How to Make Green Tea Kombucha at Home
Learn how to make fizzy, tangy, and refreshing kombucha using loose organic green tea, golden cane sugar, and a healthy SCOBY. This 7-10 day ferment is easy, rewarding, and naturally probiotic; tested and perfected in my kitchen!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4.5 L Water filtered or dechlorinated
- 50 g Green tea organic, loose or 10 standard green tea bags
- 360 g Golden cane sugar organic, 80 g per liter of tea
- 500 ml Kombucha starter from a previous batch, or with the ordered starter
- 1 SCOBY
- Clean breathable cloth + rubber band for covering the jar
Instructions
- Sterilize everything. Wash and rinse your Kilner jar, jug, and utensils thoroughly. Use boiling water or a mild sterilizing solution, then air-dry. Cleanliness is key to preventing contamination.
- Prepare the sweet tea. In your jug, pour 1–2 liters of boiling water over the loose green tea. Let it steep for 5–10 minutes, depending on desired strength, then strain.
- Dissolve the sugar. While the tea is still warm, stir in the sugar until fully dissolved.
- Top up and cool. Add the remaining water (room temperature) to reach 4.5 L total. Let the mixture cool completely before adding the SCOBY. Keep in mind that hot tea can harm it.
- Combine and start fermenting. Pour the cooled sweet tea into the jar. Add the starter kombucha and gently place the SCOBY on top. Cover with a clean breathable cloth secured by a rubber band.
- Ferment for 7–10 days. Place the jar in a warm (20–25 °C), shaded spot. Avoid direct sunlight or cold drafts. Taste from day 7 onward; stop when it reaches your ideal balance of sweetness and tanginess.
- Check and bottle. When the flavor is right, remove the SCOBY and about 500 ml of kombucha for your next batch. Pour the rest into bottles. You can flavor it with fruits, herbs, or ginger, then seal it for a few more days second fermentation.
- Refrigerate and enjoy. After secondary fermentation, refrigerate to slow further activity.
- Serve chilled in glasses and enjoy your sparkling drink!
Notes
- Your SCOBY can be reused indefinitely if kept healthy.
- A pH below 4.5 after adding the starter ensures safe fermentation.
- Taste daily after day 7; the longer it ferments, the less sweet and more acidic it becomes.
- If you spot mould (fuzzy, colored patches), discard the batch and sterilize your equipment.
- Kombucha contains trace alcohol (usually < 1 %), so keep bottles refrigerated after fermenting.
- Use only plain teas (green, black, oolong). Do not use flavored or oily blends, as they can harm the culture.
YourDani x x
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