Step by step

Ok, I'm a fairly experienced home brewer of beer. I've tried kombucha from the store and love it, so naturally I'd like to try brewing it myself. Any experienced "boochers" out there care to write a step by step? I found a web site that sells scoby's and tea, but their how to info was lacking. I get the basic concept, but really would like a full, step by step description of a basic recipe start to finish.
Thanks!

Anyone??


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I second that: If anyone is willing to take on the task of writing this up, rest assured it will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave

Here is a step by step I got at a class I took from a local kombucha pub here in Portland, Oregon. Yeah I know, Portlandia. Hope this helps.

Also here is a link to a post of an indoor incubator I built: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f167/growing-scoby-new-gts-304592/index2.html#post5892389

Made a new outdoor kombucha incubator to grow my own SCOBYs from store bought GT kombucha. Flavored SCOBYs! I used a 30 gallon plastic tote from Lowes (ignore the bad reviews, this tote is amazing), 39 gallon black trash bags from the Dollar Tree and plastic tape from the Dollar Tree.




The SCOBYs show were grown on the counter during 80+ degree weather for exactly 14 days. All you need is a warm and dark environment (74-89 degrees), sterilized quart sized mason jars, rubber bands, some kind of cloth to cover the jars and secured with said rubber bands and finally a bottle of raw kombucha with some SCOBY remnants. Pour the kombucha in the jar, secure cover and wait for it to grow while it is in a warm and dark place.

Hello!

So I was worried about getting a SCOBY here in Portland. I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of different GT's, a some Kombucha Wonder Drink India and an unknown one that is called Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver.

In order of effectiveness:

If I get going with some more, does anyone want some?

Flavors are:
GTs Classic Kombucha's Cosmic Cranberry -> 21+
GTs Classic Kombucha's Gingerberry -> 21+
GTs Enlightened Kombucha™ Original (any age-> typically grocery store available)
Kombucha Wonder Drink India

Worst that didn't even grow:
Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver 21+

To grow mine I did the following: I didn't use extra tea or any additives. Just the kombucha as is.

Pour each into a widemouth mason jar as is and cover with unbleached muslin.
Place a space heater and maintained temp at 80F
Took about 1 week to grow a 1/2" scoby on all of them (except Invisible Alchemy Kombucha Zinziver 21+)


I then put each into 1/2 gallon mason jars with tea filled to top and 1/2 cup white sugar and built a quick incubator that was super easy with plywood and clip on halogen lamp-> 43 watts did amazing and effective even heat with less electric consumption.


I wish I had taken before and after photos for the growing SCOBYs but didn't (sorry).
Here is a pic of the incubator. Very makeshift but works great! Took 3 days to finish the Kombi. Kept the box at 86F.
Today bottled in 12oz beer bottles carbonating with 1/2 tsp each and then did a side by side test to ensure safe carbonation with a 12oz Ocean Spray Cranberry bottle (plastic) to see when it gets hard so I can chill to stop carbonation. Still researching that part.



I've since painted the entire box black (inside and out). It worked better for heat maintenance.

Great info guys, thanks. So warm and dark is key here. My plan is to keg it like I keg my home brewed beer, so it will be in a stainless steel corny keg. How do you know when fermentation is complete? Are there visible signs when it is taking place?


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You won't know. You have to taste it as you go. It turns sour very quickly (some like it vinegary - me not so much). This week I had two batches going. 1 black tea and one white. The black is still soft and mild with a hint of vinegar. The white however is very tangy. Same day and conditions with totally different fermentation speeds.

Oh and whatever you use needs to be pickling safe and cannot be corroded. My stainless steel has been corroded. Don't use your keg. It will eat through the metal and taint the batch plus kill the SCOBY. Glass is best. No metal should come into contact with the tea. Only when boiling the water and sugar may you let metal come into contact with your kombucha ingredients ---- NEVER SCOBY! I'm getting a sun tea jar so it's a continuous brewer. Just add more tea and drink to the sun tea vs having to rack everything.

Oh and based on your tea you use or the sugar content, some SCOBYs will float and some will sink. It has to do with their chemistry makeup. You'll notice the black tea floats and the white tea sank. Totally normal.

