So two summers ago I had this big journey to brew my own kombucha! I documented it on my instagram story and posted it on my tumblr. This post is basically a copy and paste!
Ingredients
SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) you can buy this or try to find some from a pal
8 tea bags of black tea, green tea, or a mix of both (I did 6 black 2 green)
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of starter tea (I used GTS original)
Kitchenware: big glass jar or container to use as your brewing vessel, big pot, measuring cups, tightly woven cloth/ cheesecloth/ paper towels/ coffee filter to cover the brewing vessel. I used a mix of coffee filters and paper towels.
Instructions
Boil 15 cups of water (3 ¾ quarts). Add your 8 tea bags. Let this steep for 15 minutes. Let your tea cool down to room temp.
I also just read a different one that said to boil 4 cups of water then add 8 cups of cool water to bring it to room temp sooo you can do that too,.
Once at room temp, transfer the tea into your brewing vessel Add 2 cups of the starter tea and your SCOBY with CLEAN hands.
Cover your jar with a tightly woven cloth (ex. bandana), coffee filters, or paper towels. I used a coffee filter and 3 paper towels. Secure it with a rubber band. I used a big rubber band used for portfolios.
Ferment in a dark area at room temp for 7-10 days. I did a taste test on day 5 by dipping a straw and plugging my finger on the other side to pick up some of the liquid. FYI it will look gross. You can taste if it is too sweet or not.
When ready remove & transfer the SCOBY with CLEAN hands. Add 2 cups of the tea so you can have a starter tea for next time.
Check out my post "Flavor & Bottle Kombucha (2nd fermentation)" for part 2 of the process.
TA DA you have the first half of the kombucha brewing process done!
