Things You'll Need:
- Kombucha culture
- Wide-mouth gallon jar
- Cheesecloth
- Tea
- Sugar or other sweetener
- Large pot
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Step 1
Obtain a kombucha culture, the substance put into the tea to ferment it. It is easiest to find a kombucha culture online at websites such as the Happy Herbalist. Your kombucha culture will arrive packaged with some starter kombucha tea.
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Step 2
Find a wide-mouth gallon jar and clean it well.
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Step 3
Bring 3 qt. of filtered or distilled water to boil in a large pot. Turn off heat and add five teabags or 2 tbsp. of loose tea (in an infuser). Stir in ½ to 1 cup organic sugar or other sweetener.
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Step 4
Steep the tea for at least 10 minutes or longer if you want a stronger tea. Remove tea bags or infuser and allow the tea to come to room temperature.
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Step 5
Pour the tea into the gallon jar. Add your kombucha culture and the tea it came packaged with. Cover the jar with cheesecloth to keep out dust.
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Step 6
Let your kombucha brew in a warm place for at least 2 weeks. You will see a "baby" kombucha culture growing on top of the "mother" culture. After 2 weeks, taste it to see if it is to your preference. It should be tangy and slightly carbonated. If you want more carbonation or a less sweet brew, keep brewing.
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Step 7
Prepare for the next batch of kombucha. Remove the cultures and pour all but 2 cups of the kombucha tea into a new container. To brew another batch, return to Step 3.
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Step 8
Bottle your kombucha if you aren't going to drink it right away. You can bottle it in sterilized plastic bottles. Alternatively, you can purchase glass bottles, bottle caps and a bottle capper, and easily bottle your kombucha in a professional-looking manner.
