A couple of weeks ago I decided to try and make my own kombucha. It seemed pretty easy. If successful, it would be cheaper than paying for a bottle from the local health food store. After reading through a couple of recipes, I found out something important. I would need a kombucha “scoby” mother before I get started.
Once more I bought a bottle of raw kombucha and used it as part of my starter. After a little chemistry, everything was set up. I made my famous sweet tea. Sweet tea is good for something other than a drink on a hot summer day. I mixed everything together and placed it in a glass pitcher. Then, I covered it with a dishcloth and rubber band. Then I waited for my scoby to be born.
Step by step instructions are at the bottom of this post.
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I’ve made sweet tea before. I forgot about it in the fridge. At one time or another, this blob of something would show up. Little did I know back then that I was tossing out something so useful and healthy! At that time I just thought everything I learned in home economics must not have stuck!
Fast forward 10 days and I have a SCOBY! She’s named Myrtle and her sister is Betty! They were both born on the same day. Within a couple of weeks, Betty moved to the city. She lived in a sun tea pitcher until her new home arrived. If you are interested in the blue strip crock I used for fermentation and dispensing I’ve included a link: Ceramic Crock with Dispenser
Now that Myrtle and Betty Scoby have grown so much I decided they needed to downsize. Betty was first. I cut her down just enough to live in her new home. However, I didn’t know what to do with her leftovers. Kombucha is tea made from scoby, so I didn’t want to toss it out. I know that it will slow down production if I put it into the refrigerator. I carefully cut up the rest of Betty placed her into a canning jar and covered the pieces with kombucha. Afterward, I decided to move the smaller pieces into small jars. I added a 1/4 cup of kombucha to each. Then I added 1/2 cup of fresh sweet tea. Once they start growing they will develop back into round scoby and I’ll find them new homes.
**UPDATE – Seven Days Later**
After seven days it was time to peek in on the babies and see if they needed feeding. All are healthy and growing so I gave them a little sweet tea to eat on and grow thicker. Hmmm…now what am I going to do with all these little scoby??
Lets make some kombucha!
🍹 Easy Homemade Kombucha Recipe & Weekly Brewing Routine
Making kombucha at home is simple — especially if you start with a store-bought bottle as your “starter.” Here’s a step-by-step recipe and a weekly routine to keep your kombucha flowing continuously.
🥤 Ingredients
- 1 bottle of raw, unflavored kombucha (with live cultures)
- 3–4 black or green tea bags (or 2 tbsp loose tea)
- ¼–½ cup sugar (white cane sugar works best)
- 7 cups filtered water
- 1 large glass jar (about 1 gallon)
- 1 clean cloth or coffee filter + rubber band
📝 Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Brew the Sweet Tea
- Boil 7 cups of water.
- Add tea bags and steep for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved.
- Let the tea cool to room temperature.
2. Add the Store-Bought Kombucha
- Pour cooled sweet tea into your jar.
- Add the entire bottle of store-bought kombucha (this introduces the SCOBY and starter liquid).
3. Cover and Ferment
- Cover the jar with a cloth or coffee filter, secure with a rubber band.
- Place in a warm, dark spot (70–80°F) for 7–10 days.
- A new SCOBY will form on the surface.
4. Taste Test
- After 7 days, taste a spoonful.
- If too sweet, let it ferment longer.
- Once tangy and slightly fizzy, it’s ready.
5. Bottle and Enjoy
- Pour kombucha into clean bottles, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Drink right away or let sit at room temperature for 2–3 days to build fizz.
- Refrigerate after bottling.
🌿 Optional Flavoring
- Add fruit (berries, mango, citrus), ginger, or herbs during bottling.
- Let flavored bottles sit at room temperature for 2–3 days, then refrigerate.
🔄 Weekly Brewing Routine
Day 1: Start a New Batch
- Brew sweet tea (same recipe).
- Let it cool.
- Pour into jar with SCOBY + 1–2 cups starter liquid.
- Cover and ferment.
Day 7–10: First Fermentation Check
- Taste kombucha.
- If tangy and fizzy, it’s ready for bottling.
- If still sweet, let it ferment longer.
Bottling & Second Fermentation
- Remove SCOBY → Place in a clean bowl with 1–2 cups kombucha (starter for next batch).
- Bottle kombucha → Pour into bottles, leaving 1 inch headspace.
- Optional second fermentation → Add flavorings, leave bottles at room temp for 2–3 days, then refrigerate.
Restart the Cycle
- Return SCOBY + starter liquid to jar.
- Add fresh cooled sweet tea.
- Cover and ferment again.
- Repeat weekly or every 7–10 days.
🗓 Weekly Rhythm Summary
- Day 1: Brew sweet tea + start fermentation.
- Day 7–10: Taste test → bottle → flavor → refrigerate.
- Day 7–10 (same day): Restart with fresh sweet tea + SCOBY.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep a SCOBY “hotel” (a jar with extra SCOBYs and kombucha liquid) so you always have backups if one batch goes wrong.
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Hmmmm…and SO healthy for the gut from everything I have read! I really appreciate the photos you posted. Very helpful. Gotta tell ya; the reason I haven’t done this before now is that the idea of sweet tea sitting for a week and forming blobs that I will then use to create something I will actually ingest sounds, well..disgusting. For some reason, seeing your photos makes trying this a little less scary and maybe even a little fun! I think I will try it! Thanks for visiting and liking my new blog at http://seedsonfertilesoil.wordpress.com/.
Well that sounds interesting. I’m still not sure what kombucha is. Is it a fermented tea? Sounds fairly easy to make, once you have a scoby (who knew?) Enjoyed the post.
You are correct, it is a type of fermented tea. If it goes too long its like a strong cider, if it only ferments for a week it’s like a mild fizzy cider. We used to buy it at Fresh Market and thought we’d try our own. Much cheaper than paying $4 for a small bottle, just have to have a little patience. Thanks for visiting!
I had no idea how to make kombucha. Thanks for explaining the process!
Thanks for visiting!