Kombucha Starter

Boil 200 ml of water and steep 2 tsp of black tea in it for about 5–10 minutes. Then remove the tea and dissolve 70 g of sugar in it. Pour the sweetened tea into your Mason jar and top it up with cold water until there is a total of 1 liter of liquid in the jar. Now let the tea cool down completely to room temperature.

Once the tea has cooled completely, add 100 ml of our kombucha starter liquid. The living bacteria and yeast cultures it contains are particularly sensitive to heat – so the mixture should never be hot. Stir everything carefully so that the starter culture is evenly distributed.

Now place the kefir lid (including cover) on your Mason jar and let the culture ferment for 7–12 days at room temperature. During fermentation, your first kombucha will develop its characteristic slightly sour note and living cultures. Store the jar in a dark place without direct sunlight.

Over time, a thin film may form on the surface – this is a SCOBY that naturally develops during fermentation. You can save this, along with some kombucha liquid, for further batches and make new kombucha again and again.

The longer your kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more intense its taste will become. As soon as it tastes pleasantly fresh and slightly sour, you can enjoy it or proceed directly with a second fermentation.