Learn how to make kombucha from scratch with this beginner friendly guide! With just a few simple ingredients, you can brew your own fizzy, probiotic-rich kombucha at home in about two weeks. This step-by-step tutorial walks you through every stage of the process and shows you what to look for along the way. No fancy equipment required!

WHY I BREWED MY OWN KOMBUCHA

As much as I would love to say that I learned how to brew kombucha perfectly on my very first try, that’s not at all how it went.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to anything that I make in my kitchen, so of course that unrealistic expectation naturally extended to my homemade kombucha journey.

The very first time I tried to brew my own kombucha was about 10 years ago in my super small studio apartment in L.A. I distinctly remember thinking to myself that I would need to get a second fridge at some point to store all of the kombucha that I was about to brew, but guess what…

That’s not what happened. At all.

Here’s what actually happened: I bought a SCOBY starter kit off of Amazon and spent about a week babying my little pellicle like the Tamagochi pet that it was, and was so incredibly proud of my big, slimy pellicle as it grew to fit the jar I’d stored it in. I felt so accomplished just watching it grow and grow until I realized I had done zero research and didn’t know what to do next.

Eventually, I “figured out” that I needed to brew some black tea and add the pellicle to it. I waited about a week and tasted the resulting brew and… this was not the sweet, flavorful kombucha I was expecting. I was so disappointed that I threw the whole thing out, pellicle and all, and didn’t try again until now.

Currently banging my head against the wall as I write this, by the way…

So here I am, ten years later, much more experienced and more well-researched, and I’ve brewed not one, not two, but three successful batches of kombucha since then, and I can’t be stopped! Maybe I will need that second kombucha fridge after all…

I know I’m not the only one with big lofty dreams of making their own kombucha at home, so I wanted to share with you my distilled, easy to read and understand guide on how to brew your own kombucha from scratch. This guide is specifically geared for first timers who have no idea what they’re doing (that’s probably you)!

I believe in the each one, teach one philosophy so I’m here to lift the veil and make brewing your own kombucha at home less scary and more approachable for you. The kombucha forum on reddit was a HUGE help for me here, and I recommend checking it out too!

So, let’s get started!

Here’s everything you need to know about making fresh kombucha from scratch is in this handy little guide. It has all the details you need to brew a successful batch on your first try!

KOMBUCHA BREWING TERMINOLOGY

There are a few common terms you’ll want to become familiar with when you get started brewing your own kombucha. As you do more research, you’ll see these words come up again and again:

• First fermentation, F1: The first start of the brewing process. This is when the sweet tea and starter liquid (more on that below), ferment at room temperature for about 1 week in a large brewing vessel.
• Second fermentation, F2: This is when the first fermentation is transferred to smaller bottles to add flavorings and build up carbonation.
• Burping: Opening the sealed F2 bottles daily to release excess pressure and prevent over-carbonation (which can lead to exploding bottles)!
• Continuous brew: After you brew your first batch of kombucha, you can reserve some of the leftover liquid and use it for your next brew! This is known as the continuous brewing method. It would replace the starter liquid (more on that next) that you would otherwise need to buy for your next batch.
• Starter liquid: Mixed into your very first brew to turn kombucha into kombucha! The starter liquid will be either pure, unflavored, unsweetened store-bought kombucha, or leftover kombucha from a previous batch that is used to brew a whole new batch of fresh kombucha (aka the continuous brewing method). I used GT’s Pure Kombucha as my starter liquid, which you can get HERE. It can be hard to find but I usually find it at my local Whole Foods.
• SCOBY: Stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. It is literally the mixture of bacteria and yeast that forms in the brew as the sweet tea ferments, which is what makes kombucha different from, say, just a cup of iced tea. The SCOBY is often confused the with Pellicle, which I’ll define next.
• Pellicle: The floating, disc-shaped by-product of the fermented kombucha. It’s a thin, rubbery layer of cellulose formed by the bacteria in the SCOBY. In my opinion, when a brew forms a pellicle it’s a good sign that the pH is well-balanced, and everything is heading in the right direction. However, contrary to popular belief, you do not need to keep the pellicle or add it to future batches of kombucha. The pellicle doesn’t do anything because it is a by-product of the main process that is creating the kombucha. That being said, I, like many people, am emotionally attached to their pellicles. I keep mine for good luck 🙂
• pH: A measure of acidity. Finished kombucha typically falls between 2.5 and 3.5 pH. Keeping the kombucha in this safe range ensures it will not spoil or be susceptible to mold. You can buy pH strips to check on your brew throughout the process if you want to be extra-sure it’s staying in this safe range. You can buy pH strips HERE.

