Those who read the blog yesterday already know that today we are going to start growing a SCOBY, that is, our kombucha culture. The goal is to have a few bottles of kombucha for New Years and those of you who hang in there will get to see if we succeed. For those who don’t wish to grow their own SCOBY, it’s perfect to just get a scoby with a little bit of starter fluid from a friend, or buy a starter kit online.

Anyways, to grow your own SCOBY you need:

– a bottle of unpasteurized, unfiltered kombucha
– a large glass jar
– a piece of cloth + a rubber band
– 1 quart of sweetened tea (about 1 tablespoon of organic tea, 1 quart of water and 42 grams of sugar)

Make sure your glass jar is properly cleaned. Otherwise, you risk killing off the useful lactic acid bacteria If the kombucha comes into contact with dirt. Note: wear rubber gloves!

Boil the sweetened tea and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pour the tea into your cleaned glass jar and add a bottle of kombucha. It should be about 3-5 times more te than kombucha. Cover the glass jar with a piece of cloth or a thin kitchen towel and seal with a rubber band.

Set aside the glass jar for about 3-4 weeks, preferably in a place a few degrees above room temperature (on top of the fridge may be a good place). The beverage will soon begin to have a vinegar scent and after a while, a thin layer of SCOBY or kombucha culture will form in the liquid. When the SCOBY is about 5 millimeters thick, the project is complete and you are ready for your first proper brewing. 

In about a month, we’ll return with Soki Choi’s basic recipe for a fantastic kombucha, we’ll even give some tips on flavor variations and a drink recipe for New Year’s Eve. Here’s to hoping that by then we’ll have a fluffy kombucha culture and a starting fluid ready.

What te should I use?
Traditionally, kombucha is made with black, neutral, fine-quality tea, but many today brew with green or a mixture of black and green. Our expert in the matter, Soki Choi, has recommended us to use white tea, more specifically Pai Mu Tan (White Peony). She herself makes kombucha with only white and prefers it to others. 

Save both SCOBY and liquid to the brewing
Soki Choi had a personal note to add: that the most important thing for a successful kombucha is the starting fluid, and not really the quality of your SCOBY. The liquid should be very sour and have fermented for at least two weeks. Therefore, it’s good to use the liquid you cultivated your SCOBY with in your first brewing. 

Did you know that a SCOBY contains 9 essential amino acids, making it a full protein? So, if you’re hungry, give it a shot and taste your SCOBY as it is (but then of course there will be no more kombucha). After the New Year, we will also publish a summary of the entire kombucha guide here on the blog. There you will be able to learn how to make your very own kombucha – from start to finish.

After New Years, we’ll even publish a summary of the entire kombucha guide here on the blog. There you will be able to learn how to make your own kombucha – from start to finish.