Homebrew Kombucha

• 14 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 bag black tea
• 2 cup starter kombucha
• 1 SCOBY
• sweetener or fruit for flavoring, your choice (optional)

Steps

1. 1.Boil water, stir in sugar until dissolved, and steep black tea bags to make a batch of sweet tea.▶0:17
2. 2.Let the sweet tea cool, then pour it into a large jar and add a bottle of store-bought plain kombucha as the starter.▶0:30
3. 3.Cover the jar with a breathable cloth (to keep bugs and debris out while still letting air in) and let it sit undisturbed until a SCOBY forms on top.▶0:32
4. 4.Once a SCOBY has formed, lift it out onto a plate. Don't discard the tea underneath — bottle it to use as a strong starter for future batches.▶0:53
5. 5.For the first fermentation, add a fresh batch of sweet tea to a jar along with 2 cups of starter kombucha (store-bought, or the reserved tea from the previous step).▶1:08
6. 6.Add the SCOBY to the jar, cover with the cloth again, and let it ferment until the tea tastes tart.▶1:22
7. 7.Strain the fermented kombucha to remove the SCOBY, then transfer it into swing-top fermentation bottles — a fermentation-grade stainless steel spigot makes this easier if your jar has one.▶1:35
8. 8.For the second fermentation, add your chosen flavoring to each bottle — sugar, honey, or fruit all work.▶1:54
9. 9.Seal the bottles and let them ferment until carbonated, then chill and serve.▶2:00