How to make Kombucha Tea - First Fermentation
 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 x SCOBY & Starter Tea
  • ¼ cup organic sugar (buy on iherb or amazon - alternatives or substitutes are not recommended)
  • 2 x organic green/black tea bags or 2 tsp loose leaf tea (avoid any tea's with oils such as earl grey and non caffeinated teas. I use Numi Organic Gun Powder Green Tea)
  • 1 litre of filtered non chlorinated water
  • 1 x 1.5litre capacity wide mouth glass jar (or larger)
  • 1 x muslin square to cover the glass jar
  • 1 x rubber band large enough to go around the glass jar
Instructions
  1. Clean all equipment with distilled vinegar and rinse very well (it is best not to use soap as any residue is harmful to your SCOBY)
  2. Ensure your hands are clean and free from soap residue
  3. Do not use any metal utensils or containers as this can harm your SCOBY, stainless steel is ok
  4. Boil the water and pour in the glass jar (or if you have access to filtered water, you can save time by boiling approximately ⅓ of the filtered water and adding the rest of the water later to cool the tea quicker)
  5. Stir in ¼ cup organic raw sugar until dissolved and add the 2 organic tea bags or 4 tsp of loose leaf tea
  6. Steep for 10-15 minutes
  7. Remove the tea bags (if using loose leaf tea, ensure all leaves are strained out. If you only boiled ⅓ of the water, pour in the remaining water)
  8. The tea should be room temperature, if it is still warm, leave it for some time or stick it in the fridge with a timer set and return to check the temperature.
  9. If unsure whether it is cool enough or the jar still feels warm, leave it for 10-20mins to be safe. be patient with the cooling, it will be worth it!
  10. Once the jar and tea is cooled to room temperature, add the SCOBY & starter tea
  11. Cover with the muslin cloth and secure with the Elastic band to ensure bugs do not get in
  12. Keep the jar preferably somewhere in the cupboard away from light, other ferments and strong smells.
  13. Keep the cupboard door ajar at night to allow the SCOBY fresh air.
  14. Ideally the temperature should be around 26ºC (78ºF) for best results
  15. Allow to ferment for at least 7 days. You can leave it up to 14 days for a moderate taste, the longer you leave it the stronger the vinegar taste. For the first 2-3 batches I recommend leaving it for at least 10 days, check the PH levels if you are unsure, it should read 2.5 -3.0
  16. The longer you leave it the more beneficial bacteria there is, but remember it needs to be palatable and enjoyable
  17. Remember to keep about ½ cup of fermented tea for your next batch for EACH mother & baby SCOBY, don't drink it all :)
Recipe by Intuitive Food Design at https://intuitivefooddesign.com/food_recipe/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-first-fermentation/