Brewing Kombucha at Home

Have you ever fancied being able to call yourself a Kombucha connoisseur? Well, now you can with our easy step-by-step guide: How to Make Kombucha at Home.

Kombucha has risen in popularity across the West in recent years (and we are not surprised, although we may be a little biased!). Although Kombucha is becoming easily accessible as you can now see various Kombucha brands popping up in supermarkets and cafes, it is still nice to get stuck in and learn a new skill that will just keep on giving (Fun fact: the SCOBY can last for a long time!).

Although this is a blog written about how to make Kombucha, you may be new to Kombucha altogether, so don’t worry as we’ll give you a whistle-stop tour of why it is amazing!

What is Kombucha? 

Kombucha is a fermented tea which has been fermented with a culture or a SCOBY. SCOBY is an acronym for "Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast”.  This is the living home for the bacteria and yeast that transform sweet tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha.

Kombucha is thought to have originated from the Far East and one popular theory is that its origin is dated back to ancient China during the Tsin Dynasty around 221 BCE.

There is a reason why everyone is hyped about Kombucha at the moment, and it is because Kombucha has been thought to contain several great benefits. 

Due to the fermentation process, Kombucha contains traces of Alcohol, however, it is classed as a non-alcoholic beverage as it usually has less than 0.5% ABV.
 

Check out this video: How to Make Kombucha at Home

From our YouTube channel - The Gut Health Channel

Ingredients you will need to brew your Booch’

• A sterile glass jar. 

• A sterile glass bottle with a flip-top close lid.

• A tea of your choice- you can mix them if you like! We use a mixture of Green and Black Tea.

• Unrefined white sugar - don’t use brown sugars due to their molasses contents.

• Kombucha culture/ SCOBY.

• Liquid Kombucha Culture.

Methods For Making The Tea

Method One: A Single Litre of Tea

1. Decant 3 grams of loose-leaf tea (2-3 TBSP) or tea bags(2-3 Bags) into a litre of boiling water. Let this steep for 12-15 minutes. 

2. Remove the tea bag or tea infuser and drain your tea where necessary to remove any loose leaves.

3. Add 50 grams of unrefined white sugar to your steeped litre of tea.

4. Pop the tea to the side and let it cool to room temperature.

Method Two: Tea Concentrate

If you want to make larger quantities of Kombucha, you can make a tea concentrate. A tea concentrate is useful to make and then dilute with your desired amount of liquid. You can change the measurements of the liquids to fit your desired quantities, just make sure you add extra tea and sugar to fit your new ratios. 

1. Add 3 grams of tea to infuse.

2. Fill your jug with up to 500ml of boiling water. 

3. Let the tea steep for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the tea bag or tea infuser. 

5. Once the tea has steeped add 50 grams of sugar.

6. Top up with 500ml more water. 

7. Cool to room temperature.

 Fermentation Method 

Disclaimer: If you do not already have a SCOBY don’t worry! It will form on your first batch and then you can transfer it to your next Kombucha baby. If you are wanting to make a Kombucha Culture, this will be outlined later in the blog under The Secondary Fermentation Process (below). 

1. Add 200ml of liquid Kombucha culture to the sweet tea. 

2. Add your solid SCOBY. 

3. Cover the jar with a kitchen roll and attach an elastic band to secure it.

4. Pop it in a room-temperature space in the kitchen to brew for 10-14 days.

What’s Going to Get Jiggy in your Booch?

So what happens during the Kombucha-making process? The SCOBY floats peacefully on top of the surface and sugar mixture - what a life, or if this is your first batch a brand new SCOBY will form. The SCOBY consumes the sugar and metabolises it. This process results in the production of acids such as acetic acid, ethanol, and carbon dioxide. This fermentation is different to the processes of other probiotic drinks, such as Yakult, which you can read about here.

The Secondary Fermentation Process

Once you have tasted your Kombucha after 10-14 days and are happy with the flavour, you can start your secondary fermentation and create your own Kombucha Starter. A secondary fermentation makes the Kombucha fizzy as the carbon dioxide from the Kombucha will be pushed back into the sealed bottle. 

TOP TIP: Keep back 200ml of your Kombucha to save for next time as your Kombucha Starter! 

Create your Secondary Fermentation: 

1. Decant 80% of your liquid into a jug - remember to save 20% for later use as your Kombucha Starter for the next time you get creative in the kitchen with Kombucha. 

2. Get a flip-top tight bottle and add the finished Kombucha to a sealable bottle.

Get creative with your Booch'

• Once you have decanted your finished Kombucha into the flip-top bottle you can begin to add flavourings. 

• You can add whatever you like! We like to add Strawberry and Basil, which is a refreshing flavour for a sunny day.

• When you have decided what flavours you would like to get funky with Just pop a teaspoon of your desired herb, whole fruits, juices or root vegetable into the bottle.

What's happening in the second fermentation? 

The whole process of fermentation starts again to add flavour to your desired mix! It also carbonates the drinks as the carbon dioxide is forced back into the liquid making the drink nice and lightly fizzy.

Disclaimer: You need to be careful when opening your bottle as the liquid gets fizzy and volatile! To avoid any rouge fruits ending up in your eye, pop the bottle in the fridge before you open it when you are happy with your secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation can take between 2-5 days depending on the sugar contents of what flavours you have popped into your bottle!

Let's Round This Up

In this blog, we’ve discussed how to make Kombucha at home. As we’ve shown you it's super easy, but if you think that the Kombucha-making process isn’t for you, you can always pick up some delightfully packaged Hip Pop Classic Kombucha that is delivered straight to your door. If you have been curious about CBD and the relaxing benefits that come with it, you can try our CBD Kombucha.

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