How to Make Green Tea Kombucha at Home - Tested Method and Perfect Ferment
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 litre of tea
- 500 ml Kombucha starter from previous batch, or with the ordered starter
- 1 SCOBY organic
- Clean breathable cloth + rubber band for covering the jar
Instructions
- Sterilise everything. Wash and rinse your Kilner jar, jug, and utensils thoroughly. Use boiling water or a mild sterilising solution, then air-dry. Cleanliness is key to preventing contamination.
- Prepare the sweet tea. In your borosilicate jug, pour 1–2 litres 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 organic cane 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 — hot tea can harm it.
- Combine and start fermenting. Pour the cooled sweet tea into the 5 L Kilner 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 flavour is right, remove the SCOBY and about 500 ml of kombucha for your next batch. Pour the rest into bottles. You can flavour it with fruits, herbs, or ginger and seal for a 1–3 day second fermentation if you like it fizzy.
- Refrigerate and enjoy. After secondary fermentation, refrigerate to slow further activity.
- Serve chilled in glasses and enjoy your gut-friendly 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, coloured patches), discard the batch and sterilise your equipment.
- Kombucha contains trace alcohol (usually < 1 %), so keep bottles refrigerated after fermenting.
- Use only plain teas (green, black, oolong) — do not use flavoured or oily blends, as they can harm the culture.
YourDani x x
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