EQUIPMENT FOR BREWING YOUR OWN KOMBUCHA

As you get more experienced with brewing your own kombucha, you’ll find out exactly what you do and don’t need to make it. For beginners, I think this is the bare minimum of what you’ll want to have on hand:

• Brewing vessel: You’ll want a food-safe glass jar that holds at least 64 oz. Better yet if the jar has a spigot attached to it (this will make pouring the brew into the fermentation bottles a lot easier). A 64 oz jar is just to get you started, but as you continue to brew definitely upgrade to a glass container that holds at least 128 oz. HERE is a great option for that.
• Fermenting bottles: After your kombucha is brewed, you’ll have to transfer the brew into the individual bottles that you’ll drink the kombucha out of. You’ll want these bottles to be at least 16 oz each, that way you get at least 3 bottles of drinkable kombucha from each brew. Make sure the bottles are round, not square, otherwise the carbonation may not distribute properly which can lead to an exploding bottle! HERE are the exact bottles I used.
• Kitchen towel: You’ll need one for covering the brewing vessel. Don’t use a cheesecloth because the holes will be too big, which can introduce dust and dirt into the brew.
• Kitchen scale, and/or measuring cups: I prefer using a kitchen scale for getting the exact measurements, but you can use measuring cups as well.
• Funnel: For transferring the brew into the fermentation bottles. Super useful if your brewing vessel doesn’t have a spigot. Make sure they’re metal, or glass. HERE are the ones I used.

Note what I didn’t include here… you do not need to buy one of those fancy SCOBYs or brewing kits that you often find on Amazon. It’s unnecessary. So keep reading to see how to make kombucha without buying a SCOBY!

HOW TO BREW KOMBUCHA AT HOME

The full instructions on how to brew your own kombucha are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll all the way down to view those detailed instructions!

Here’s an overview of how to make kombucha at home, the easy way:

Day 1: First Fermentation, F1

• Heat the water to just below boiling. Add in the granulated sugar and black tea, and stir everything together.
• Remove the tea.
• Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before transferring it to your brewing vessel.
• Mix in the pure, unflavored kombucha (aka the starter liquid).
• Cover the mouth of the jar with a kitchen towel.
• Let the mixture sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for at least 1 week.

Day 7: Second Fermentation, F2

• To add flavoring, pour the fruit juice of your choice into each of the fermentation bottles.
• Divide the brew into the bottles. Leave about 1″ space in the neck of each bottle.
• Seal the bottles and let them sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for about 1 week.

Day 14: Chill & Drink!

• After 1 week, chill the bottles in the fridge before enjoying, and then congrats! You just made kombucha!

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY KOMBUCHA IS GROWING MOLD?

Ah, mold. The boogeyman of the kombucha world.

It can be hard to tell mold apart from all of the other natural, objectively strange-looking processes that kombucha goes through as it brews. I highly recommend checking out this page from Brew Bunch for lots and lots of photos of what actual mold looks like on kombucha.

Generally, mold will appear as fuzzy, circular spots on the surface of your brew or on the SCOBY. It typically shows up in colors like white, green, black, grey, or blue.

The key word here is FUZZY. If it looks like the kind of mold you’d see on old bread or fruit, trust your gut and toss it.

Mold almost always forms on the surface of the brew, since mold needs oxygen to grow. It will not form inside of the liquid itself.

WHY DID MY KOMBUCHA FORM MOLD?

Here are some of the most common reasons why mold forms:

• Not enough starter liquid, making the brew too alkaline at the start.
• A brewing environment that’s too cold, for too long, below 65°F.
• Equipment that wasn’t cleaned thoroughly, which can introduce bacteria and cause mold to form.
• Loose tea leaves left in the brew, which can get moldy over time.
• Fruit or juice introduced in F1 instead of F2, a common mistake for beginners, which can be avoided if you follow this kombucha recipe closely!

HOW LONG DOES KOMBUCHA TAKE TO MAKE?

Start to finish, expect to drink your kombucha about 2 weeks after you start making it.

