Want to make your own Kombucha from scratch? For that, you’ll need a SCOBY! Learn how to make SCOBY kombucha culture with these step-by-step instructions.
If you’re just embarking on your kombucha-making journey, you’ve no doubt wondered what a SCOBY is, and how to get one. While most people choose to buy a SCOBY online or from a local farmers market, or get it from a friend, it is surprisingly simple to grow your own.
The only ingredients you need to master how to make SCOBY kombucha culture are a bottle of kombucha, tea, sugar and water. You’ll also need about 1-4 weeks for it to grow.
Now, brewing expert Bryan Samoy explains how the magic of growing kombucha SCOBY happens. Sounds cool? Let’s get into it!
How to Make SCOBY Kombucha Culture
By Bryan Samoy, Fermentation Geek & Brew Expert
What is a Kombucha Culture (SCOBY)?
The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is that hazy coating that forms on the surface of your brew. It is the “mother” that jumpstarts every batch while keeping the kombucha safe from contaminants like debris and dust. While it may be easier just to buy a ready-made SCOBY on Craigslist or even online, why not flex our DIY skills and make one ourselves?
If you’re not up to the task or don’t have time to make your own SCOBY from scratch, don’t worry. Simply grab yourself a fully-formed SCOBY, and skip ahead to how to brew kombucha in this article. For the rest of you, let’s see how to make SCOBY kombucha culture.
How To Make Kombucha SCOBY for Beginners
Equipment
- Look for a spacious glass or ceramic container big enough to hold at least 1 gallon (3.7L)
- You would also want to grab some tightly woven cloth, like coffee filters, paper towels, napkins, or cheesecloth.
- A big pot for boiling water.
- Don’t forget to grab some rubber bands too!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make a Kombucha SCOBY:
| Ingredient | Quantity – Approx. |
|---|---|
| Water Tap water works perfectly. | 7 cups (1.6 liters / 1.7 quarts) |
| Black Tea | 4 tea bags, or 4 tsp leaf tea (heaped) |
| White Sugar | 0.5 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) |
| Kombucha, Unpasteurized | 1 cup (240mL / 8 fl oz) |
To make your own SCOBY you will need some of the live kombucha culture. You can get this from unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha. If you cannot find unflavored, you can try it with a somewhat neutral, delicately flavored kombucha (eg lemon).
It must be unpasteurized, as this means the culture is still alive. If it is pasteurized, it means the culture has been killed off, and this recipe simply will not work.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Some Sweet Tea
- First, bring your 7 cups of water to a boil.
- Once it’s bubbling nicely, take it off the heat and stir in the sugar until it’s all dissolved.
- Then, pop in the tea and allow it to steep for at least 20 minutes (or at least until the tea cools).
- Let your tea chill until it reaches room temperature. If using leaf tea, strain the tea to remove the leaves.
TIP: Quicken the process by boiling just 2 cups water, dissolving the sugar, and letting the tea steep for 20 minutes. Then, pour the remaining 5 cups of cold water to cool down your mixture faster.
Step 2: Add Your Starter
Pour the sweetened tea into your jar, then add the store-bought kombucha (starter culture).
Make sure you include all of those gunk bits that might be at the bottom of the bottle. They’re perfect for giving your fermentation a little boost!
Step 3: Cover and Secure
Cover your mixture with a few layers of tightly woven cloth to keep debris and pesky bugs out.
Use a rubber band to make sure it’s secure.
Step 4: Ferment
- Find a dark spot with a room temperature of about 70-75°F (21-24°C).
- Let it sit there for 1 to 4 weeks or until you see a SCOBY forming about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.
Congratulations, you’ve made yourself a SCOBY! Treat it with lots of love, and it’ll live and grow for years. Just keep it in this liquid until you’re ready to use it for your kombucha fermentation.
Wrap Up – How to Make SCOBY Kombucha Culture
That wraps up Bryan’s guide to how to make SCOBY kombucha culture at home. As you can now appreciate, making your own SCOBY, although time-consuming, isn’t necessarily as difficult as it may at first seem. Make sure you keep your SCOBY healthy and happy, by storing it in the kombucha starter tea. Over time, your SCOBY will grow and multiply, and you will be able to peel away the additional cultures to gift to other people.
Next, learn how to brew kombucha in this article, where Bryan explains how to choose the best ingredients, and the detailed steps for both first fermentation and second fermentation.
Happy brewing!
