Find a “mother” (SCOBY, for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Either purchase it online or ask around until someone can spare one for you.

A SCOBY is a jelly-like organism, appearing circular or disk-shaped. To build one, all you need is a 1-gallon jar filled with water and tightly-woven cloth or coffee filters secured with rubber bands – then store somewhere cool at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

Ingredients

Kombucha tea, made up of live cultures of bacteria, yeast and sugar, originated in Asia before being brought over by Russian immigrants during the early 1900’s to America. Now widely enjoyed at health food stores and corporate cafeterias alike, its consumption has been linked with healing many diseases including cancer, arthritis, constipation and even stress relief.

Kombucha can be made by dissolving sugar in non-chlorinated boiling water and mixing in tea leaves, which have then been cooled before adding the SCOBY culture and covered for 6-10 days before testing its doneness using a paper straw to taste a small sample from each jar; when done it should taste mildly sweet yet slightly vinegary.

Kombucha should be stored in a cool, dark area that won’t be jostled or exposed to direct sunlight, without refrigeration as this kills off beneficial bacteria. Metal containers should also be avoided since these react with the acids produced during fermentation.

As part of the fermentation process, SCOBYs form a thick gel-like substance on top of liquid. You should see brown stringy yeast particles floating in your tea as this indicates proper cultivation; additionally, any cloudy layer over it indicates new colonies forming and an emerging SCOBY.

If fuzzy black or green mold has formed on the surface of your tea, it may be an indicator that something is amiss with it. It could be that the SCOBY has died and bad bacteria have taken over, or maybe it just needs more time before being ready to brew. If this occurs, discard it immediately and begin again using a fresh SCOBY.

Although kombucha is often misrepresented as mushroom tea, its main component – the SCOBY – looks similar. But while this organism belongs to the Fungus Kingdom rather than Plant or Animal, its closest relatives include plants rather than animals or bacteria.

Storage

Kombucha tea is a fermented beverage produced from a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), with many health benefits due to the fermentation process which acts like a biochemical laboratory by initiating chain reactions between various cells that release valuable substances with healing properties.

As part of the fermentation process, it’s crucial that kombucha be kept at an ideal temperature between 68 and 85 degrees F – the optimal range being between this range and 85. When your SCOBY has reached desired consistency, remove it from the tea and store in an empty jar at room temperature out of direct sunlight; you should have ready-to-drink beverage within 7-30 days!

Once the kombucha has reached its desired consistency, it can be tasted to assess sweetness and acidity levels. Too much sweetness requires more time for consumption while too much acidity makes drinking unpleasant; once this level has been reached it should be chilled to slow the fermentation process down further.

Kombucha can also be customized by adding fruit, herbs or spices as flavoring agents in order to change its taste and prolong its freshness. Once flavoring has been added, kombucha should be bottled and left at a warm room temperature for several days prior to being refrigerated.

At temperatures ranging between 0 and 6 degrees celsius, it is ideal to store kombucha. This temperature range can help inhibit any harmful organisms that have developed and should also be stored in an undisturbed dark place to reduce spoilage faster.

Fermentation

Kombucha production requires bacteria and yeast working together under controlled conditions to convert sugar into organic acids such as acetic, gluconic and glucuronic acids – these are what give kombucha its distinctive acidic taste, as well as providing most of its detoxifying benefits. Fermenting takes 7+ days; once complete fermentation has occurred and a thin, rubbery film forms on top of the liquid this indicates success and you can use your scoby to create more of your own kombucha!

To create your own kombucha, you will require a “mother,” also known as a SCOBY or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha “mothers” can be purchased online or from health food stores; or alternatively you could borrow one from someone who already makes their own kombucha. Ideally you should select an aged mother that has had enough time to develop beneficial cultures over time.

Once you have your “mother,” the next step should be starting your first batch. To do so, mix 4 cups of tea and 1/4 cup of sugar with your kombucha; once combined, transfer to your glass jar with lid and place it somewhere where it won’t be disturbed for at least four days before serving!

Glass or stainless steel containers should always be used when creating kombucha, as plastic and ceramic containers contain harmful toxins that leech into your beverage. Furthermore, metal utensils should never come in direct contact with it as this may allow bacteria to thrive and multiply quickly.

Care should be taken not to disturb a batch of kombucha during its fermentation, as unwanted microorganisms could quickly invade and ruin it all. A pH meter is an invaluable tool in monitoring its acidity level and taking preventative steps should any problems arise.

Once the kombucha has been fermented for at least 3 days, you can bottle and place in the refrigerator to stop fermentation. Some people opt for second fermentation by adding fruit, herbs or juice for additional flavor or fizziness; this typically takes another 5 days and care should be taken not to overdo it or it could explode inside its bottle!

Tasting

As your kombucha tea ferments, be sure to taste it regularly. If it tastes pleasant then it should be ready to drink immediately; otherwise it may need rebrewing and additional fermentation time before being consumed.

Fermenting tea involves adding fruits or herbs for additional flavors, but many also do a second ferment (known as SCOBY milkshake) after bottling to build carbonation and enhance flavors further. When performing this second ferment you’ll add fruit, sugar or tea as desired for extra carbonation before sealing in bottles for storage in dark, warm places for about five days until reaching your preferred level of carbonation – then enjoy!

Glass bottles are the preferred method for storing kombucha tea as these won’t leach toxins into it like plastic, ceramic, and metal containers will.

When adding fresh feed solution, be careful to stir very gently so as to not disturb the SCOBY and release its acidic liquid into your tea, which would ultimately ruin its taste. Overstimulation may cause it to disassemble and release too much acidic juice that will spoil its taste and ruin its flavour profile.

Note that it is essential to remember that the SCOBY is not actually a mushroom; rather it is composed of bacteria producing cellulose-producing colonies that secrete an acid called acetic acid which produces healthy kombucha tea.

These bacteria belong to the Acetobacteraceae family of bacteria and produce cellulose by way of Acetobacter genus, with some species producing acetic acid which contributes to kombucha’s unique flavor.

Mushrooms belong to the kingdom Fungus and share many characteristics with it; although closely related, mushrooms and fungus are distantly related; not brothers!

Food grade ingredients and clean glass containers should be used during all steps in creating kombucha. A stainless steel or glass lid would be better as plastic or enamel lids may leak or crack during fermentation, and thermometers must be precise in order for fermentation to occur properly.