Homemade kombucha

Make your own kombucha: the special refreshment from your own kitchen

Do you like drinking kombucha and would like to make the tea speciality from Japan yourself? In that case, you've come to the right place. Because with the right kombucha kit from our shop, you will be able to prepare it without any problems in the future.

Make your own kombucha - the most important facts at a glance

• Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea and sugar with the help of yeast and bacteria.
• The alcohol content of kombucha is between 0.5 and 2 percent.
• Hygiene and care are crucial when preparing kombucha.
• With the right ingredients and tools, you can make kombucha yourself at home.
• It is best to order your kombucha kit conveniently from our shop.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented drink originally from Japan. Kombucha is made from sweetened tea. The so-called kombucha culture is responsible for the fermentation. This converts the sugar contained in the tea into alcohol and carbonic acid. As a result, the finished drink has an alcohol content of 0.5 to 2 percent.

The Kombucha culture is often also called tea fungus or kombucha mushroom. Strictly speaking, however, this is wrong. It is not a fungus, but a mixture of yeast and bacteria. In English, the kombucha culture is called SCOBY.

Make kombucha yourself: What ingredients are needed?

Traditionally, either green or black tea is used to make kombucha. To enable fermentation, it is also essential to add a sufficient amount of sugar to the tea. This is because the sugar serves as a breeding ground for the kombucha culture.

Preparing kombucha

To prepare your kombucha, you first need to bring water to the boil. Add the tea directly to the boiling water and let it steep for about 15 minutes. This may seem like a long time. However, it is crucial for the ingredients to dissolve from the tea.

In principle, you can also use tea in tea bags to make kombucha. However, since loose tea is usually of a much better quality, we advise you not to use tea in tea bags if you want to make kombucha yourself.

Once the tea is ready, it is time to add sugar to the drink. Use about 100 grams of cane sugar for one litre of tea. You don't have to be afraid that your kombucha will be too sweet. This is because most of the sugar is broken down during fermentation.

Now let the mixture cool down before you process it further. The temperature should be around 25° C when transferring the sweetened tea into the fermentation vessel.

Now add about 100 millilitres of brewing liquid to your tea. The preparation liquid, which is already finished Kombucha, is necessary for the growth of the Kombucha culture. Then add the Kombucha culture (SCOBY) to the fermentation vessel.

How long does the fermentation of the kombucha take?

The fermentation vessel is covered with an air-permeable cloth, which is fixed with a rubber band. This ensures that your kombucha is protected from contamination and insects such as fruit flies.

All you need now is patience. Depending on the ambient temperature, the fermentation takes different lengths of time. Therefore, calculate with about seven days to two weeks. If in doubt, a small taste test will help you to decide whether your kombucha has reached the desired degree of fermentation.

The finished drink should have a sweet and sour taste. If you prefer it a little more sour, simply let your kombucha ferment a little longer.

How long does homemade kombucha keep?

Bottled kombucha will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. As the fermentation of the drink continues, it is important that you do not close the bottles tightly to ensure that the excess carbon dioxide escapes.

Does the kombucha need to be filtered before bottling?

If you want to remove suspended matter from your kombucha before bottling, you can filter the drink with a piece of kitchen roll or a fine sieve. However, this is usually not absolutely necessary. You can therefore usually simply dispense with this step if you make kombucha yourself.

Mixing liquid for your next kombucha

With some of your homemade kombucha and the rinsed SCOBY, you can directly prepare the preparation liquid for the next time.

Hygiene in the production of kombucha

As with all food, hygiene is of course crucial if you want to make kombucha yourself. Otherwise, there is a risk that harmful microorganisms can form in the drink. These not only affect the taste of the kombucha. They can also pose a risk to your health.

Carefully clean all utensils that come into contact with the preparation or the kombucha culture. Also make sure that your hands are clean and free of soap residues.

If, despite all the hygiene measures, you notice the formation of mould on your kombucha or if the smell or colour of the drink show any abnormalities, you should therefore dispose of everything to be on the safe side and, despite the extra work involved, prefer to start the preparation all over again.

Does kombucha really promote health?

Kombucha is said to have various positive effects on health. Accordingly, the drink is very popular in alternative medicine. Among other things, it is said to strengthen the immune system and help purify the body.

However, many of the supposed health effects have not yet been proven. Scientific evidence is currently only available for the mild antibacterial and weak laxative effect of kombucha. The lactic and acetic acids contained in the drink are responsible for both.

Regardless of this, however, kombucha is without a doubt a great refreshing drink, the taste of which is also delighting more and more people here in Germany.

Buy kombucha starter kit online

If you want to make kombucha yourself, it's no big problem with the right utensils. It is best to order your kombucha kit directly from our shop. We will deliver your purchase quickly and reliably to your home. So you can soon start making kombucha.

Try it out. We are sure that you will have a lot of fun with it and, with the appropriate care, you will be able to enjoy an all-round convincing drinking pleasure.