Kombucha has become an increasingly popular beverage over the past few years – originating in China before spreading across Europe, the fermented tea is now enjoyed globally. Whether consumed raw or further carbonated and fermented with fruit, kombucha is a great way to boost your gut bacteria, a great alternative to soda, and offers endlessly exciting flavours. Here’s a guide to making the best kombucha flavours to share with your friends!

Brew-It-Yourself

Whether you’re batch-brewing or brewing continuously, kombucha is super easy to make at home – all you need is:

• A SCOBY, otherwise known as a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast;
• Some starter tea;
• The sweet tea of your choice – 1 cup of sugar for every litre of tea.

The starter tea is essentially raw kombucha, which keeps your SCOBY acidic and prevents bad bacteria from going into your brew, while the sweet tea offers new sugars for your culture to consume. Leave it in a glass jar with a breathable cover in your kitchen for 5-14 days, and you’ll quickly see a baby SCOBY growing on top.

Keep It Consistent

The best way to get used to the rhythm of brewing kombucha is to brew it regularly, which won’t be too hard once you get your baby going. Start small, with a liter or two of kombucha, and gradually grow how much you make at once. It’s really just that easy!

Flavour Your Booch

Once your first batch is done and fermented to your tastes, you can choose to drink it raw, or bottle it for greater bursts of flavour and carbonation. This second fermentation is the kind of kombucha most commonly found in grocery stores, as it is tasty and adds variety to your brew. Here are some important tips:

Use Round And Pressure-Friendly Bottles

Did you know that commercial kombucha has a PSI of 15-30 at 2C? That’s higher than beer! Round glass bottles of appropriate thickness will help to evenly distribute the pressure of your brew, ensuring that it doesn’t explode or cause a kombucha volcano.

Fresh is Best

You can flavour your brew with any kind of fruits or herbs, or even pair them together! For the best flavours, use fruit that is fresh and seasonal. Maybe the best strawberries from spring can make a strawberry and mint kombucha? What about a pumpkin spice kombucha for the fall? Using seasonal produce gives you the ripest and most sustainable products available.

Fridge It Until It’s Ready

The second fermentation of kombucha should be done at room temperature (around 30C), for 24-72 hours, and then placed in the refrigerator. The lower temperature of the fridge increases the absorption of carbon dioxide in your tea, resulting in a lessened chance of exploding bottles.

Fun and Funky Flavours

Here are some flavours you can consider trying in your kombucha! You can use juice or fresh fruit. 

• Strawberry mint
• Pumpkin spice (pumpkin juice, cinnamon, allspice)
• Lemon blueberry
• Apple ginger
• Pear basil

These are some top tips for making kombucha by yourself at home.