Kombucha, the top-selling fermented drink of today, has skyrocketed in demand for the past few years. In 2015 alone, revenue brought in from U.S. sales of kombucha was 180 million dollars.

Needless to say, it’s a very popular drink that has become mainstream.

The storebought bottles of kombucha can be a good option in a pinch but when you make it homemade you are in control of the ingredients, the sugar levels, and the flavors. Also, it’s a lot less expensive to make at home!

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is also known as mushroom tea. Not because it contains mushrooms but because of the SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) that looks like a mushroom. Personally, I think it looks more like a rubbery pancake. The base of kombucha is always a black or green tea and the natural fermentation process from the SCOBY (aka mother) produces bubbles much like the type of bubbles you would find in a soda. It is thought to have originated in Northeastern China and has been enjoyed throughout Europe.

Kombucha contains good bacteria and yeasts as well as vital enzymes and minerals that give your body many health benefits to the brain, gut and heart.

 

Don’t Be Scared of Homemade Kombucha

People tend to shy away from fermenting at home because it sounds scary and they have fears of poisoning themselves or making their family sick. These fears are simply that – fears. By following the proper instructions and using common sense, fermenting your own kombucha at home will not kill you. Instead, it will promote your health.

Why You Should Make Kombucha

Adding Kombucha to Your Diet has Many Health Benefits That You Should be Aware of:

It Supports Excellent Gut Health

Your gut houses 70-90% of your immune system so when your gut microbiome is in balance, your body will feel better overall. Due to the Saccharomyces yeast along with other beneficial microbes, drinking kombucha helps to restore proper levels of good bacteria and conquer bad yeasts in the digestive tract. The microbes in your intestines are responsible for absorbing nutrients, boosting your immune system and fighting sickness so it’s important to keep them happy and well balanced.

In a bacterial analysis of Kombucha, it was found to contain the following microbes:  Zygosaccharomyces, Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter and Lactobacillus. (1)

In an animal study, kombucha was even found to help heal stomach ulcers! (2)

Can Help to Reduce Overall Inflammation in the Body

It’s no secret that most humans are inflamed these days. So anything you can do to reduce inflammation in your body will help you feel better. Due to the antioxidants (glucaric acid) present in kombucha, it can help fight free-radicals in the body and reduce overall oxidative damage. Kombucha can also help cleanse and detox the body by getting the beneficial microbes in balance which, consequently, reduces inflammation.

According to Food Research International, “It can also help improve resistance against cancer, prevent cardiovascular diseases, promote digestive functions, stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammatory problems…” (3)

 

Helps to Reduce Blood Sugar

Certain store-bought brands can be filled with a lot of sugar which is why I prefer to make my own.  Equally important, Diabetes is at epidemic proportions in our country today. In an animal study, kombucha was found to actually suppress high blood glucose levels and protect liver and kidney function with diabetes. (4) Overall, reducing sugar intake is a must to live a high quality, long life and drinking kombucha (not the high in sugar storebought brand) can improve blood sugar.

Makes a Great Alternative to Drinking Soda

Many people crave the bubbles found in a bottle of soda (or pop if you call it that). However, along with the bubble craving comes sugar addiction and a boatload of chemicals when soda is your drink of choice. Many of my clients have made the switch to drinking kombucha and water kefir for a healthier, low-sugar, no chemical, probiotic option. The bubbles in kombucha are just as satisfying as the ones in soda and you’re doing your body a favor by feeding it nourishing probiotics.

How to Make Homemade Kombucha

The SCOBY

The SCOBY is the master of the fermentation process. Without it, you can’t make kombucha. It’s what makes the bubbles and inoculates your tea with beneficial microbes.

SCOBY = Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast

The SCOBY never goes in the refrigerator. If it does it will stop fermenting. It needs to be at room temperature at all times. Also, do not expose it to heat because it will kill it. The SCOBY should always have sweet tea on it and stay moist. When not in use (in an active batch of kombucha) it should be kept in a breathable container (a SCOBY hotel) with about 1 cup of kombucha on it.

The SCOBY mother will make babies which is a sign of a healthy SCOBY. I usually put the babies in the SCOBY hotel for later use or I share them with friends so they can start making their own kombucha.

