Wild Kombucha Tea

A tangy, lightly fizzy fermented tea made with sweetened tea and a SCOBY. Once you get into the rhythm, kombucha is one of the most rewarding probiotic drinks to make at home.

Prep Time 30

Fermentation Total 14

Total Time 14 30

Course Drinks

Cuisine Chinese, International

Servings 200ml Bottles

Calories 50 kcal

Equipment

Weighing scales
Kettle
Glass jars
Whisk
Strainer
Jug
Muslin
Elastic bands
Glass bottles

Ingredients

40 g Green tea (loose leaf)
160 g White sugar (or brown sugar)
2000 ml Water - filtered
⅛ teaspoon Pink salt
1 Each SCOBY
250 ml Live kombucha

Method

1st Fermentation

Assemble all ingredients and equipment.
Weigh the sugar and tea into a large heat proof container.
Add the 2lt of boiling water to the tea, mix well and steep for 10 minutes.
Taste – make sure the tea is well flavoured, but not too strong.
Strain this sweet tea and pour into glass jar.
ALLOW TO COOL
Add 250ml of live kombucha from previous batch to the new batch.
Add 1 healthy SCOBY to glass jar.
Cover with a muslin cloth and secure with elastic band.
Leave at room temperature for approx. 1 week.
After about 5 days, taste regularly to determine the speed of fermentation and balance of sweetness and acidity.

Infusion Stage

Take out the SCOBY.
Take out about 250ml of live kombucha liquid to start the next batch.
Add your flavouring ingredients to the tea for the infusion stage.
Stir well and cover tightly with a lid.
Allow to infuse for at least 24hrs at room temperature.

2nd Fermentation - Bottle conditioning

Strain liquid through a fine strainer, discard flavorings.
Pour this liquid into glass bottles.
Leave the bottles at room temperature for 3-5 days to build up carbonation.
Chill bottles in the fridge before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 200mlCalories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 12gSodium: 688mgPotassium: 1mgVitamin B2: 1mgCalcium: 6mgCopper: 1mgFolate: 1µgIron: 1mgManganese: 1mgMagnesium: 2mgPhosphorus: 1mgZinc: 1mg