How to Make Kombucha at Home (Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide)

Let’s be honest — store-bought kombucha is expensive. A single bottle can cost ₹150 to ₹200 or more. And if you’re drinking it regularly for the health benefits? That adds up fast.

But here’s the secret most kombucha lovers eventually learn:
👉 Once you have a SCOBY, you can brew kombucha at home for a fraction of the price.

All you need is tea, sugar, water, and a bit of time. In return, you’ll get litres of fresh, fizzy, gut-loving kombucha, flavoured exactly how you like it, with far more control over sugar and strength than anything you can buy off the shelf.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything:
✔️ What kombucha is
✔️ What you’ll need
✔️ How to brew, bottle, flavour and store it safely
✔️ How to save money while doing it

By the end, you’ll know how to make kombucha at home with so much confidence that you will never look at those ₹200 store bottles the same way again.

☕ What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea made by combining sweetened tea with something called a SCOBY — short for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. Don’t worry, it sounds more intimidating than it is.

Think of kombucha like this:

• You brew tea and add sugar.

• The SCOBY eats the sugar.

• In the process, it produces beneficial acids, a little fizz, and gut-friendly probiotics.

• The result? A refreshing, slightly tangy, lightly sparkling drink.

It’s been made for centuries — from ancient China to Eastern Europe — and was often called “tea of immortality” or “elixir of life.” Today, it’s celebrated for supporting digestion, improving gut health, and helping people reduce their intake of sugary sodas.

🧬 What Does a SCOBY Do?

Your SCOBY is the engine behind the magic. It's a thick, jelly-like disc that floats on your tea and transforms it through fermentation. It may look strange, but it’s harmless, reusable, and personally kind of fun to care for.

📌 Fun fact: SCOBYs reproduce with each batch, so you can share them or store extras in a “SCOBY hotel” (more on that later).

Why Make Kombucha at Home?

Let’s break it down:

• Store-bought kombucha: ₹150–₹250 per bottle

• Homemade kombucha: As low as ₹10–₹15 per 250ml

• Control: Adjust the tanginess, fizz, and sugar

• Flavours: Mix and match as creatively as you want

• Satisfaction: You literally get to grow your own brew!

Whether you’re in it for gut health or just curious to try a new DIY, kombucha is the kind of project that rewards patience with something delicious — and good for you.

🛒 Ingredients & Equipment

Ingredients (for 1-litre batch):

·         8 g of black or green tea or a mixture (we recommend black for your first brew)

·        50-60 g sulphurless white sugar/cane sugar (don’t worry — this is alreeady on the lower side and besides most of this gets eaten by the SCOBY)

·         1 litre filtered or boiled-and-cooled water

·         1 SCOBY + starter tea (from a previous batch or raw unflavoured kombucha)

Tools:

·         Wide mouth glass jar (3-5 Litres — Bigger SCOBY surface area, shorter the fermentation time)

·         Cotton cloth or muslin + rubber band

·         Clean funnel

·         Bottles with airtight caps (glass swing tops)

📝 Optional but useful: pH test strips, plastic/wooden spoon, label for dating.

🔄 Step-by-Step: How to Make Kombucha at Home

 

✅ Step 1: Brew the Sweet Tea

• Boil about one litre of water.

• Add your tea bags or loose tea and sugar.

• Stir well and let it steep for 10–15 minutes.

• Strain out the leaves (or remove the tea bags) and let the tea cool completely.

☕ Hot tea + SCOBY = bad news. Always cool to room temperature first.

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✅ Step 2: Combine with Water, SCOBY, and Starter Tea

• In your clean glass jar, add the cooled sweet tea.

• Gently slide in your SCOBY using clean hands or plastic tongs.

• Pour in all of the accompanying starter tea ( approx. 400 ml)

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✅ Step 3: Cover and Ferment

• Cover the jar with your clean cloth or muslin and secure it with a rubber band.

• Place the jar in a warm, dark spot — like the top of a shelf, pantry, or cupboard.

• Too cold = slow fermentation. Too hot = risk of spoilage.

• Leave it undisturbed for 7–10 days.

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✅ Step 4: Taste Test from Day 7

• Starting on Day 7, use a straw to gently taste your brew.

• Want it sweeter? Stop soon.

• Like it more tangy and vinegary? Let it ferment longer — up to 14 days max.

🧠 Every SCOBY works slightly differently. Keep notes on flavour, temperature, and time — your future batches will thank you.

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✅ Step 5: Remove the SCOBY and Set Aside

Once it tastes just right:

• Wash your hands thoroughly.

• Remove the SCOBY and place it in a clean container with 100ml of the finished kombucha — this becomes your starter tea for the next batch.

• You can store your SCOBY in this mix at room temperature for up to 2–3 weeks between brews.

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✅ Step 6: Bottle Your Kombucha

• Pour your kombucha into clean, sealable bottles.

• Leave about 2cm of space at the top.

• Optional: This is where you can flavour it — add fruit, juice, herbs, or spices. (More on that in the next section.)

• Seal the bottles tightly and move to the second fermentation stage if desired.

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🎉 That’s it — you’ve brewed your first batch!

Now let’s talk about how to get that fizz and flavour everyone loves in kombucha...

🍓 Second Fermentation & Flavouring

How to Add Fizz and Fun to Your Brew?

If your first ferment was the science part, this is the fun part.

The second fermentation is where you take your kombucha from “homemade health drink” to “seriously delicious, fizzy, flavoured masterpiece.” It’s optional — but if you love a little sparkle or want to play with flavours like hibiscus, ginger, or berries, you’ll want to try it.

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🧴 What Is Second Fermentation?

Second fermentation happens after you remove the SCOBY and bottle your kombucha. It’s a sealed process that traps natural carbonation and allows your added ingredients (fruit, juice, spices) to infuse the drink with flavour.

In short:
➡️ First fermentation = turn tea into kombucha
➡️ Second fermentation = turn kombucha into soda-like fizz with flavour

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🛠️ How to Do It (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Pour the brewed kombucha into airtight glass bottles (leave 2–3cm of headspace).
Step 2: Add your flavouring ingredients (fruits, juices, herbs)
Step 3: Seal the bottles tightly.
Step 4: Leave at room temperature for 2–4 days.
Step 5: “Burp” the bottles once daily to release excess pressure.
Step 6: Once fizzy, transfer to the fridge. Serve chilled.

⚠️ Don’t skip the burping! Bottles can explode if gas builds up too much — especially in warm weather.

💡 Tips for Better Second Fermentation

• Strain before serving if you don’t want floating fruit bits.

• Use food grade swing-top bottles.

• The sugar in your fruit or juice fuels fizz, but don’t go overboard.