Supplies You’ll Need for Your Homemade Kombucha

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The Kombucha Making Process

1. Bring one gallon of filtered water to a boil.
2. Turn off heat and add 1 cup of organic sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Next, add tea bags (8 per gallon) to the sweet water. Let it steep as long as you desire or as strong as you want your tea. I have let mine steep for many hours sometimes overnight. It just depends on how strong or dark you want your tea.
4. Let the tea cool to room temperature (usually overnight.) *This is important, you can’t put any heat on the SCOBY.*
5. Once the tea is cooled put the mother (or baby) in the gallon jar and pour the fresh, unfermented sweet tea in the jar until the liquid is about 1 inch from the top. Note: if this is your first batch of kombucha you will need to make sure that there is starter tea in your gallon container when you put the mother in. Usually, starter comes with a purchased SCOBY or, if you got one from a friend, they will include starter to keep the SCOBY moist.
6. Cover the gallon container with a breathable piece of muslin secured with a rubber band. *Cheesecloth is too porous and will allow fruit flies in if you have them.*
7. Let the tea/mother sit on your counter from 5-14 days. The cooler the weather the longer it takes to ferment. The longer you ferment the less sugar will be in the kombucha. Do not place the brewing kombucha in direct sunlight.
8. You can taste it after 5 days (just poke a clean straw in it, seal the end with your finger, draw out the straw and see if it is tangy enough for you. It should not taste sugary but it should not taste vinegary.) If it’s not ready then wait a couple more days.
9. Bottle your kombucha using your ladle and funnel. Fill each bottle leaving about an inch at the top. In the gallon jar your SCOBY mother is in, be sure to leave at least a cup of kombucha to keep the SCOBY moist. Ideally, at this point, you would pour new sweet tea over the mother and start fermenting your next batch, *If you are not ready to do that, it’s ok. You can let your SCOBY with liquid sit for a week or so without new tea on it. Just keep the container covered.

You can now put your unflavored bottles of kombucha in the refrigerator to enjoy or you can flavor them and do a second fermentation.

For Doing the Optional Second Fermentation

A second fermentation will produce more fizz because the gasses build up in the sealed bottles since they can’t escape.

Instructions for Bottling and the Second Fermentation

1. Gather your clean bottles and for each 16 oz bottle, put 1 tsp. of organic sugar in the bottom (this is because the bacteria in the Kombucha still need food, which is sugar, to continue fermenting and produce the bubbles.)
2. Now it is your choice, you can put 1 tsp. of fruit puree, 1 tsp. of organic juice or 1-2 drops of grade 1 essential oil of your choice. This is the fun part, experiment! If you don’t end up liking one kind then you will have another batch you can experiment on until you find what you like.
   1. Try different kinds for each batch and label what you did. I have done ginger peach with peach puree and ginger essential oil, wild orange with essential oil, lemon with essential oils, lime with essential oil, lemon-lime with essential oil and mint with essential oil. One of our favorite flavors is beet! Just use 1 tsp. of beet puree.
   2. ** When using grade 1 essential oils, only use a VERY small amount. Essential oils are very potent and can actually kill the beneficial microbes if you use too much! If you are not getting bubbles in the second ferment and you have used essential oils, then you need to use less essential oil. 
3. Once you have added your sugar and flavor, then ladle the Kombucha through a funnel into the bottle over the top of the sugar and flavoring until the bottle has about a half inch space at the top of each bottle. Seal and GENTLY turn upside down (while holding the top tight) and swish around to mix sugar Or, If you can get a utensil in your bottle when it is open, it is even better to just stir with that before the bottle is sealed so the sugar dissolves. *Be sure to leave 1 cup of Kombucha for the Mother to sit in until you can make your next batch. (I usually do that the same day – it is as simple as making more organic sweet tea and cooling it.)
4. Seal the bottles and set them in a bright spot (not direct sunlight) again to ferment for 3-5 days. The longer you ferment, the fizzier it gets. IMPORTANT: Be mindful to check on your bottles every day to make sure they are not under too much pressure.
5. After 3-5 days place your bottles in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.
6. Enjoy your kombucha cold. IMPORTANT: When you open a bottle, do it over a sink because sometimes it can fizz just like a soda and overflow. It can be a big mess!