I'm growing another batch of mothers today from some varying types of store bought. I'll post later with before and after and then again every 2 days till they are grown. I'll list the temp, highs and lows, and the local reported humidity.

I don't plan to ferment in stainless, just as a serving vessel. Bad idea? Why?


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The ph of kombucha is very corrosive to steel and aluminum. Not sure exactly the chemistry but there it is. The recommended is glass, avoid plastic if possible. To note, your batches even after "completed for drinking" will grow SCOBYs. I had the idea to use a glass carboy to drink from and use a lil pump to dispense it. My carboy was clogged with a cork of SCOBY. I wasn't able to reuse the carboy effectively for brewing of any kind afterwards. I now use it as a rain water jug.

Have you seen this first hand or you heard it? Kinda hard to believe something highly corrosive would be good for you....


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It's kinds like how when you prep the brine for pickling it reacts with the stainless steel pot and strips the top level. It's similar acidity, not dangerous but close to vinegar than anything else. I have seen this first hand. It was totally safe to drink if I didn't use steel. It is like how certain plastics work with storing gas and some down or like how you aren't supposed to store oxy clean for long in a plastic spray bottle because it reacts with the plastic and expands. Just think of vinegar and baking soda, totally safe on their own but when hey come together it's not good to drink or breathe.

Make sense? If you need some advice on the details I'd contact lion heart kombucha themselves, look on their website. They are great. Took a class there to get started, totally worth it. I'd look for somewhere near you that gives classes. Some are listed on craigslist sometimes or your local community college.

jaeshoes1 said:

It's kinds like how when you prep the brine for pickling it reacts with the stainless steel pot and strips the top level. It's similar acidity, not dangerous but close to vinegar than anything else. I have seen this first hand. It was totally safe to drink if I didn't use steel. It is like how certain plastics work with storing gas and some down or like how you aren't supposed to store oxy clean for long in a plastic spray bottle because it reacts with the plastic and expands. Just think of vinegar and baking soda, totally safe on their own but when hey come together it's not good to drink or breathe.

Click to expand...

Pardon all the spelling errors, running around doing errands and want to make sure you have all the info you need. I hated waiting around for answers.

I'll post all the steps to grow one in a sec btw. I took photos of all the steps at one point. Wait a sec.

the next post will have last steps

Final steps!

Demus said:

Great info guys, thanks. So warm and dark is key here. My plan is to keg it like I keg my home brewed beer, so it will be in a stainless steel corny keg. How do you know when fermentation is complete? Are there visible signs when it is taking place?


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Click to expand...

don't use stainless steel! Some people had success using stainless steel in brewing kombucha, but most of the time, it's a fail. If you have a glass jar, better use it than stainless steel.

The best way to ferment kombucha is in a continuous system,where you only touch it to divide scoby's. I use a ceramic(tested to be lead free)base for a water carboy. They are 2.5 gal and have a plastic tap,like the sun tea container. Tilt it backwards to keep from clogging, and fill bottles from tap. Leave 1/2 gal with scoby and refill with about 1 1/2 gal of 86* tea (the scoby needs air to grow so don't fill to neck). Repeat until you get less and the tap clogs, then pour into a large bowl that has been sanitized, clean container and separate scobys put the large one back and give away the rest.
This is your MOTHER and should have nothing fermenting but tea and sugar. if you want to experiment(and why not) do it in a separate container.
I keep mine on a heat mat with controller set to 86* It finishes in 7-8 days and is very bubbly without priming.
good luck.

Great day here in Portlandia - save the heat (makes starting a scoby super easy).

4 days ago I tried growing a Scoby from a GT PassionBerry. The results are amazing. I kept the wide mouth mason jar in my outdoor incubator. Today the scoby is 1" thick and ready to vroom vroom.

Next test is creating a continuous brew using a sun tea jar. Wish me luck. I'll post pics later today and then one every 2 days or so. For this first batch I'm trying a jasmine green tea. I figure why not try the hardest before taking the easy route ---> maybe dumb maybe epic.

Hope all is well for you all. Let me know if anyone has any ideas or questions. I'm totally up for testing new theories esp since most of you are new it seems. I'm willing to be the guinea pig.