Kombucha tea is a fermented drink considered healthy and very beneficial to health.  What makes kombucha so exotic is the SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast”.  When added to black tea and sugar the SCOBY causes the mixture to ferment within 7-10 days. The fermented tea is rich in B vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics which is why it is considered beneficial to health.

The Science Behind Kombucha Fermentation

The SCOBY is the sum total of the science behind the kombucha fermentation process. Rubbery like and round in shape, together with a starter kombucha tea from a previous batch, they act essentially as an ecosystem of microbes. The SCOBY contains yeast whose role is breaking down sugars from the black tea mixture and release probiotic bacteria. After fermentation, the kombucha tea becomes a carbonated, fizzy cocktail.  Other chemical components Kombucha contains are sugars, tea polyphenols, fiber, amino acids, vitamins, etc. 

This is What Happens When You Drink It

Nothing….

There are a lot of claims towards the health benefits of drinking kombucha tea. While there have been some studies on the matter, there isn’t enough scientific evidence currently available to support or refute all of them. However, this is not a reason to dismiss it. Kombucha tea has a very refreshing taste and making it at home is a very interesting hobby.

Health Benefits of Kombucha

Kombucha’s popularity owes to its probiotic properties which are claimed to be beneficial to health. Some of the claimed benefits to health include: ¹ 

Source of probiotic lactic-acid bacteria

It contributes to the improvement of liver and gastrointestinal functions.

Source of antioxidants

The fact that it’s largely made of tea and contains similar compounds allows kombucha tea to inherit all its health benefits.

Anti-inflammatory potential

A high acetic acid content, which may act as an antibiotic against some potentially pathogenic bacterial species.

The reduction of cholesterol levels and blood pressure  

Potentially lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, the “bad” cholesterol often connected to heart attacks.

Stabilize blood sugar in diabetics

Slows the digestion of carbs, which may help prevent insulin spikes in diabetics.

Improves the immune system, skin, har, nails

Contains B vitamins and other compounds.

Reduction of cancer propagation.

How to Make Kombucha: The Beginners’ Guide to Brewing Kombucha

Despite what the scientific findings about kombucha might be, the process of making it is a very interesting one. If your reason for drinking kombucha is not purely the pursuit of evidence to its proclaimed health benefits, you might find making kombucha a very enjoyable hobby.

From getting the necessary brewing equipment, picking the right kind of tea, learning to grow your own SCOBY, and experimenting with flavoring your kombucha drink, brewing kombucha can be quite an involving process. There is a bit of a learning curve to get all these steps right. But once you get there, you won’t be disappointed by its refreshing taste, and the joy you get from sharing it with family and friends is limitless.

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What Goes Into Kombucha:

Before you start brewing you will need:

• Purified or bottled chlorine-free water ( 4 cups/1 liter)
• A good quality black tea (4-6 tea bags or 4-6 teaspoons loose leaf tea)
• Sugar (1cup /200g)
• Starter tea (already fermented kombucha) 1-2 cups / 250-500ml
• SCOBY
• A big glass jar
• Cotton cloth and a rubber band

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Necessary Precautions Before You Start Brewing Kombucha:

Clean Tools

Before you start the brewing process, it is essentially important to be using clean tools.  Also, it is a good idea to disinfect your hands prior to handling the SCOBY. If any bacteria finds its way into the mixture, it might react with the SCOBY, which might kill it in the process or even bring about other problems.

Glass jars are recommended over metal and plastic for the same reason. For example, chemicals from ceramic or lead-containing vessels could contaminate your kombucha, which is why this drink should only be stored and prepared in glass containers. Also, the bacteria in the SCOBY can feed on non-glass containers, which can poison your kombucha. So, remember, “clean” is the number one requirement for success when it comes to kombucha brewing.

Clean Water

Use clean, purified water, devoid of chlorine.

Use Proper Sugar, Don’t Cheat

When brewing kombucha for the first time, you might think that a lot of sugar goes into it and try to find ways to cut corners by cutting down on the amount of sugar or even using other kind of sweeteners.  I thought this myself when I started. I used less sugar than the recipe said and ended up starving the SCOBY in the process. Both the mother and the baby were so thin by the end of the fermentation that I had to get a new one for the next batch. 

 I had to learn at the expense of my first batch that SCOBY must be fed properly, and that starving it is not a good idea. Since most of the sugars are used to feed the SCOBY and throughout the process the sugars get broken into alcohol so the brewed kombucha drink is not sweet at all.

Artificial sweeteners or honey won’t work, but organic brown cane sugar is a good substitute.

Black Tea or Green Tea

As far as tea goes, for your first kombucha batch, it is recommended to use black tea. This is simply because black tea contains more caffeine and more of the necessary enzymes for the SCOBY to feed on. You could also add green tea, though keep the ratio to about 80% black tea 20% green tea. I usually mix in a bag of loose leaf Oolong tea, which has a dominant flavor and works well when mixed with black tea.

