🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 94 (from laksa085)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa094.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-make-kombucha/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-make-kombucha/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/how-to-make-kombucha\/","crawl_time":1769889701,"first_indexed_time":1494045585,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,digitaltrends!www,\/home\/how-to-make-kombucha\/ s443","src_root_hash":"386433295579149494","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"SCOBY yourself: How to make kombucha from scratch - Digital Trends","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"So you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making\nbathtub gin\n. But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love.\nWhat is kombucha, anyway?\nIf you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah!\nRecommended Videos\nMake no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better.\nThe drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories.\nKombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink.\nHome-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks.\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nA Brief History of Kombucha\nNo one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we\nthink\n we know.\nThe common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history.\nThe first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19\nth\ncentury. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to\nThe Atlantic\n. By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names.\nThe word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture.\nHow to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick)\nThere are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” \nAndrea Giancoli\n, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told\nNPR\nback in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.”\nKombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt.\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nWhy is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you.\nSeriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like\nAlien\n). At least one person is known to have\ndied\nafter consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old.\nIt’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told\nMother Jones\nin 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.”\nIf you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture.\nEverybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha!\nStep One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY\nFirst, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a\nkombucha starter kit\nonline\n. You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store.\n46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nFinally, you can also make your own.\nTo make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need:\n7 cups of clean water\nOne half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.)\n4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple.\n1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha\nA large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC\ncautions\nagainst using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew.\nYou’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\nRubber bands\nNote that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to:\n1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags\nOne quarter-cup of sugar\n2-3 cups of water\nA half-cup of starter tea\nOnce you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start.\nFirst, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\nAdd the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step.\nPour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container.\nCover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut.\nSet your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY.\nKeep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch.\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nStep Two: Your First Fermentation\nWake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha!\nHere’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process.\n14 cups of clean water\n1 cup of white sugar\n8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice)\n2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha)\n1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container)\nA large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each.\nYou’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\nRubber bands\nLet’s get started:\nBoil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\nSteep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly.\nCarefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in.\nPour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha.\nGently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band.\nBack into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste.\nPreserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend.\nStep Three: Fermentation, the Second Round\nOkay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz.\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nHere’s what you’ll need for the final step.\nYour homemade kombucha from the first fermentation\nSweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar)\nHere are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha:\nMashed fruit or fruit juice\nA slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit\n1 to 2 teaspoons of honey\nRaisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili\nIt’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action.\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\nCommence fermentation:\nStrain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally.\nAdd your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment.\nBack in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days.\nYou can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process.\nStrain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1\/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm).\nAdd your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid.\nLet it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days.\nIf desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process.\nSo there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to\nflavoring mixed drinks\n.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/how-to-make-kombucha\/#h-maincontent)\n\nMenu\n\n[Digital Trends](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/)\n\n[Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)[AI](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/artificial-intelligence\/)[Phones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/)[Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/)[Entertainment](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/)[Audio \/ Video](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/)[Autos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/)[Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)[Videos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/videos\/)\n\nSign In\n\nSearch\n\n- Computing\n  Computing\n  - [See All Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - 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[Why trust us?