How to Make a Starter SCOBY for Kombucha
Kombucha is a delicious and healthy beverage that is easy to make at home, and it all starts with a starter SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Making your own SCOBY is simple with this recipe that uses black tea and sugar to create the perfect environment for the bacteria and yeast to thrive. To start, brew a strong batch of black tea and add sugar to feed the bacteria and yeast. Once cooled, pour the tea into a sterilized jar and add a store-bought bottle of unflavored kombucha to kick-start the fermentation process. Cover the jar with a cheesecloth and let it sit in a warm, dark place for a few weeks until a new SCOBY has formed on top. Once your SCOBY is mature, you can use it to brew your own delicious and healthy kombucha at home. This recipe is a great way to start your own kombucha brewing journey and experiment with different flavors and ingredients. Enjoy the benefits of homemade kombucha and the satisfaction of creating your own SCOBY with this easy and delicious recipe.
What is a SCOBY Made From?
SCOBY stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’ and it’s a biofilm of living bacteria that is the very essence of the goodness that is kombucha. The live cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Gluconacetobacter xylinus feed off the sugary tea and create the fermented kombucha.
How do you Make a Starter Tea for Kombucha?
Only use black tea to make a starter SCOBY. After the SCOBY has become established, you can start to experiment with adding a combination of black/oolong/green and white tea. Keeping in mind that the SCOBY prefers the purines in black tea and therefore black tea should make up a minimum of 40% of the total of the tea added. Also, keep in mind that herbal teas and flavourings should be avoided at this kombucha making stage.
Depending on the room temperature, it will take around 4-6 weeks for the SCOBY to form and become 1/4-1/2 inch in thickness. Once it has reached this size, you are ready to move on and start brewing and bottling up your first batch of kombucha yeah!
How to Make a Starter SCOBY
INGREDIENTS
4 Heaped Teaspoons of Black Tea - I like Strong English Breakfast Tea
1 Cup (8fl oz) of Shop Bought Plain Unflavoured Kombucha
1/2 Cup (100g) of White Cane Sugar
7 Cups (56fl oz) of Water
METHOD
Firstly sterilise all of your equipment so that everything is squeaky clean.
Pour the 7 cups of water into your large saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to heat on a rolling boil for a few minutes.
Next, add the sugar and keep stirring until it has fully dissolved.
Remove from the heat and add the black tea.
Allow the water to cool to room temperature. This will take around 6 hours or if you are pushed for time, create an ice bath for your saucepan and allow to cool for just a few minutes to room temperature.
Once cooled to room temperature, remove the steeped tea and add the shop bought kombucha. Pour your tea into your large glass storage jar, cover with a tea towel and secure with elastic bands.
Store in a cupboard away from direct sunlight and check on your SCOBY each day until it reaches 1/4-1/2 inch in thickness (4-6 weeks).
