THE 4 STEPS TO BREWING YOUR OWN KOMBUCHA
While there are some differences between Spark Kombucha’s brewing process and the DIY home brewing process we’re talking about below, in general kombucha is made following four key steps: making the tea, fermenting, flavouring and bottling, and carbonation.
We’ll be laying out the process from our DIY Kombucha Brewing Kits in this post and giving you some pro tips we’ve developed through years of brewing kombucha both at home and as Spark Kombucha. Whether you’re already brewing or just curious about how it works, we hope you’ll learn something new or be inspired to get your next batch of kombucha brewing.
Let’s dive in!
STEP 1 – MAKE YOUR TEA
This is where it begins for your kombucha brewing journey! The tea is the base of your kombucha, and we like to use a loose leaf organic tea. Once steeped in boiled, filtered water, add an organic cane sugar, and stir until dissolved. Pour the sweet tea mix into a 4L jar you’ll use for brewing.
Once you’ve transferred your tea to your brew jar, we recommend applying a thermometer strip to the side of the jar. There is a science to kombucha and monitoring its temperature is a simple way to make sure your brew is healthy and on the right track.
Next, you’ll add more filtered water to your brew jar, it should be about 3/4 full. Before moving onto the next step your brew should read between 22-28˚C.
PRO TIP - You can add small amounts of ice cold, cool or warm water in increments, to reach the correct temperature on the thermometer strip.
Now the fun part, we get to add the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) to our brew! Add the SCOBY and some starter liquid to the jar and stir gently to incorporate with your sweet tea. The SCOBY starter liquid is just as important (if not more) as the SCOBY!
PRO TIP - Always ensure you add a full 1 cup of starter liquid to activate the fermentation process.
At this stage we recommend conducting a pH test on your tea, it should read 4.5 or below. If your brew is at the right level, cover the jar with a cotton cloth or coffee filter and secure with an elastic. Make sure to note your brew date, type and quantity of tea, sugar, and culture used. We like to use a washable pencil and mark this right on the brew jar, but you could use a notebook too.
What if your pH isn’t at the right level? Thankfully, our kit is made to ensure your batch starts out healthy and happy right away, as long as you follow our instructions, so your pH should be right where you need it to be.
STEP 2 – FERMENT & MONITOR YOUR BREW
Place your brew jar in a warm place, out of direct sunlight, with plenty of airflow. Leave it there for 5-7 days and do not disturb it. The first five days are crucial for the fermentation cycle so ensure your brew jar is at the right temperature and undisturbed.
PRO TIP - In cooler temperatures or bright rooms, wrap a towel around your brew jar to add insulation and keep the light out.
By day 7-10, you will see that a new, cream coloured layer has grown in on the top of your brew. This is your SCOBY baby culture! While trying not to disturb it, gently slide a pipette down the side of the jar and into the brew. Pinch out a sample of kombucha to taste test. Check the temperature (it should be between 26-27˚C) and adjust the location of your brew jar if required.
By now, you may start seeing other signs of SCOBY growth: a slight vinegar aroma, lightening in colour with an opaque look, brown yeast strands developing on the bottom of the SCOBY, bubbles near the top and a layer of spent yeast on the bottom of the brew jar. The magic is happening!
You should begin tasting your brew every few days until your ideal kombucha flavour is reached. Is it too tart? You can sweeten during the flavouring and bottling step next. Is it too sweet? Put the cloth back on and let it brew for a few more days. Once the taste is to your liking, do another pH test to verify your brew is between 2.5-3.5, the ideal pH range for finished kombucha.
PRO TIP - A typical fermentation cycle for a 3L batch is 10-14 days (but can also range from 7-21 days) and depends on the temperature and your personal taste preference.
And just like that, you’ve made kombucha! Cue the fireworks!
You can choose to stop your kombucha adventure here and enjoy your kombucha as is, or you could move on to the next steps and add some flavour and carbonation, which is what we like to do.
However you decide to enjoy your kombucha, first you’ll need to harvest the SCOBY from your brew jar.
PRO TIP - Having an extra 4L brewing jar on hand makes it easier to start a new batch right away. Make another pot of sweet tea and then harvest the SCOBY and starter liquid directly into your new batch.
With clean hands or tongs, remove the SCOBY from the brew jar. If you have not prepared a new batch, place them in a small glass container. Pour 2 cups of your freshly made kombucha into the glass container with your SCOBY - this will be your starter liquid for your next batch. Cover the glass container with the cotton cloth and secure with the rubber band and write the date on the jar.
PRO TIP - If you are not brewing your next batch right away, leave the SCOBY in 2 cups of starter liquid in a cloth-covered container and keep at room temperature. You can leave your cultures like this for up to 4 weeks, at which point they will need to be fed.
STEP 3 – FLAVOURING & BOTTLING YOUR KOMBUCHA
This is where you get to add your creativity to the brew! Spark Kombucha is flavoured naturally, and we recommend you do the same!
In small bottles (12 oz works great) add 1-2 tablespoons of your favourite flavour combinations of fruits, veggies, juices, or herbs. Our favourite flavour combos include lemon and ginger, ginger and berry, mint and lime, or berry and hibiscus.
Using a funnel, pour your kombucha into each bottle, leaving 1-2 inches of space at the top. Seal the lids and store in a fridge for 3-5 days. Strain out the fruits, herbs, any small cultures or spent yeast that may have formed in the bottles and enjoy your chilled flavoured kombucha!
STEP 4 - KOMBUCHA CARBONATION
Carbonation is created when yeasts in your kombucha convert sugars from the fruit into CO2. After bottling your flavoured kombucha instead of chilling it, store it at room temperature in a storage bin with a lid for 2-6 days. Make sure you use a storage bin with a lid for this step, explosions may occur from over carbonation!
PRO TIP - If you’d prefer not to flavour your kombucha with fruit but still want to add carbonation, simply add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to each bottle and store at room temperature for 2-6 days.
On the second day you’ll want to check in on your bottles. Flip one bottle upside down and back to its upright position. If you see signs of bubbles, your kombucha is getting fizzy. With care, BURP (loosen the lid slowly but not completely) each bottle to check the carbonation level. Re-tighten the lid after checking to continue fermenting. It’s important to do this with every bottle in your batch. Complete this step daily until your desired fizz level is achieved.
PRO TIP - ‘BURPING’ your bottled kombucha allows you to check the fizz level and allows excess C02 to escape to avoid over carbonation.
Once your kombucha has reached the desired level of fizz, store in your fridge for at least 24 hours. Storing your carbonated kombucha in the fridge prior to enjoying helps to reduce fizz eruptions that happen frequently when a bottle is opened at room temperature.
PRO TIP - ‘COLD CONDITIONING’ your bottled kombucha after the second ferment will help to minimize fizz eruptions due to over carbonating.
You’re now ready to enjoy your chilled, fizzy, flavoured kombucha! We like ours right out of the bottle, but you can have it over ice, and even jazz it up with some vodka or gin - go on, you deserve to celebrate your DIY kombucha brewing success! Cheers!
If you’re looking for even more help with your brew, check out our Kombucha Brew Kit which includes detailed instructions and all the equipment and tools we’ve mentioned above. Our brew master Ellen has carefully curated this kit to make your kombucha making experience as simple and tasty as possible.