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/editorial-guidelines\/)\n# SCOBY yourself: How to make kombucha from scratch\nBy [Clayton Moore](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/claytonmoore\/)\n\nPublished April 10, 2017\n\n[![Add as a preferred source on Google](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/content\/themes\/dt-stardust\/assets\/images\/google_preferred_source.webp)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com \"Add as a preferred source on Google\")\n\nSave\n\nSo you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making [bathtub gin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bathtub_gin). But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love.\n\n### What is kombucha, anyway?\nIf you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah\\!\n\nRecommended Videos\n\nMake no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better.\n\nThe drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories.\n\nKombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink.\n\nHome-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Kombucha.jpg?resize=720%2C525)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n### A Brief History of Kombucha\nNo one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we *think* we know.\n\nThe common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history.\n\nThe first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19th century. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to [The Atlantic](https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2016\/08\/the-mystery-of-kombucha-culture\/495119\/). By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names.\n\nThe word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture.\n\n### How to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick)\nThere are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” [Andrea Giancoli](https:\/\/www.eatright.org\/Media\/Spokespeople.aspx?id=6963), spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told [NPR](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thesalt\/2013\/09\/30\/226531998\/kombucha-magical-health-elixir-or-just-funky-tea) back in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.”\n\nKombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Kombucha-2.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nWhy is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you.\n\nSeriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like *Alien*). At least one person is known to have [died](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/preview\/mmwrhtml\/00039742.htm) after consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old.\n\nIt’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told [Mother Jones](https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/blue-marble\/2010\/11\/kombucha-really-good-you) in 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.”\n\nIf you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture.\n\nEverybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha\\!\n\n### Step One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY\nFirst, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a [kombucha starter kit](https:\/\/alexa.design\/2oZ4hIA) [online](https:\/\/alexa.design\/2p0c5qF). You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Scoby.jpg?resize=720%2C506)\n\n46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style Image used with permission by copyright holder\n\nFinally, you can also make your own.\n\nTo make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need:\n\n- 7 cups of clean water\n- One half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.)\n- 4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple.\n- 1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha\n- A large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC [cautions](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/preview\/mmwrhtml\/00039742.htm) against using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew.\n- You’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\n- Rubber bands\n\nNote that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to:\n\n- 1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags\n- One quarter-cup of sugar\n- 2-3 cups of water\n- A half-cup of starter tea\n\nOnce you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start.\n\n1. First, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\n2. Add the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step.\n3. Pour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container.\n4. Cover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut.\n5. Set your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY.\n6. Keep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Seal.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n### Step Two: Your First Fermentation\nWake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha\\!\n\nHere’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process.\n\n- 14 cups of clean water\n- 1 cup of white sugar\n- 8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice)\n- 2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha)\n- 1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container)\n- A large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each.\n- You’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\n- Rubber bands\n\nLet’s get started:\n\n1. Boil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\n2. Steep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly.\n3. Carefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in.\n4. Pour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha.\n5. Gently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band.\n6. Back into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste.\n7. Preserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend.\n### Step Three: Fermentation, the Second Round\nOkay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Fermenting-Bottles.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nHere’s what you’ll need for the final step.\n\n- Your homemade kombucha from the first fermentation\n- Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar)\n- Here are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha:\n- Mashed fruit or fruit juice\n- A slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit\n- 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey\n- Raisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili\n\nIt’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Flavors.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nCommence fermentation:\n\n1. Strain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally.\n2. Add your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment.\n3. Back in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days.\n4. You can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process.\n5. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1\/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm).\n6. Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid.\n7. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days.\n8. If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process.\n\nSo there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to [flavoring mixed drinks](https:\/\/www.culturesforhealth.com\/learn\/recipe\/kombucha-recipes\/kombucha-mocktail).