Step 1

Heat 1/2 cup of the the water to 205º-210ºF

Step 2

Steep the tea for 4-5 minutes

Step 3

Remove the tea bags, pour in the sugar, and stir until completely dissolved

Step 4

Pour in the (room-temperature) 1/2 cup of water to cool the liquid quickly

Step 5

Wait until completely cooled, and finally add the bottle of store-bought kombucha

Step 6

Securely cover with a clean and breathable material, such as a coffee filter or cheesecloth

Step 7

Place in a warm (70º-80ºF), dark spot for about a week until the SCOBY starts to form

Step 8

It's will start looking like bubbles, then a translucent film, slowly growing into a white-ish disk.

Step 9

SCOBYs look weird! It might be slightly discolored, bubbly, warped, etc. What you don't want is fuzz

Step 10

Anything fuzzy or mold-like, toss the batch, sanitize, and try again. If you use enough starter and maintain a clean, warm environment, this shouldn't be a problem

Step 11

Once the SCOBY has reached 1/4-1/2 inch thick, she is ready!

Step 12

Follow these instructions on how to brew the full gallon (using a continuous brew system)!