Kombucha Scoby Guide
Learn how to make your very own kombucha scoby from scratch!
Equipment
- Tea kettle or pan to boil water
- Wide-mouth glass jar (quart-size)
- Funnel for pouring tea into jar (optional)
- A clean coffee filter or cheese cloth and a rubber band (to keep debris out of the jar)
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of raw/unpasteurized store-bought kombucha (flavored will work too, if in a pinch)
- 1 black tea bag or 1 teaspoon of black tea
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of white sugar
Instructions
- Start by brewing the tea bag (or leaves if using) in 1 cup of boiling water. Stir in the tablespoon sugar. Set it aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Next, pour the cooled sweet tea into the glass jar and add it the store-bought kombucha.
- Then, cover the jar with the coffee filter or cheese cloth and the rubber band. Let it sit at room temperature for, out of direct sunlight, for about 2-4 weeks.
- Check on the tea every few days. You'll start to notice a jelly-like layer slowly form on top. This jelly layer will be your scoby. It may be kind of thin and cloudy at first, but it will thicken over time.
- Lastly, your scoby will be ready when it's about 1/4-1/2 inch thick and its firm. Now it's ready to use for your first batch of kombucha!*
- *Note that the colors in the pictures of the liquid/tea don't all match. This is because I took pictures of a few different batches. The scoby should look the same though, regardless of the color of the tea that it is in. :)
Notes
How to Store
Store your scoby in a clean jar with enough kombucha to cover the scoby. Keep it at room temp, out of direct sunlight. Cover the jar with a clean cheese cloth or coffee filter and rubber band. Be sure to top it off with fresh kombucha every few weeks.
Troubleshooting tips
"My scoby isn't forming"- It can take 2-4 weeks for a scoby to form.
"There's stuff floating in the jar"- If it's stringy or jelly looking, that's normal. Even if it's cloudy/white looking, that's fine too. If it's dry or fuzzy and white, blue, or green in color, that could be mold.
"If my scoby looks weird, can I still use it?"- It's normal for scoby to look a little "weird." They have layers, brown stringy pieces, bubbles, etc. All of that is normally just fine.
What to do with your first batch
The first batch, what you grew the scoby with, will be vinegary. You can use the batch for starter tea for your next batch of kombucha. Or, you could try it as a vinegar for cleaning.