\n\n![Clayton Moore](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/avatars\/profile-200389-1518493075.jpg)\n\n[Clayton Moore](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/claytonmoore\/)\n\nContributor\n\nClayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal…\n\nTopics\n\n- [Health & Fitness](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/health-fitness\/)\n\n- [Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n\nStop cramming groceries: this French door LG is discounted by \\$1,400\n\nThis LG Counter-Depth MAX fridge drops to \\$1,799.99, a rare discount for a premium kitchen centerpiece\n\n![LG counter-depth French door refrigerator deal](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2026\/01\/fg.jpg?resize=650%2C390)\n\nA new refrigerator isn’t a “fun” purchase, but it’s one of the upgrades you feel every day. Better organization, more usable space, and fewer moments of shoving leftovers into whatever spot still fits. The LG Counter-Depth MAX French door smart refrigerator is \\$1,799.99, saving you \\$1,400 off the \\$3,199.99 compared value. That’s not a small markdown, and for a counter-depth model with this much capacity, it’s the kind of deal that can actually justify moving up to something nicer.\n\nget the deal\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/lg-counter-depth-max-fridge-sale\/)\n\n- [Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n\nA 2K video doorbell for \\$59.99 is a simple home upgrade that pays off fast\n\nArlo’s 2nd-gen smart doorbell drops \\$70, making it an easy pick for better front-door security\n\n![Arlo video doorbell deal](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nA video doorbell is one of those upgrades you stop thinking about after you install it, and that’s the point. You get a clearer view of who’s at the door, better awareness when packages arrive, and fewer “did someone just knock?” moments. The Arlo Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) is \\$59.99, saving you \\$70 off the \\$129.99 compared value. For a 2K model that can run wired or on battery, this price is the kind of practical deal that’s worth grabbing.\n\nget the deal\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/arlo-2k-video-doorbell-deal\/)\n\n- [Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n\nOne appliance, two seasons: Dyson’s Hot+Cool tower is \\$200 off right now\n\nThe Dyson AM09 drops to \\$299.99, a solid price for a heater and fan combo you’ll use year-round\n\n![Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 deal](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nA lot of home gear gets bought for one moment, then shoved in a closet for nine months. A heater that also works as a fan avoids that problem. The Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 tower is down to \\$299.99, saving you \\$200 off the \\$499.99 compared value. If you’ve been thinking about a cleaner, less cluttered setup for your office, bedroom, or living room, this discount makes a premium year-round appliance much easier to justify.\n\nget the deal\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/dyson-hotcool-tower-deal\/)\n\n## More Smart Home\n![City, Path, Architecture](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [CES 2026 is almost here, as a veteran of the show here’s what you need to know](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/ces-2026-explainer\/)\n\n![Screenshot of student studying](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [The best tutoring apps and websites](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-tutoring-apps-and-sites\/)\n\n![Blink Video Doorbell installed](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [Blink Video Doorbell vs. Ring Battery Doorbell: which is best for your front door?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/blink-video-doorbell-vs-ring-battery-doorbell-which-is-best-for-your-front-door\/)\n\n![Roborock Saros 10R mopping](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [Roborock Saros Z70 vs Roborock Saros 10R: which robot vacuum is best?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/roborock-saros-z70-vs-roborock-saros-10r-which-robot-vacuum-is-best\/)\n\n![The Saros Z70 picking up a sock.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [How to use the robotic arm of the Roborock Saros Z70](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/how-to-use-the-robotic-arm-of-the-roborock-saros-z70\/)\n\n![Branding Logo](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Digital-Trends-Newsletter-Module-Update.jpg)\n\n**Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters**\n\nCheck your inbox\\!\n\n[Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/privacy-policy)\n\n**Upgrade your lifestyle**Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DigitalTrends)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/digitaltrends\/)\n- [Twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/digitaltrends)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1)\n- [Pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/digitaltrends\/)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/digitaltrends-com\/)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@digitaltrends)\n- [Flipboard](https:\/\/flipboard.com\/@DigitalTrends)\n\n- [Phones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/)\n- [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n- [Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/)\n- [Audio \/ Video](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/)\n- [Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/)\n- [Automotive](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/)\n- [Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/)\n- [Wearables](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/)\n- [Space](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/space\/)\n- [Streaming Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/streaming\/)\n- [Best Products](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/best-products\/)\n- [How-To Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/how-to\/)\n- [Original Series](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/original-series\/)\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/about\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/contact-us\/)\n- [Advertise With Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/advertise-with-us\/)\n- [Editorial Guidelines](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/editorial-guidelines\/)\n- [Logo & Accolade Licensing](https:\/\/www.adcetera.com\/?utm_campaign=cl&utm_source=digitaltrends&utm_content=licensing_and_accolades&utm_medium=web)\n\n- [Subscribe to our Newsletter](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/newsletter\/)\n- [Branded Content](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/brc\/)\n- [Digital Trends Wallpapers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wallpapers\/)\n- [Digital Trends in Spanish](https:\/\/es.digitaltrends.com\/)\n- [Digital Trends App Bundle](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/digital-trends-app-bundle\/)\n\n[![Digital Trends Media Group](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/)\n\nDigital Trends Media Group\n\n6420 S. 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All rights reserved.\n\nBest OLED TVs of 2025 for gaming and movies\n\nSamsung S95D vs LG G4 TV comparison\n\nBest budget 4K TVs under \\$1000 right now\n\nMacBook Pro M3 vs Dell XPS 15 performance comparison\n\nBest laptops for creators and video editing in 2025\n\nBest OLED TVs of 2025 for gaming and movies\n\nSamsung S95D vs LG G4 TV comparison\n\nBest budget 4K TVs under \\$1000 right now\n\nMacBook Pro M3 vs Dell XPS 15 performance comparison\n\nBest laptops for creators and video editing in 2025","attrs_readable_markdown":"So you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making [bathtub gin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bathtub_gin). But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love.\n\n### What is kombucha, anyway?\nIf you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah\\!