Kombucha SCOBY from Store-Bought Bottle: My First Batch

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Kefir was my gateway ferment. Sourdough came soon after, and for a long time those two were the whole of my fermentation world. This year, with more garden abundance than I knew what to do with, I fell deeper into the world of fermentation — lacto-fermented pickles, salsa, pesto, green beans, green tomatoes, you name it. But the ferment I’ve fallen hardest for has been kombucha. I started my first batch nervous and a little skeptical. I’ve never loved store-bought kombucha, so I genuinely didn’t know if homemade would win me over or if I was about to spend a few weeks babysitting a jar of tea for nothing.

Growing a SCOBY from Store-Bought Kombucha

I didn’t have a SCOBY, which is critical for fermenting kombucha at home. So I went with the trick of starting a batch from a bottle of unpasteurized store-bought kombucha instead. I couldn’t find anything unflavored, so I took an unpasteurized ginger-lemon kombucha and hoped for the best. I poured the kombucha in with sweetened black tea — an Earl Grey blend with lavender and rose that I already had on hand. Then, all I could do was wait.

The First Ferment

For my first ferment, I used a gallon glass pitcher (the kind made for brewing, with a spout and a little fabric cover). I wrapped the pitcher with the in a kitchen towel to keep the temperature steady and then tucked it into a dark cabinet. Within a couple of days, a SCOBY started forming — small at first, with brown patches along the corners that had me convinced I’d already ruined it. Fortunately, it turns out that’s completely normal.

I let the kombucha ferment for about a week before tasting it. I’m a sucker for really sour ferments. At day seven, it was still more sweet tea than tang, so I let it ride longer. After about 14 days I was greeted with a perfectly tangy, slightly sweet brew. Immediately, I knew it was ready to start the second ferment.

Flavoring & Second Ferment

What I didn’t know going in was that the second ferment needs fruit — not just for flavor, but to give the yeasts something to work with so they can carbonate. I raided my fridge and garden for whatever was around: a nectarine, some fresh mint, a little rosemary. Half my bottles became nectarine-mint. The other half; nectarine-rosemary.

Results & Taste Verdict

I tried the nectarine-rosemary first, and it completely won me over. It was bright and a little herbal, with just enough carbonation to feel like something I’d actually reach for on a hot afternoon — closer to a good cold glass of lemonade than anything I’d had from a bottle at the store. Neither the rosemary nor the fruit fought with the kombucha itself; they just rounded it out. I’ve had a glass with lunch or dinner nearly every day since.

I’ve already started my second batch and it is starting its second ferment. This time, I am trying huckleberries and mint, huckleberries and basil, cherries and mint, and cherries and basil. I am really just utilizing whatever fruits and fresh herbs I have on hand, with a preference for my garden herbs and fruits first. I cannot wait to keep experimenting and finding my favorite combinations and sharing my brews with my neighbors and friends.

Kombucha

Yield: 1 Gallon

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 14 days 7 seconds

Total Time: 14 days 20 minutes 7 seconds

Learn how to make homemade kombucha with a SCOBY, sweet tea, and a little patience.

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Ingredients

• - 6 tbsp loose leaf tea OR 6 tea bags (black or green)
• - 1 cup of sugar
• - 4 cups of boiled water
• - 1 SCOBY OR 1 cup unpasteurized, unflavored kombucha
• - 4 cups filtered water (cold)

Instructions

1. Steep your tea bags in the boiling water for 15 minutes
2. Squeeze out the tea bags and discard.
3. Stir in the cup of sugar into the mix.
4. Let the sweet tea mixture cool until it has reached room temperature.
5. Mix in your unpasteurized, unflavored kombucha or place your SCOBY gently into the jar.
6. Top of with the rest of your cold water.
7. Cover the jar with a cloth and let ferment for 7-14 days. Taste throughout the fermentation process until the kombucha has reached your desired tartness level.
8. Bottle and flavor with herbs and fruits and seal.
9. Burp bottles daily.
10. Let bottles ferment from 1-4 days (depending on desired carbonation levels)
11. Once carbonation levels are reached, put in the refrigerator and enjoy!