Check out my posts on black tea:

Black Tea with Chinese Characteristics

Best Black Tea Types: Chinese vs. Indian Black Tea

Only after the SCOBY becomes thick enough green tea can be used on its own.

The SCOBY

If you have a friend to give you a SCOBY for your first batch, or if you have the opportunity to buy one then you are ready to start brewing immediately.

If you don’t, then growing your own SCOBY by buying a bottle of regular kombucha is a great option too. The process of growing your own SCOBY is similar to the brewing process. To begin, find a glass jar. Fill it half with black tea, sweeten it and let it cool down to room temperature. Then, stir in the bottle of regular kombucha you got from the store. Cover it with a cotton cloth and put a rubber band around the opening to secure the cloth.

Monitor the growth of the SCOBY but do not stir. After a few weeks, the SCOBY “mother” should form at the top of the jar. Keep growing it until it becomes 2.5”/3cm thick. This signals that the mother is ready to be used for your first kombucha tea batch.

How to Brew Kombucha

The first step to brewing your kombucha is to prepare the tea. Heat water and bring it to boiling. Then, stir in the sugar and add the tea bags.

Leave the tea and let it cool down to room temperature. After that, add the kombucha starter tea and lastly add the SCOBY. Cover the glass jar with a cotton cloth and tie it with a rubber band.

Store the jar in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Normally it takes about 7-10 days for the kombucha to ferment.

During this process avoid checking and stirring the liquid as this might interfere with the formation of the new SCOBY. It is generally safe to start taste testing after the fifth day. By that time, if you followed all the steps you will notice a new SCOBY has formed at the top of the jar.

After the kombucha tea has fermented, pour it into bottles and leave a cup of it to use as a starter for the next batch. Both the mother and the new SCOBY can be used together in the next batch. The process repeats itself with every batch.

SCOBY Hotel

With every new batch of kombucha a new SCOBY forms, but the mother SCOBY is still in a good condition and shouldn’t be thrown away until it changes to a darker color. After a period of regular batches, you might be wondering what to do with all the remaining SCOBY’s.

You can certainly throw them away, but there are more fun things to do with them. You can share them with your friends so they can start brewing kombucha too. 

Another idea is to “open a SCOBY hotel”. Take a separate, smaller jar, fill it with sweetened black tea and add the SCOBY’s as they come. Occasionally you will need to refill it with sweetened black tea so as to keep feeding the SCOBYs in the hotel.  The stack of SCOBYs will continue to grow new SCOBYs, while the liquid can be used as a starter tea in case you run out of it, or after taking a break from brewing kombucha.

The SCOBY hotel should be kept in a dark place at a room temperature and covered with a cotton cloth. Placing it in a refrigerator will dehydrate the SCOBY. You should only do this if you plan to take a break from brewing kombucha. If you plan to restart the brewing process after it’s been dehydrated, the SCOBYs will need to be rehydrated or brought to life before the next fermentation.

How to Flavor Kombucha or The Second Fermentation

Another fun thing about the process of making kombucha is that you can add flavor to it. Once you get bored with drinking the same plain kombucha, it is a good idea to flavor it by adding your favorite fruit to it.

It is as simple as it sounds.

After the first fermentation has ended, remove the SCOBY.  Mash some of your favorite fruits (or use juice instead) and as you bottle the kombucha, pour a little bit of the mashed fruits/juice in the bottle and then add the freshly fermented kombucha. Do not fill it to the brim. This time close the lid completely and store in a cool, dry place – not in the fridge, yet.

This is the beginning of the so-called “Second Fermentation”.  This process makes the kombucha more carbonated.  It usually takes about 3-4 days for the kombucha to feed on the sugars from the fruit. After 3-4 days it’s ready for drinking and you’ll be able to store it in the fridge.

One thing to be careful about during second fermentation is that since the bottle is tightly closed and filled with fermenting liquid, it might explode when you open after 3-4 days. So be careful when opening it. Do it in the sink with a towel. After adding fruit for the second fermentation it is recommended that you don’t fill the bottle to the very top with kombucha. Leave some space and check it daily to avoid a fruity explosion and the nastiness that comes with cleaning the kitchen.

How Much / How Often Should I Drink Kombucha

While the exact amount has not been specified, it is not recommended to overdo it. As delicious as it tastes, there might be side effects to drinking too much kombucha. To be on the safe side one shouldn’t drink more than the amount of a bottled kombucha bought at a store (about 200 ml), or about a glass of it per day.

Also, because kombucha is sour, it probably isn’t best to drink it in the morning, especially not on an empty stomach. Kombucha tea is best enjoyed throughout the day as a refreshing energy booster.

Read Next:

Pu’erh: The Tea With Probiotic Health Benefits

Oolong Tea Benefits: In Between Green and Black Tea 

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1. Kombucha: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Evidence of Human Health Benefit,  Annals of Epidemiology Volume 30 February 2019, Pages 66-70

   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279718307385#bib5