\n\nRecommended Videos\n\nMake no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better.\n\nThe drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories.\n\nKombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink.\n\nHome-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Kombucha.jpg?resize=720%2C525)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n### A Brief History of Kombucha\nNo one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we *think* we know.\n\nThe common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history.\n\nThe first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19th century. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to [The Atlantic](https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2016\/08\/the-mystery-of-kombucha-culture\/495119\/). By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names.\n\nThe word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture.\n\n### How to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick)\nThere are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” [Andrea Giancoli](https:\/\/www.eatright.org\/Media\/Spokespeople.aspx?id=6963), spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told [NPR](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thesalt\/2013\/09\/30\/226531998\/kombucha-magical-health-elixir-or-just-funky-tea) back in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.”\n\nKombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Kombucha-2.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nWhy is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you.\n\nSeriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like *Alien*). At least one person is known to have [died](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/preview\/mmwrhtml\/00039742.htm) after consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old.\n\nIt’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told [Mother Jones](https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/blue-marble\/2010\/11\/kombucha-really-good-you) in 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.”\n\nIf you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture.\n\nEverybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha\\!\n\n### Step One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY\nFirst, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a [kombucha starter kit](https:\/\/alexa.design\/2oZ4hIA) [online](https:\/\/alexa.design\/2p0c5qF). You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Scoby.jpg?resize=720%2C506)\n\n46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style Image used with permission by copyright holder\n\nFinally, you can also make your own.\n\nTo make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need:\n\n- 7 cups of clean water\n- One half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.)\n- 4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple.\n- 1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha\n- A large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC [cautions](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/preview\/mmwrhtml\/00039742.htm) against using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew.\n- You’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\n- Rubber bands\n\nNote that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to:\n\n- 1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags\n- One quarter-cup of sugar\n- 2-3 cups of water\n- A half-cup of starter tea\n\nOnce you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start.\n\n1. First, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\n2. Add the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step.\n3. Pour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container.\n4. Cover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut.\n5. Set your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY.\n6. Keep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Seal.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n### Step Two: Your First Fermentation\nWake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha\\!\n\nHere’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process.\n\n- 14 cups of clean water\n- 1 cup of white sugar\n- 8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice)\n- 2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha)\n- 1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container)\n- A large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each.\n- You’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins.\n- Rubber bands\n\nLet’s get started:\n\n1. Boil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it.\n2. Steep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly.\n3. Carefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in.\n4. Pour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha.\n5. Gently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band.\n6. Back into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste.\n7. Preserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend.\n### Step Three: Fermentation, the Second Round\nOkay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Fermenting-Bottles.jpg?resize=720%2C480)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nHere’s what you’ll need for the final step.\n\n- Your homemade kombucha from the first fermentation\n- Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar)\n- Here are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha:\n- Mashed fruit or fruit juice\n- A slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit\n- 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey\n- Raisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili\n\nIt’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2017\/04\/Flavors.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nImage used with permission by copyright holder\n\nCommence fermentation:\n\n1. Strain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally.\n2. Add your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment.\n3. Back in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days.\n4. You can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process.\n5. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1\/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm).\n6. Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid.\n7. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days.\n8. If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process.\n\nSo there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to [flavoring mixed drinks](https:\/\/www.culturesforhealth.com\/learn\/recipe\/kombucha-recipes\/kombucha-mocktail).","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	So you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making bathtub gin . But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love. What is kombucha, anyway? If you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah! Recommended Videos Make no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better. The drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories. Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink. Home-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks. Image used with permission by copyright holder A Brief History of Kombucha No one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we think we know. The common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history. The first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19 th century. