bits’ or ‘clouds’ to form during the fermentation process; these are yeast chains, collections of bacteria and by products of the fermentation and are not harmful. They sometimes attach themselves to the scoby’s underside. It is therefore suggested that you filter your fermented kombucha through a fine plastic sieve or a piece of muslin when decanted away from the scoby.
It is common for baby scobies and yeast strands to form, even once the kombucha has been removed from the ‘mother’ scoby i.e. in the bottle it is stored in. This happens because the live organisms suspended in the kombucha continue to be active, albeit at a slower rate. If you are caught unawares and find one of these ‘blobs’ or ‘strands’ in your glass, it can be a little disconcerting! So it is advisable to sieve your Kombucha into your glass to ‘catch’ any ‘bits’ and either compost it or add it to your current brew.
Top Tips:
SCOBYS don't like metal - so make sure not to use metal equipment and removing jewellery from your hands is advisable when handling.
All equipment needs to be washed and RINSED thoroughly – with no residues of detergents or soaps left on the surface; that goes for your hands too – as any residues or antibacterial soaps will potentially disrupt the SCOBY’s micro-organism balance.
Kombucha brews best at a constant room temperature (ideally 20-24°C). The cooler the ambient temperature the slower the ferment; however, a slow brew is not a bad thing if you are not in a hurry for your Kombucha.
Adapt your kombucha to your taste and wants!!