** Just a note on sugar ~ It seems like a lot of sugar is used but it is all eaten up by the SCOBY since it is the bacteria’s food. The sugar content of the final product is only a very small amount**

Frequently Asked Questions and Precautions

Precautions

• If you are pregnant you should consult your physician to find out if kombucha is ok for you.
• I use green tea for lower caffeine levels than black tea. However, if you use black tea, you should understand that the caffeine level could affect you. Excess caffeine can increase mood and anxiety disorders.
• Consuming kombucha can cause a detox effect or herx reaction if too much is consumed, too quickly. In order to avoid this happening start low and slow. One-quarter of a cup per day to confirm your body can handle it. Then work up to more.
• Mold and harmful microbes can grow in your fermentation. To avoid this happening, be sure to only use sterilized equipment and cover your fermenting tea well with your muslin. If you notice anything growing or a putrid smell, throw out your kombucha tea and SCOBY and start fresh. *That’s why it’s always good to keep a couple of babies on hand.

FAQ’s

Is it ok to drink pasteurized kombucha?

While it’s possible to drink pasteurized kombucha, you will not experience any health benefits because the pasteurization process kills all the beneficial microbes. Drinking this kind of kombucha is not recommended for any health benefits.

Why can’t I just add the flavoring in the gallon jar with the SCOBY?

Well, you can add the flavor to the gallon jar but plan on every single batch of kombucha you make tasting like the flavor you added. It’s best to flavor the batch when it’s bottled and not the mother SCOBY because you’ll never get the flavor off the mother.

There is brown stringy stuff hanging from my SCOBY. Is that ok?

Yes, it’s ok. The brown stringy stuff is yeast colonies. It’s a sign of a health SCOBY when this happens.

Can I get drunk drinking kombucha?

If you drink about 30 bottles of kombucha in one sitting you might feel a little buzzed. However, the alcohol level in one portion of kombucha is negligible and will not get you drunk.

Can I reuse my SCOBY?

Yes, you can continue to reuse the mother or baby SCOBIES as long as they are healthy. Sometimes they get really thick and you can peel them apart to make them thinner but it’s really not necessary.

Can I use honey instead of sugar?

People have mixed results using honey. Some have success and others don’t. You can give it a shot if you want! Though I would try it with a separate baby SCOBY that you are willing to trash if it doesn’t work.

I have seen people recommend storing their fermenting tea in a dark place, but you say in the light. Does it matter?

I have seen both recommendations as well. Personally, I have always fermented in the light but I know people have success putting their ferments in a dark place too. The choice is yours.

I am really sensitive to sugar and don’t use it in my diet, can I still have kombucha?

The answer is yes and no. You shouldn’t drink storebought kombucha that has excessive sugar amounts in it. And, you should not be drinking huge quantities of kombucha every day anyway. Yes, you can have kombucha because, during the fermentation process, most of the sugar is eaten by the SCOBY. The sugar is its food. Remember, the longer you ferment, the less sugar. Too long though and it gets vinegary and doesn’t taste good.

I didn’t feel good after I drank some kombucha. Why is that?

As I mentioned earlier, if you have a dysbiosis of bacteria, or imbalance, in your gut, you can experience what’s called “die-off” as the good bacteria go in and overtake the bad. When dying, the bad bacteria produce chemicals like acetaldehyde that can cause nausea, headaches, flu-like symptoms and general malaise. Those reactions don’t mean you can’t have kombucha, it just means you have to start really slow. Similarly, when a person is really sick, like I was 5 years ago, initially, they can’t tolerate fermented foods at all. Once they have healed their gut a bit, they can start slowly introducing ferments.

My SCOBY is floating sideways in my tea. Is that ok?

Yes, it’s ok. It can be floating in any position and still be fine.

There is a cloudy layer forming on top of my SCOBY. Is that ok?

Yes, that’s ok. It’s a baby SCOBY forming.

My SCOBY has a hole in it. Should I trash it?

No! SCOBY’s with holes or tears still ferment just fine. They will eventually repair themselves.

If you are really getting into fermented foods and drinks, I wanted to recommend an absolutely gorgeous book to you that I love so much. It teaches you how to ferment seasonally with veg and fruits! You can get the book >>HERE<<

Are You Going to Add Homemade Kombucha to Your Healthy Lifestyle?

Now that you know what kombucha is, the health benefits it can bring you and how to make it, you are well on your way to starting your own homemade ferment! When you make it one time you will be hooked because it’s so simple and most of the time it is really hands-off. Plus, you will have added and healthy alternative drink to your repertoire. Let me know if you make your own and how you like it. I can’t wait to hear about your successes!