TEA
-What kind of tea should I use for my kombucha?
I have found that black tea is the best! You can use any of the “true teas” that are from the camellia sinensis plant: black tea, green tea, oolong, white tea, etc. The tea provides the micronutrients of tannins and caffeine for your SCOBY. Save the flavors for your secondary fermentation. Flavored tea like “peach black tea” can mess with the health of your SCOBY. Any herbal teas like chamomile, lavender and rose, I also save for my secondary fermentation.
SUGAR
-How much sugar should I use?
Lila’s golden ratio is 1 cup of sugar per one gallon of kombucha. You can adjust it depending how much kombucha you are brewing.
-What kind of sugar should I use for brewing kombucha?
Organic cane sugar! It is tempting to want to use brown sugar, turbinado or coconut sugar for a “healthier brew,” but these sugars are too challenging for the SCOBY to break down. I have also found that the super mineral rich sugars (like coconut sugar) make my batches too yeasty and have an off flavor.
-Do I have to use sugar to feed my SCOBY?
Yes! Don't worry, all that sugar isn't for you, it's food for your SCOBY. Sugar is a vital part of the fermentation picture. The yeast in the kombucha eat the sugar for energy and in turn create CO2 (carbonation!) and alcohol. If you reduce the amount of sugar in your brew, you will only hinder the fermentation process. Keep in mind that by the time your kombucha is finished fermenting and is ready to drink, much of the sugar will have been processed out.
-What if I don’t want my kombucha to be too sweet?
A longer brewing time will produce less sugar in the final product. A 14-day brew will yield approx. 3 to 6 grams of sugar per 8 oz of plain kombucha. I also recommend using herbal flavorings that don’t add any extra sugar in your secondary fermentation.
If you add fruit juice or fruit during the second fermentation, the yeasts will transform a lot of that sugar into carbonation. A small amount of natural sugars from the fruit may remain. Some of my favorite flavorings that have natural yeast to boost carbonation are ginger and elderflower.STARTER LIQUID
-What is starter liquid/tea and how much should I use?
Starter liquid/tea is already brewed kombucha. You should always save 1 cup per gallon of starter liquid for your next brew to immediately lower the pH of your kombucha and kick start the next batch. I recommend using the top liquid from your previous batch as your starter liquid because the bottom of the batch can often be much more populated with yeast. Another option is to stir up your brew with a clean utensil before bottling to disperse the yeast particles throughout the brew.
FAQs
The sweet tea to kombucha starter tea ratio is 9:1 or 90% sweet tea to 10% kombucha starter tea.
What happens if you don't have enough starter tea for kombucha? ›
By adding that starter tea to your sweet tea, you inoculate it with good bacteria and yeast. But if you don't add enough, it may take too long to acidify your brew. If your brew doesn't acidify fast enough, that's a cue for mold to come into the picture.
How many times can I use a SCOBY? ›
Once you have a healthy SCOBY, you can use it to start multiple batches of kombucha by transferring some of it along with some starter tea to each new batch. So, you typically only need one SCOBY for multiple batches.
How long can SCOBY live without sugar? ›
A SCOBY that has not been fed for a while will use up all available sugar over about eight weeks and then go dormant for a while. Eventually though, the bacteria and yeast will need to eat so the culture will begin to die off and eventually the SCOBY will turn black and rot.
How much starter tea per gallon? ›
Batch Size: To increase or decrease the amount of kombucha you make, maintain the basic ratio of 1 cup of sugar, 8 bags of tea, and 2 cups starter tea per gallon batch.
What should be the ratio of sugar to tea? ›
The ratio between the amount of water and sugar for tea and coffee is as given: Tea⟹Water:Sugar=25:1. Coffee⟹Water:Sugar=100:3.
How cool should tea be before adding SCOBY? ›
Follow this tip: For the best results, be sure to give the tea sufficient time to cool to room temperature (68°F to 85°F) before adding the scoby.
What temperature kills SCOBY? ›
You don't really have to worry about killing your SCOBY unless the liquid reaches above 100 degrees F. If this happens, you could: Move your vessel to the coolest, darkest spot in your home. It's OK to keep it in a closet and just take it out at night when it's less hot.
Is it okay to cut a SCOBY in half? ›
This is fine if they're getting too large or if you'd like to split them up to move some to a SCOBY hotel/share with a friend. You can't hurt your SCOBY by ripping it or cutting it. Its shape doesn't matter since new ones will always take the shape of the surface of whatever container you place it in.
How do I know if I killed my SCOBY? ›
The only way to know if your kombucha scoby is dead is to test it in a new kombucha batch and wait a few weeks. If your sweet tea has not become acidic after 15 days, then you can definitely conclude that your kombucha scoby has died.
You will only need to replace your SCOBY if it has developed mold or if it is continuously struggling to ferment. Often with struggling SCOBYs, things can be done to help bring balance to your culture depending on the situation, and you won't need to start over completely.
What does an unhealthy SCOBY look like? ›
You can tell if a SCOBY is moldy by the presence of mold. And mold does NOT look like leftover tea bits. A moldy SCOBY has white or gray fuzzy growths on it.
Can I add sugar to my SCOBY? ›
In general, if you're just starting out, I do not advise using anything other than plain white cane sugar. Your SCOBY feeds on this and needs it to do its job. So if you give it a sugar substitute or something different than its food source, you may end up starving it, harming it or weakening it over time.
Can I put two SCOBYs in my kombucha? ›
This is the simplest option – you can brew a normal batch of kombucha with multiple SCOBYs in the one jar. Normally they will fuse together into a mega SCOBY over time. Depending on what sort of jar you are using, this can make them difficult to get in and out when harvesting your fresh kombucha brew.
Is my SCOBY dead if it doesn t float? ›
In time, a new SCOBY will start slowly forming on the surface and thicken over time. So rest assured, a sinking SCOBY is nothing to worry about! Now that we've debunked the SCOBY position myth, you can celebrate knowing your batch is healthy!
What is the ideal ratio for tea? ›
The right tea to water ratio
In general, a good rule of thumb is to use one teaspoon of tea leaves for every six ounces of water. One cup of water is eight ounces, so you should use slightly more than one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup. However, that's not a hard and fast rule.
What is the ratio of tea bags to water for iced tea? ›
Cold-Brewed: Combine 8 cups cold water and 6 tablespoons loose tea or 10 tea bags in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 36 hours, until it's the strength you like.
How many tea bags do you use for a gallon of sweet tea? ›
For 1 gallon, boil 1 quart water (32 ounces or 4 cups). Remove from heat and pour over 1 Luzianne Gallon Size Iced Tea bag (or 4 Family Size or 16 Individual Cup Iced Tea bags). Brew 3-5 minutes and sweeten to taste. Add 3 quarts cold water, stir and chill.
What is the ratio of tea mix? ›
What is the amount of tea, milk and sugar required to make a perfect tea? For making one cup of tea, u need half cup of water, half cup of milk, one spoon of tea and one - and a half spoon of sugar.
