Making Kombucha Part One: The First Ferment

I have been obsessing about making kombucha for months and months. I was so thrilled that my husband got me this spectacular kombucha making lot for Christmas.

It literally comes with everything you could need to make your kombucha so it's super easy. 

First lets get into what kombucha is, because I find everyone asking me about it when I mention it. Kombucha is a fermented tea probiotic beverage. 

The benefits to drinking kombucha are endless. Here are a few:

• Kills candida
• Aids in digestion
• Detoxifies
• Strengthens immune system
• Boosts energy
• Fights cancer
• Eases joint pains
• Stress relief 
• Boosts metabolism
• Weight loss

My husband has candida overgrowth, so my hope for him is that it really helps with that. For myself, I look forward to the detoxifying, energy and immune boosting properties of kombucha! 

Kombucha ingredients:

• Black tea
• Filtered water
• Sugar 
• A SCOBY
• White vinegar 

Tools needed: 

• Gallon jar 
• Tea cloth 
• Rubber band 
• Kettle or pot to brew tea 
• Long handled spoon
• pH test strips 
• Sticker thermometer 

Everything listed here was in my kombucha making kit. They even send you a fresh SCOBY super fast, so you don'y have to worry about receiving a compromised dehydrated culture!

Directions:

Kombucha is surprisingly easy to make. Especially with this kit I got! 

Kit from the kombucha shop.

Step one: Boil four cups of water to steep your tea in for about 5 minutes. 

This is the loose tea leaves and cloth tea bag that came in my kit. You can use regular tea bags as well. 

Step two: Add the sugar to your tea and stir well, until the sugar has dissolved. 

Step three: Pour sweet tea into your jug or jar and add filtered water until there is only three inches left at the top of the jar.

Step four: Gently add in your SCOBY and starter tea. Give it a gentle stir.

Step five: dip in a pH test strip. It should be at a 4.5 or below! If it is higher than that, add a tablespoon of vinegar and test again.

Step six: cover your jar with the cloth and rubber band. Leave it somewhere warm with no direct sunlight. The temperature needs to stay between 68 and 88 degrees, so by a heater vent is best. You want it in a low or no traffic area. Some people use an electric blanket to keep theirs warm enough.

Check on your kombucha in one week. It can take 7-20 days during the first fermentation.

There it is! I think it is so pretty, and I am so obsessed. I hope the next week goes by fast. 

Keep up on my kombucha journey by following me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook under Being Mama Blog! 

Have you brewed your own kombucha?

Share your experience and tips below! 

xo, 

Chelsea