start your own scoby
Ingredients
(for 1 liter)
1 bottle of unpasteurized, unfiltered kombucha
approx. 3 g (1 tablespoon) black tea
1 liter of water
0.5 dl white sugar
What you need
a container with a large opening
kitchen towel, rubber band
saucepan with lid
HOW YOU DO IT
Start by washing all your equipment thoroughly. As with all fermentation, it is important to think about hygiene, otherwise the wrong bacteria may multiply.
Step 1: Brew sweet strong tea
Boil the water. Add the tea and let it boil for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain out the tea leaves and add the sugar, stirring regularly, cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from stove.
Step 2: Cool the tea down to room temperature
Allow the tea to cool to room temperature. To speed up the cooling, you can put the pan with the lid on in cold water.
Step 3: Add the kombucha
Pour the tea into the container and then add a full bottle of unpasteurized kombucha to the tea. The ratio between the amounts of tea and kombucha should be between 3:1 and 5:1, that is, three to five times as much tea as kombucha. Cover the container with a kitchen towel and secure it with a rubber band.
Step 4: Leave for 3 to 4 weeks
Place the container in a warm protected place. Ideal temperature is a few degrees above room temperature. Leave for 3 to 4 weeks, until a thin layer of kombucha culture has formed on the surface and the tea has acquired a slight vinegary aroma. The kombucha is now ready.
Use the contents of the container (the culture and liquid) to brew new kombucha. That is - redo the process from step 1, but instead of adding a bottle of purchased kombucha in step 3, you use your own brew.
good to remember
You can use a variety of teas to make kombucha, but beware of teas that contain essential oils, such as Earl Grey. Roots Kombucha uses black tea because in our experience it gives the best results. In addition, it is the black tea traditionally used in kombucha brewing.
You can also test other energy sources than sugar for the culture, for example agave syrup, but then you can count on more variable results. Avoid honey, which contains natural antibacterial substances that can inhibit kombucha culture.
You can experiment with both tea and sugar amounts to find the strength and sweetness you like best.
Feel free to try different flavorings – for example leaves, berries and roots – but always be careful to clean them.
Once your kombucha culture has grown, it's time to share it. Pull it apart with the help of a kitchen utensil – it usually goes easily. You can save half in a glass jar covered with kombucha in the fridge. Then you have a backup culture in case your culture goes bad or if you want to give one away.
Keep track of your kombucha culture. If it starts to look strange and/or the kombucha tastes strange, it's best to throw the culture away and start with a new one.
Never use ceramic containers to make or store kombucha. Kombucha is acidic and thus has the ability to dissolve heavy metals from the ceramic glaze. Metal is also not good for kombucha culture, with the exception of stainless steel which is fine to use. Glass, wood and food-grade plastic are the most suitable materials.
The ideal temperature for kombucha fermentation is 2 to 5 degrees above room temperature, but it also works at lower or higher temperatures. The lower the temperature, the slower the fermentation. The warmer the kombucha culture is, the faster the process occurs. But it cannot handle temperatures higher than about 30 degrees.