Step 1

Start by brewing 1 gallon of sweet tea: combine the called-for water, tea, and sugar in a pot on the stove (or other container large enough to steep the tea in hot water)

Step 2

Allow the sweet tea to cool to lukewarm or room temperature. 75-85F is ideal.

Step 3

Transfer the lukewarm sweet tea to your chosen kombucha brewing vessel.

Step 4

Add the starter liquid and SCOBY.

Step 5

Cover the brewing vessel with a cloth towel (not cheesecloth) and set in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Again, 75-85F is ideal. Use a kombucha warming pad or incandescent holiday lights to keep the vessel warm if needed.

Step 6

Allow the kombucha to ferment for 7-20 days. (This is considered "primary fermentation"). Time depends on strength of SCOBY/brew, temperature, and personal flavor preference. Young SCOBIES will take longer than thick mature ones, and cooler temperatures will take longer than warm conditions. Do a taste-test or pH test to assess doneness.

Step 7

Once it's fermented to your liking, add the kombucha to pressure-safe glass brewing bottles. Be sure to reserve a cup or two to start the next batch! Also leave a couple inches of headroom in the bottles if you'd like to add a couple ounces of fruit juice or puree for flavor and secondary fermentation.

Step 8

Leave the bottled kombucha out at room temperature for another 2 to 10 days -depending on temperature, flavor, and carbonation activity. It's important to carefully monitor the carbonation during second ferment by routinely burping the bottles.

Step 9

Please see our guide on secondary fermentation and carbonation for more information - including flavoring ideas and how to achieve excellent carbonation.

Step 10

Once the kombucha is carbonated to your liking, move it to the refrigerator to halt secondary ferment - and enjoy!

Step 11

After bottling, make more fresh sweet tea to add back to the crock to start a new batch of kombucha. Allow it to cool slightly, and pour it in! Using the continuous brew method, we simply pour the replacement tea right on top of the SCOBY and remaining kombucha in our crock. Or, you can take out your SCOBY, then add sweet tea, starter liquid, and the SCOBY like we did to start this recipe.