Why? Because the kombucha needs to undergo two rounds of fermentation before it’s ready to drink, and both rounds of fermentation take about a week.

As you become more experienced with brewing your own homemade kombucha, you’ll be able to tweak the timeline a bit so that it’s shorter or faster to get your desired taste. Also, if your kitchen is particularly warm (like in the summer), this may speed up fermentation a bit and shorten your overall time by a couple of days.

Overall, I wish I could say there was a shortcut to this process, but the waiting is a big part of it, and it’s very much worth it!

HOW TO STORE KOMBUCHA?

After you’ve completed the second fermentation (F2), keep your sealed kombucha bottles in the fridge, and enjoy them within a couple of weeks.

Note that the kombucha will continue to ferment over time the longer it sits, so open the bottles once day to release the carbonation that is building up. This is referred to as burping the bottles.

As they continue to sit, the SCOBY will continue to eat up the sugars in the brew which leads to the kombucha tasting more tart and less sweet overtime. Not a big deal at all, but worth noting if you notice a more sour taste after a few weeks.

GUIDE TO HOMEMADE KOMBUCHA FAQ

1. Do I need to buy a SCOBY to make this homemade kombucha?

Nope! This recipe uses just unflavored, store bought kombucha (like GT’s Pure Kombucha) as the starter liquid instead. Over the course of the first fermentation, your brew will naturally create it’s own SCOBY and pellicle, so by the time your first batch is done you’ll have one ready for future batches.

2. What kind of tea works best?

For your first ever brew, any black tea works great. English breakfast, darjeeling, or ceylon will do the trick. If you use loose leaf tea, just make sure to double strain any leaf bits before fermentation, since they can attract mold.

For your first brew, avoid flavored or herbal teas, as they can interfere with fermentation and affect the health of your developing SCOBY. As you become more experienced and want to experiment with the brew, feel free to try different teas.

3. Why does my tea need to cool before I add the starter liquid?

If your sweet tea is too hot, it will kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast in your starter kombucha. Always let the sweet tea cool completely to room temperature (or to at least below 90 F) before mixing it in the starter liquid.

4. Can I use tap water?

Filtered water is strongly recommended. Tap water often contains chlorine and other additives that can inhibit fermentation and harm your developing SCOBY.

5. What if my kombucha does not form a pellicle? Is that ok?

Yes, that’s fine! Pellicle growth varies depending on temperature, the strength of your starter liquid, and other factors. A pellicle does not need to form in order to create a good brew of kombucha.

As long as you don’t see any mold during fermentation, your brew is likely still on track.

6. How do I know when my kombucha is ready to be bottled?

The best way to know if it’s ready to be bottled after a week is to taste it! Your brew should taste mildly sweet with a pleasant tartness to it.

If it’s still super sweet, let it ferment for a few more days. If it’s very sour or vinegary, it may have gone too long (this happened to me once).

If that does happen to you, don’t throw it out. Reserve 1 c of the liquid and use it as starter liquid for your next batch of kombucha.

7. Can I use any fruit juice for the second fermentation?

Pretty much, yes. You can use almost any pure, no-sugar-added fruit juice. The natural sugars in the juice feed the remaining yeast, which produces the carbonation.

Avoid juice with added sugars, preservatives, or artificial flavors as these can all interfere with fermentation. Some great fruit options to try are pineapple, mango, blueberry, or cherry juice.

8. Why do I need to leave space at the top of the bottle during the second fermentation?

During the second fermentation, carbon dioxide builds up inside the sealed bottle, creating carbonation. Leaving about an inch of space in the neck gives the gas somewhere to go and reduces the risk of the bottles over-pressurizing.

Always make sure that the bottles you use are designed for fermentation to handle the pressure safely. HERE is a link to the exact bottles that I used. Personally, I love the swing-top design!

9. How long does homemade kombucha last?

Once refrigerated after the second fermentation, your kombucha will keep for about a month. Note that the cold temperature slows down fermentation significantly, but it doesn’t stop it entirely, so the flavor will continue to gradually get more tart over time.

10. Can I reuse my leftover brew to make another batch?

Yep! That’s exactly what the continuous brew method is. Any leftover kombucha you have after the first fermentation (so, before you add the flavorings) makes a perfect starter liquid for your next brew.

Simply swap out the pure, store-bought kombucha noted in the recipe, and start the process over. Over time, your brews will develop a more complex flavor. Enjoy!

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