Which tea for kombucha?

Plain black tea is the reference, green tea for a lighter brew. Avoid flavoured teas whose oils weaken the culture.

Is there alcohol in kombucha?

Traces, usually under 1 percent, similar to very ripe fruit juice.

How long does kombucha ferment?

7 to 14 days for the first fermentation, then 2 to 4 days in bottles for natural fizz.

How to Make Kombucha at Home: The Complete Guide 2026

How to make kombucha at home: the complete guide

Everything you need to learn how to make kombucha: the SCOBY, the tea, the two fermentations, a brew calculator, and honest answers to the classic beginner worries.

What is kombucha What you need Step by step Calculator Second fermentation SCOBY hotel FAQ

How to make kombucha, in one sentence: brew sweetened tea, add a live SCOBY with its starter liquid, let it ferment 7 to 14 days at room temperature, then bottle with fruit for a naturally fizzy, tangy tea. The SCOBY grows a new layer with every batch.

Learning how to make kombucha is a two-week adventure the first time, then a relaxed routine of one session per week. This guide gives you real proportions, timings and the small habits that keep a culture thriving for years.

What you need before you start

Item	Quantity for 2 L	Notes
Live kombucha SCOBY	1, with 200 ml starter	The mother culture; ours ships alive with starter tea
Black or green tea	4 to 6 bags (8 g)	Plain tea only; flavoured teas weaken the culture
White sugar	140 g	Food for the culture, mostly consumed during fermentation
Glass jar	2.5 L wide mouth	Covered with a breathable cloth, never sealed

How to make kombucha: live SCOBY with starter tea

How to make kombucha step by step

Brew the tea. Steep the tea in 0.5 L of boiling water for 10 minutes, dissolve the sugar, then top up with 1.5 L of cold water.
Cool completely. The tea must be at room temperature; heat is the only thing that can really hurt a SCOBY.
Add the SCOBY and starter. Pour in the starter liquid, slide the SCOBY on top. The starter acidifies the batch and protects it from day one.
Ferment 7 to 14 days. Cloth cover, 21 to 26 °C, out of direct sunlight. Taste from day 7 with a straw: stop when the sweet/tangy balance suits you.
Bottle and repeat. Keep 200 ml + the SCOBY for the next batch. Bottle the rest, plain or flavoured. That is how to make kombucha in a loop that never ends.

🧮 Brew calculator

How many litres of kombucha do you want?

For 2 litre(s): 8 g of tea, 140 g of sugar, 200 ml of starter.

The second fermentation: where the magic happens

The first fermentation makes kombucha; the second makes it spectacular. Bottle the strained kombucha in swing-top bottles with 10% fruit juice or a few pieces of fruit, close tightly, and leave 2 to 4 days at room temperature. The trapped CO2 turns your brew into a fine, naturally sparkling drink. Refrigerate to stop the process, and open over a sink the first few times.

Flavour ideas that never fail

Flavour	Per 500 ml bottle	Character
Ginger + lemon	3 slices + 1 tbsp juice	The classic, dry and fiery
Raspberry	5 crushed berries	Pink, fruity, crowd-pleaser
Apple + cinnamon	2 cubes + a pinch	Autumn in a glass
Hibiscus	1 tsp dried flowers	Tart, deep red

The SCOBY hotel: never lose your culture

Every batch grows a new SCOBY layer. Keep the spares in a “hotel”: a jar of sweetened tea in a quiet corner, refreshed once a month. It is your insurance policy (if a batch goes wrong, you restart the same day) and your gift stock, because everyone who tastes your kombucha will ask how to make kombucha themselves.

Troubleshooting: read your brew like a pro

What you see	What it means	What to do
Brown strings under the SCOBY	Healthy yeast strands	Nothing, it is a good sign
New white layer on the surface	A baby SCOBY forming	Celebrate; move it to the hotel later
Fuzzy blue or green spots	Mould (very rare with enough starter)	Discard everything, restart from the hotel
No fizz in the bottles	Not enough sugar or time in F2	Add a little juice, wait 2 more days

How to make kombucha: frequently asked questions

How to make kombucha without a SCOBY?

You cannot make authentic kombucha without the culture. A raw, unpasteurised bottle can theoretically grow one in a few weeks, but starting from a vigorous live SCOBY with starter is faster and far more reliable.

Which tea should I use?

Plain black tea is the reference; green tea gives a lighter brew. Avoid earl grey and flavoured teas: their oils weaken the culture over time.

Is there alcohol in homemade kombucha?

Traces, usually below 1%, comparable to very ripe fruit juice. Longer, warmer fermentations raise it slightly.

My kombucha is too sour. Can I save it?

Very sour kombucha is perfect as a vinegar substitute in dressings and marinades. Next batch, taste from day 6 and bottle earlier.

How often do I need to brew?

One 20-minute session per week covers a 2 L rhythm. The culture waits patiently in its jar between sessions.

Ready to brew your first batch?

Our live kombucha SCOBY ships in 24/48h with its starter tea and this guide. Prefer to try everything? The complete kit adds water and milk kefir grains. And the history of kombucha on Wikipedia is worth the detour.