Kombucha SCOBY Instructions & Recipes

Welcome! This page will guide you through making kombucha, caring for your SCOBY, and provide you with some helpful tips and delicious recipes. If you don't already have a SCOBY, our organic kombucha SCOBYs can be purchased here. 

Upon Receiving Your SCOBY

Once your package has arrived, pour the contents of the sachet into a container and follow the instructions below. Please note that it’s normal for the SCOBY to look gross and not be of uniform color or thickness.

This doesn’t indicate any factor of quality or productivity, and is a result of its natural growth pattern. If you encounter any issues, please do not throw the SCOBY out. Instead, read our common questions and troubleshooting guide or contact us for assistance. 

Making Kombucha

You Will Need

  • Green or black tea bags 
  • Raw or white sugar
  • Water
    • You don’t need to use filtered water as boiling the water removes the chlorine.
  • SCOBY and starter tea (provided)
  • A pot and a glass jar 
  • Food-grade glass or plastic bottles for storage

Batch Sizes

Ingredient 1 Litre Batch 2 Litre Batch 
Tea Bags 3  6
Sugar  1/3 cup 2/3 cup
Water  900 ml  1800 ml
Starter Tea  100 ml  200 ml 

Steps

  1. Bring 1800 ml of water to a boil in a pot, then turn off the heat 
  2. Pour in the sugar and stir to dissolve it, and then drop in the tea bags and let them steep for 15 minutes 
  3. Remove and discard the tea bags
  4. Allow the tea base to cool to room temperature and then pour the tea base into the glass jar
  5. Add the SCOBY and 200 ml of starter tea to the jar, and then place the lid loosely on the jar, allowing for pressure to escape 
  6. Let the jar sit undisturbed for 7-10 days at room temperature and out of direct sunlight; begin taste-testing at the 7-day mark until the desired taste is achieved, keeping in mind that the longer it ferments, the less sweet and more sour it becomes 
  7. Remove the SCOBY, rinse it with water, and then tidy it up by removing any hanging growths 
  8. Set aside 200 ml of kombucha (your new starter tea) for your next brew 
  9. Bottle the rest of the kombucha and store it in the fridge or complete a secondary fermentation (see next page) for more flavour 
  10. Repeat the process 

Important Notes on Kombucha Fermentation 

  • A new SCOBY will grow on the surface of each batch. This new SCOBY can be discarded or gifted away; however, you should replace the old SCOBY with a newly grown one every few months, as older SCOBYs can become less effective at fermenting over time
  • Make sure to open the lid of your bottled kombucha (burp it) at least once every few weeks when storing it in the fridge. This prevents an excessive pressure from buliding up in the bottle which could cause it to explode.  
  • It is normal for brown and dark strands or particles to form in your kombucha; these are byproducts of a healthy fermentation, not mold
  • In rare cases, mold may develop during the fermentation. Mold will only grow on the top surface of the liquid or SCOBY and will appear powdery, dry, or fuzzy in texture. It can come in a variety of colors and shades, such as grey, white, black, blue, white, green, red, etc. Unfortunately, moudly batches should be discarded, and a new SCOBY and starter tea needs to be sourced. 

Taking a Break 

To take a break from brewing kombucha, make a normal batch and then let it sit for up to 6 weeks at room temperature. When you start brewing again, set aside some starter tea and discard the rest of the liquid, as it will have become vinegar.

Scaling up Future Batches 

After your first batch, you can make a larger 3 litre batch. Simply follow the same steps as the first batch, but use:

  • 9 tea bags
  • 2700 ml  of water
  • 1 cup of raw sugar
  • 300 ml of starter tea. 

Secondary Fermentation

By now, your kombucha should have a slightly-sweet, tart flavour. While this is nice on its own, a secondary fermentation is a great way to further enhance the flavour and fizziness of your kombucha. 

You will need

  • Fresh or Frozen Fruit – Use 20% fruit and 80% kombucha
         OR
  • Fresh Fruit Juice (Preservative-Free) – Use 15% juice and 85% kombucha

🌿Optional Additions

  • Herbs like lavender or mint
  • Extracts such as vanilla essence

Steps

  1. Add the desired flavouring to the bottled kombucha – fruits can either be placed in whole or blended up with the kombucha
  2. Ensure there’s a gap of at least 5 cm of air at the top of the bottle
  3. Leave the bottle to ferment for 1-10 days at room temperature, opening the lid once a day to release any excess pressure 
  4. When the desired carbonation and flavour profile is reached, place the bottle in the fridge  

Flavouring Ideas

Here are some delicious flavouring ideas to get you started:

🍓Strawberry and Mint Kombucha

  • 2 cups of kombucha
  • Five whole strawberries
  • Two mint leaves

🫐Blueberry and Strawberry Kombucha

  • 2 Cups of Kombucha
  • A Handful of blueberries
  • A handful of strawberries

🍋Lemon and Ginger Kombucha

  • 2 Cups of Kombucha
  • A knob of grated ginger
  • Juice from half a lemon

Explore more fermenting favorites like water kefir grains, milk kefir grains, and sourdough starter on our website. Enjoy and happy fermenting!