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to The Atlantic . By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names. The word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture. How to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick) There are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” Andrea Giancoli , spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told NPR back in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.” Kombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt. Image used with permission by copyright holder Why is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you. Seriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like Alien ). At least one person is known to have died after consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old. It’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told Mother Jones in 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.” If you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture. Everybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha! Step One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY First, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a kombucha starter kit online . You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store. 46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style Image used with permission by copyright holder Finally, you can also make your own. To make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need: 7 cups of clean water One half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.) 4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple. 1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha A large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC cautions against using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew. You’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. Rubber bands Note that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to: 1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags One quarter-cup of sugar 2-3 cups of water A half-cup of starter tea Once you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start. First, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it. Add the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step. Pour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container. Cover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut. Set your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY. Keep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch. Image used with permission by copyright holder Step Two: Your First Fermentation Wake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha! Here’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process. 14 cups of clean water 1 cup of white sugar 8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice) 2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha) 1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container) A large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each. You’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. Rubber bands Let’s get started: Boil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it. Steep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly. Carefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in. Pour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha. Gently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Back into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste. Preserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend. Step Three: Fermentation, the Second Round Okay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz. Image used with permission by copyright holder Here’s what you’ll need for the final step. Your homemade kombucha from the first fermentation Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar) Here are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha: Mashed fruit or fruit juice A slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey Raisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili It’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action. Image used with permission by copyright holder Commence fermentation: Strain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally. Add your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment. Back in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days. You can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm). Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days. If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process. So there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to flavoring mixed drinks .
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[Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/) 2. [Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) 3. [Health & Fitness](https://www.digitaltrends.com/health-fitness/) 4. [Evergreens](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/guides/) Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. [Why trust us?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/editorial-guidelines/) # SCOBY yourself: How to make kombucha from scratch By [Clayton Moore](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/claytonmoore/) Published April 10, 2017 [![Add as a preferred source on Google](https://www.digitaltrends.com/content/themes/dt-stardust/assets/images/google_preferred_source.webp)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.digitaltrends.com "Add as a preferred source on Google") Save So you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making [bathtub gin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_gin). But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love. ### What is kombucha, anyway? If you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah\! Recommended Videos Make no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better. The drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories. Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink. Home-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Kombucha.jpg?resize=720%2C525) Image used with permission by copyright holder ### A Brief History of Kombucha No one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we think we know. The common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history. The first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19th century. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/the-mystery-of-kombucha-culture/495119/). By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names. The word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture. ### How to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick) There are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” [Andrea Giancoli](https://www.eatright.org/Media/Spokespeople.aspx?id=6963), spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told [NPR](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/09/30/226531998/kombucha-magical-health-elixir-or-just-funky-tea) back in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.” Kombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Kombucha-2.