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Homemade Kombucha1

Homemade Kombucha for Beginners with 4 Best Flavors

Rufus Dewanou
A simple homemade kombucha recipe for beginners using sweet tea, starter tea, and a SCOBY, plus four bold second fermentation flavors that actually come through: guava, ginger, strawberry jam, and vanilla cream soda.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Fermentation Time 10 days
Total Time 10 days 20 minutes
Recipe Type Pantry Essential
Cuisine Fermented Drinks
Servings 14 Servings
Calories 35 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the first fermentation

  • 14 cups filtered water
  • 8 to 9 black tea bags or a mix of black and green tea
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups plain kombucha starter tea from a previous batch
  • 1 SCOBY

For guava kombucha, per 16 ounce bottle

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped ripe guava
  • Plain finished kombucha to fill

For ginger kombucha, per 16 ounce bottle

  • 3 to 5 thin slices fresh ginger
  • Plain finished kombucha to fill

For strawberry jam kombucha, per 16 ounce bottle

  • 2 tablespoons chopped strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon strawberry jam
  • Plain finished kombucha to fill

For vanilla cream soda kombucha, per 16 ounce bottle

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Plain finished kombucha to fill

For vanilla cream soda kombucha, full batch option

  • 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Finished plain kombucha from one batch

Instructions
 

Make the sweet tea

  • Add the filtered water to a large pot and bring it to a boil.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep until the tea is strong, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove the tea bags and stir in the sugar while the tea is still hot. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
  • Let the sweet tea cool completely to room temperature. Do not add the SCOBY while the tea is hot or warm.

Start the first fermentation

  • Pour the cooled sweet tea into a clean glass fermentation jar.
  • Add the starter tea and SCOBY.
  • Cover the jar with a clean cloth, coffee filter, or tightly woven towel. Secure it with a rubber band.
  • Let the kombucha ferment at warm room temperature, ideally around 70 to 80°F, out of direct sunlight.
  • Begin tasting around day 7. The kombucha is ready when it tastes tangy, lightly sweet, and balanced. This usually takes 7 to 14 days.

Save starter for the next batch

  • With clean hands or a clean utensil, remove the SCOBY and place it in a clean bowl or jar.
  • Save 2 cups of plain kombucha from the batch. This will be the starter tea for your next batch.
  • Use the remaining kombucha for second fermentation.

Bottle for second fermentation

  • Gently stir the finished kombucha so the yeast is evenly distributed.
  • Add your chosen flavoring to each clean swing top bottle.
  • Pour the kombucha through a fine mesh sieve and funnel into each bottle, leaving 1 to 1 ½ inches of headspace.
  • Seal the bottles and let them sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 days.
  • Burp the bottles daily by opening them carefully over the sink to release pressure.
  • Once the kombucha is fizzy and flavorful, refrigerate the bottles.
  • Serve cold. Strain before drinking if you used chopped fruit and want a smoother drink.

Notes

For the most reliable 1 gallon batch, use 14 cups filtered water plus 2 cups starter tea.
Always let the sweet tea cool completely before adding the SCOBY. Hot tea can damage or kill the SCOBY.
Kombucha ferments best at warm room temperature, around 70 to 80°F. Cooler temperatures slow fermentation and may make the batch less reliable.
Keep the fermentation jar out of direct sunlight.
If you see fuzzy mold, discard the kombucha and the SCOBY. Do not scrape off the mold or try to save the batch.
Mold may look blue, green, gray, black, brown, or white and fuzzy. A healthy new SCOBY may look strange, but it should look wet, smooth, tan, cream colored, or jelly-like.
Fruit and jam can build pressure quickly during second fermentation. Burp those bottles carefully every day.
The vanilla cream soda flavor needs enough vanilla to come through. Use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract per 16 ounce bottle, or 3 tablespoons for a full batch.
Nutrition will vary depending on fermentation time, how much sugar remains, and which second fermentation flavor you use.

Nutrition

Serving: 240gCalories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 8gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 35mgSugar: 7gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword ginger kombucha, guava kombucha, homemade kombucha for beginners, kombucha flavors, kombucha second fermentation
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