Homemade Kombucha

Ingredients

• 3 quarts (12 cups) filtered water, divided
• 6 black tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups strong starter liquid (AKA plain kombucha)
• 1 healthy SCOBY (from a friend or reputable online source)

• glass gallon jar
• thermometer, optional
• paper towel OR tightly woven cloth square
• rubber band

Directions

1. Bring 1 quart (4 cups) filtered water to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat then add tea bags and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.
2. Let steep 10-15 minutes then remove tea bags. Let tea cool to room temperature (or as long as you can bear to wait).
3. Pour remaining 2 quarts (8 cups) filtered water into gallon brewing vessel. Add cooled sweet tea.
4. Use a thermometer (or a scrupulously clean hand) to check the temperature of the liquid, it should feel cool and be less than 85℉.
5. Once the tea has dropped below 85℉, stir in starter liquid.
6. With clean hands, add SCOBY to gallon jar. Cover with a paper towel or tightly woven cloth and place in a warm spot out of direct sunlight.
7. Now the hardest part: LEAVE IT ALONE FOR 7 DAYS.
8. After 7 days, use a clean straw to sample your kombucha; it should be just barely sweet and pleasantly tart. If it's still very sweet, re-cover and let ferment a few more days, tasting daily until you like it (up to 14 days more). If it's too sour, try fermenting a day or two less next time (you can still save this batch by adding extra sugar or honey when bottling or flavoring with a "sweeter" fruit like pineapple).
9. Once you're happy with the flavor of your kombucha remove the SCOBY to a clean plate and cover. Measure out 2 cups kombucha for your next batch and set aside.

10. Stir remaining 12 cups kombucha with a clean wooden spoon so lingering yeast is evenly distributed.
11. FLAVORING WITH ARTISAN & COMPOUND Add 1-2 tbsp desired Artisan or Compound to a 1 cup liquid measuring cup. Pour in 1 cup unflavored kombucha and stir to dissolve. Add to labeled swing-top bottle and fill with 3 cups plain kombucha.
12. FLAVORING WITH CRAFT PUREE & PREMIUM SYRUP Pump desired flavor(s) of Craft Puree or Premium Syrup into labeled swing-top bottle and fill with 4 cups plain kombucha.
13. Seal bottles and let ferment at room temperature for about 3-5 days before refrigerating for longer storage.
14. Drink chilled.

• PEACH 2 tbsp Peach Artisan
• BLUEBERRY 2 tbsp Blueberry Artisan
• WILD STRAWBERRY RHUBARB 1 tbsp Wild Strawberry Rhubarb Artisan
• WATERMELON 2 tbsp Watermelon Artisan
• PEAR 4 pumps Pear Craft Puree
• LAVENDER LEMON 4 pumps Lemon Craft Puree + 4 pumps Violet Lavender Syrup
• POG (PINEAPPLE ORANGE GUAVA) 2 pumps Pineapple Craft Puree + 2 pumps Orange Craft Puree + 2 pumps Guava Craft Puree
• PEACH BELLINI 4 pumps Peach Craft Puree + 2 tsp Champagne Compound
• BLUE HAWAIIAN 4 pumps Blue Curacao Syrup + 2 pumps Pineapple Craft Puree + 2 pumps Coconut Craft Puree
• PINA COLADA 3 pumps Coconut Craft Puree + 2 tbsp Pineapple Artisan
• TANGERINE MIMOSA KOM'BREW'CHA 1 tbsp Champagne Compound + 1 tbsp Tangerine Artisan
• KEY LIME PIE 4 pumps Key Lime Craft Puree + 2 pumps Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
• WHITE PEACH HABANERO 4 pumps White Peach Craft Puree + ¼-½ pump Habanero Craft Puree
• But really, we've liked every flavor we've tried! Cotton Candy, Pomegranate, Watermelon, Pear, Honeydew Melon, you can't go wrong!

• Labeling your kombucha is key! As much as we like guessing games, we don't like surprising guests with White Peach Habanero when they're expecting Pineapple Orange Guava!
• Major thanks to Mr. Graham for our very first SCOBY, and The Big Book of Kombucha & Hannah over at Kombucha Kamp for the hand-holding and answers to all our fermentation questions.