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder Why is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you. Seriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like Alien). At least one person is known to have [died](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039742.htm) after consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old. It’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told [Mother Jones](https://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/11/kombucha-really-good-you) in 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.” If you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture. Everybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha\! ### Step One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY First, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a [kombucha starter kit](https://alexa.design/2oZ4hIA) [online](https://alexa.design/2p0c5qF). You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Scoby.jpg?resize=720%2C506) 46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style Image used with permission by copyright holder Finally, you can also make your own. To make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need: - 7 cups of clean water - One half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.) - 4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple. - 1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha - A large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC [cautions](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039742.htm) against using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew. - You’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. - Rubber bands Note that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to: - 1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags - One quarter-cup of sugar - 2-3 cups of water - A half-cup of starter tea Once you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start. 1. First, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it. 2. Add the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step. 3. Pour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container. 4. Cover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut. 5. Set your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY. 6. Keep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Seal.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder ### Step Two: Your First Fermentation Wake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha\! Here’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process. - 14 cups of clean water - 1 cup of white sugar - 8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice) - 2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha) - 1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container) - A large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each. - You’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. - Rubber bands Let’s get started: 1. Boil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it. 2. Steep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly. 3. Carefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in. 4. Pour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha. 5. Gently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band. 6. Back into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste. 7. Preserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend. ### Step Three: Fermentation, the Second Round Okay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Fermenting-Bottles.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder Here’s what you’ll need for the final step. - Your homemade kombucha from the first fermentation - Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar) - Here are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha: - Mashed fruit or fruit juice - A slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit - 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey - Raisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili It’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Flavors.jpg?resize=720%2C720) Image used with permission by copyright holder Commence fermentation: 1. Strain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally. 2. Add your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment. 3. Back in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days. 4. You can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process. 5. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm). 6. Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid. 7. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days. 8. If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process. So there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to [flavoring mixed drinks](https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/kombucha-recipes/kombucha-mocktail). ![Clayton Moore](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/avatars/profile-200389-1518493075.jpg) [Clayton Moore](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/claytonmoore/) Contributor Clayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal… Topics - [Health & Fitness](https://www.digitaltrends.com/health-fitness/) - [Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) Stop cramming groceries: this French door LG is discounted by \$1,400 This LG Counter-Depth MAX fridge drops to \$1,799.99, a rare discount for a premium kitchen centerpiece ![LG counter-depth French door refrigerator deal](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2026/01/fg.jpg?resize=650%2C390) A new refrigerator isn’t a “fun” purchase, but it’s one of the upgrades you feel every day. Better organization, more usable space, and fewer moments of shoving leftovers into whatever spot still fits. The LG Counter-Depth MAX French door smart refrigerator is \$1,799.99, saving you \$1,400 off the \$3,199.99 compared value. That’s not a small markdown, and for a counter-depth model with this much capacity, it’s the kind of deal that can actually justify moving up to something nicer. get the deal [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/lg-counter-depth-max-fridge-sale/) - [Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) A 2K video doorbell for \$59.99 is a simple home upgrade that pays off fast Arlo’s 2nd-gen smart doorbell drops \$70, making it an easy pick for better front-door security ![Arlo video doorbell deal](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) A video doorbell is one of those upgrades you stop thinking about after you install it, and that’s the point. You get a clearer view of who’s at the door, better awareness when packages arrive, and fewer “did someone just knock?” moments. The Arlo Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) is \$59.99, saving you \$70 off the \$129.99 compared value. For a 2K model that can run wired or on battery, this price is the kind of practical deal that’s worth grabbing. get the deal [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/arlo-2k-video-doorbell-deal/) - [Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) One appliance, two seasons: Dyson’s Hot+Cool tower is \$200 off right now The Dyson AM09 drops to \$299.99, a solid price for a heater and fan combo you’ll use year-round ![Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 deal](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) A lot of home gear gets bought for one moment, then shoved in a closet for nine months. A heater that also works as a fan avoids that problem. The Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 tower is down to \$299.99, saving you \$200 off the \$499.99 compared value. If you’ve been thinking about a cleaner, less cluttered setup for your office, bedroom, or living room, this discount makes a premium year-round appliance much easier to justify. get the deal [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/dyson-hotcool-tower-deal/) ## More Smart Home ![City, Path, Architecture](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [CES 2026 is almost here, as a veteran of the show here’s what you need to know](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/ces-2026-explainer/) ![Screenshot of student studying](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [The best tutoring apps and websites](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-tutoring-apps-and-sites/) ![Blink Video Doorbell installed](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [Blink Video Doorbell vs. Ring Battery Doorbell: which is best for your front door?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/blink-video-doorbell-vs-ring-battery-doorbell-which-is-best-for-your-front-door/) ![Roborock Saros 10R mopping](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [Roborock Saros Z70 vs Roborock Saros 10R: which robot vacuum is best?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roborock-saros-z70-vs-roborock-saros-10r-which-robot-vacuum-is-best/) ![The Saros Z70 picking up a sock.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [How to use the robotic arm of the Roborock Saros Z70](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-use-the-robotic-arm-of-the-roborock-saros-z70/) ![Branding Logo](https://www.digitaltrends.com/uploads/2025/11/Digital-Trends-Newsletter-Module-Update.jpg) Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters Check your inbox\! 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Readable Markdown	So you’ve ditched your home-brewed beer, are too impatient for homemade wine, and are justifiably wary of making [bathtub gin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_gin). But you’re also tired of paying thirty bucks a case for kombucha, a drink that has been made by people from virtually nothing for centuries. Making kombucha from scratch has to be easier than some of these farm-to-table recipes, right? Not only is it a breeze, but it’s also a labor you’ll love. ### What is kombucha, anyway? If you’re still reading, you’re probably either a fan of kombucha, or have at least sampled a commercially produced version. For the newbies, kombucha is a zesty, fermented, lightly effervescent drink made by adding bacteria and yeast to sugar and tea (black or green), and then letting the process of fermentation do its work. Science, yeah\! Recommended Videos Make no mistake: Kombucha is a funky drink, and it’s often an acquired taste. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea,” because it has an earthy, savory aroma with hints of alcohol and vinegar. That’s why aficionados often add juice to the base brew to make the tea taste better. The drink is fermented in three stages, which we’ll discuss below. Kombucha is high in acid and contains sugar, vinegar, B vitamins, antioxidants, trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process, and a few other trace chemical compounds. An eight-ounce mug of kombucha contains about 60 calories. By comparison, an eight-ounce café latte from Starbucks contains about 100 calories. Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a SCOBY (this one’s important, so remember it for the test, kids). The acronym stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” and while it sounds like some kind of scary mutant, this chemical cocktail is a crucial tool in creating a truly unique drink. Home-brewers either buy a “kombucha mother” starter, or use a starter sample from an existing culture to grow a new starter that ferments in a jar for a couple of weeks. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Kombucha.jpg?resize=720%2C525) Image used with permission by copyright holder ### A Brief History of Kombucha No one really knows where kombucha originated, but here’s what we think we know. The common wisdom is that kombucha originated in what is now Manchuria around 220 BCE and was largely limited to that region for over a century. It is apocryphally reported that the drink and its recipe was imported to Japan in 404 CE by Kombu, a Korean physician called upon to treat the Japanese Emperor Ingyo using a special tea. The Chinese referred to kombucha as the Tea of Immortality and the Elixir of Life, so the drink’s unproven health benefits have a long history. The first recorded mention of kombucha comes from Russia and the Ukraine late in the 19th century. Spread via Russian and German POWs after World War I, kombucha began to reach new countries quickly, according to [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/the-mystery-of-kombucha-culture/495119/). By the 1920s, the drink was brewed throughout Germany as a home and folk remedy. It was also sold in pharmacies under a variety of names. The word itself has a murky history as well. Dictionaries suggest it probably originates with the Japanese word kombucha, meaning tea made from kombu, the Japanese word for kelp. Kombucha was sometimes confused with a kelp-based infusion due to the thick, gelatinous nature of the drink’s base culture. ### How to Brew Kombucha from Scratch (Hopefully without Making Yourself Sick) There are a couple of things to talk about here. Every day, you hear about a new food or drink that’s some kind of miracle cure. Drinkers of kombucha regularly tout that it helps digestion, sleep, weight loss, and detox and prevents cancer, stops hair loss, and promotes liver function.”There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” [Andrea Giancoli](https://www.eatright.org/Media/Spokespeople.aspx?id=6963), spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told [NPR](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/09/30/226531998/kombucha-magical-health-elixir-or-just-funky-tea) back in 2013. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.” Kombucha might be good for you, thanks to its probiotics — just like the yogurt you see Jamie Lee Curtis hocking on TV. But if you want probiotics, it’s much easier and safer to eat yogurt. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Kombucha-2.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder Why is yogurt safer? Because kombucha can kill you. Seriously, kombucha is like anything else; every now and then someone isn’t careful or has a bad reaction. Adverse effects include severe liver and kidney toxicity, as well as metabolic acidosis (that’s acid in the blood, like Alien). At least one person is known to have [died](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039742.htm) after consuming kombucha, although it has never been an official cause of death. Because it does pack a kick, it is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for children under four years old. It’s also possible homemade kombucha could give rise to molds, such as aspergillus, that can produce mycotoxins, which are “fairly toxic and carcinogenic,” Cornell microbiologist Ramón Mira de Orduña told [Mother Jones](https://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/11/kombucha-really-good-you) in 2010. “If you do that at home, and you’re not sure how to control that, that could be dangerous.” If you still want to brew, make sure you follow the brewing process carefully, use sterilized materials, and some common sense. A good rule is if your SCOBY is healthy, your kombucha will be healthy. If you’re still nervous, go to Whole Foods and buy a commercially prepared and pasteurized kombucha and then ruminate on the long, slow co-opting of authentic world culture. Everybody else, let’s go brew up some kombucha\! ### Step One: Acquire or Grow Your Own SCOBY First, you’re going to need your “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast,” or SCOBY. Seriously, the easiest way to get a SCOBY is just to buy a [kombucha starter kit](https://alexa.design/2oZ4hIA) [online](https://alexa.design/2p0c5qF). You can also buy the SCOBY online for less than 10 bucks. If you have hipster friends, you can also probably borrow an extra SCOBY. If you live in Brooklyn or Portland, you can probably throw a rock in any direction and hit a kombucha supply store. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Scoby.jpg?resize=720%2C506) 46699379 – kombucha fungus in unrecognizable man hand. healthy organic pro biotic fermented tea beverage. natural light and rustic style Image used with permission by copyright holder Finally, you can also make your own. To make your own SCOBY from scratch, you will need: - 7 cups of clean water - One half-cup of white sugar – don’t use honey. (Fun fact: honey can contain botulism bacteria, which grows in yeast.) - 4 bags black tea (or 1 tablespoon loose tea) – Don’t use decaffeinated tea, those fruity Celestial Seasonings varietals, or other experimental teas. Keep it simple. - 1 cup of unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha - A large glass or ceramic jar. You can find kombucha-specific jars online, but there’s nothing that says you can’t re-use a glass bowl or other container. Just stay away from plastic containers because you’ll ruin the SCOBY. The CDC [cautions](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039742.htm) against using lead or ceramic containers, which might release toxic chemicals into the brew. - You’ll need some kind of tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. - Rubber bands Note that if you don’t want to make a big batch of kombucha, you can make a one-quart batch by adjusting your ratios to: - 1½ teaspoons loose tea or 2 tea bags - One quarter-cup of sugar - 2-3 cups of water - A half-cup of starter tea Once you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start. 1. First, boil the water in a clean pot. Remove the water from the heat and dissolve your sugar into it. 2. Add the tea and allow it to steep while your water cools to room temperature; give it a few hours. When the tea has cooled, you’re ready for the next step. 3. Pour the sweetened tea into your containers, then pour your store-bought kombucha into it, making sure to include any lingering bits at the bottom of the kombucha container. 4. Cover your container with your woven cloth component to keep out bugs and dust, and rubber band your container shut. 5. Set your container somewhere dark that stays at room temperature. You don’t want to put it somewhere shaky, like near the washer-dryer. Leave it alone for one to four weeks, until you have about a quarter-inch of gelatinous SCOBY. 6. Keep your SCOBY in its original solution until you’re ready to brew your first batch. Keep in mind your SCOBY is a living thing, kind of like a yeasty house plant. You can actually grow new SCOBY from your original mix, as well as keep the original alive for years. However, your original tea will be completely vinegar-infused by this point, so don’t use it to make your first brew. You can also share the wealth by gifting it to a friend, along with your handy-dandy guide to making kombucha from scratch. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Seal.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder ### Step Two: Your First Fermentation Wake up: it’s time to ferment the kombucha\! Here’s what you’ll need for the next step in this weird process. - 14 cups of clean water - 1 cup of white sugar - 8 bags black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea, your choice) - 2 cups unflavored starter tea (it’s easiest to use unpasteurized, unflavored store-bought kombucha) - 1 or 2 SCOBYs (depending on how many containers you’re using, 1 SCOBY per container) - A large glass container that will hold one gallon of liquid, or two containers that will hold a half-gallon each. - You’ll need a tightly woven cloth big enough to fit over the opening of your container; you can use coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth, or cloth napkins. - Rubber bands Let’s get started: 1. Boil your water in a clean pot. Remove the pan from heat and dissolve your sugar into it. 2. Steep the tea in the water while it cools to room temperature. This takes a couple of hours, so don’t rush it at the risk of killing your SCOBY in water that’s too hot. Oh, you can use different teas in this step; you don’t have to use black tea. You can try green, oolong, fruit, or whatever — just make sure to mix in a few black tea bags to make sure the SCOBY gets fed properly. 3. Carefully remove your SCOBY from the tea and put it on a clean plate. Discard the original solution the SCOBY was grown in. 4. Pour your sweetened tea into your container(s), then pour in your starter kombucha. 5. Gently place your pet SCOBY into the container, then cover the top with a few layers of your cloth and secure it with a rubber band. 6. Back into the closet with your container, somewhere room temperature, for a week to 10 days. You can start tasting the tea after the first week; it will be a little sweet and have a slight vinegar tang at first. This is the chemistry part; the warmer the air where you’re storing the kombucha, the faster it will ferment. The longer the solution ferments, the more sugar molecules will be consumed, so it will be less sweet. With time you’ll learn where your “sweet spot” is, as to how you want your kombucha to taste. 7. Preserve 2 cups from this round to use as starter kombucha for your next batch. The remainder can move on to your second and final fermentation. Once your SCOBY is about an inch thick, you can peel off a few layers to make a second SCOBY for yourself or a friend. ### Step Three: Fermentation, the Second Round Okay, last round, boys and girls. This is where you can experiment a little more with flavor, not to mention this is the fun part where carbonation gives kombucha its effervescent fizz. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Fermenting-Bottles.jpg?resize=720%2C480) Image used with permission by copyright holder Here’s what you’ll need for the final step. - Your homemade kombucha from the first fermentation - Sweetener (fruit, honey, or sugar) - Here are a few ideas per each cup of kombucha: - Mashed fruit or fruit juice - A slice of orange, lemon, watermelon, mango or other citrus fruit - 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey - Raisins, ginger, or jalapeno chili It’s also worth investing in some fermenting bottles, which have an airtight seal to keep your carbonation from escaping. You can use canning jars in a pinch, but you’ll get less carbonation action. ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2017/04/Flavors.jpg?resize=720%2C720) Image used with permission by copyright holder Commence fermentation: 1. Strain your kombucha and funnel it into your fermenting bottles, leaving an inch or two at the top so your carbonation gas doesn’t blow open the bottle. If you suspect the pressure is getting too high, you can pop the bottle open to vent some gas occasionally. 2. Add your flavoring ingredients and seal the bottle tightly. The more fruit or sugary ingredients you add, the faster the kombucha will ferment. 3. Back in the closet; put the bottles somewhere dark and room temperature for three to ten days. 4. You can strain out your flavoring ingredients or fruit before serving, if you wish. You can also put the bottles in a refrigerator to slow the carbonation process. 5. Strain kombucha and funnel into bottles, leaving about 1 1/2 inches as the top (3.8 cm). 6. Add your chosen sweetener and seal tightly with a lid. 7. Let it ferment somewhere dark and room temperature for three to 10 days. 8. If desired, strain out fruit before serving. Place in the fridge to slow the carbonation process. So there you have it. Keep in mind that you can use your newly made kombucha for all sorts of things, from marinating meat to [flavoring mixed drinks](https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/kombucha-recipes/kombucha-mocktail).
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