Benefits of Brewing Your Own Kombucha at Home
If you already love kombucha, consider brewing kombucha at home!
Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink, made with tea and sugar that contains active cultures. This detoxifying drink, rich in antioxidants, contains probiotics plus vitamins and minerals. Many tea drinkers also enjoy kombucha’s energizing properties.
At about $4 a bottle for commercial kombucha, there are clear benefits to making your own. Here are our top three reasons to brew kombucha at home:
It’s good for you.
If you make kombucha at home you will know what’s going into your beverage. You can pick your own tea type to use – white, green, oolong or black. You’ll know exactly how much sugar goes in (most of the sugar is consumed in the fermenting process) and can select what you’d like to add. Maybe mint? Maybe candied blueberries?
Fermented drinks aid in a healthy digestive tract, which helps build a stronger immune system and reduce inflammation. Taking a few minutes every 6-10 days to brew your kombucha seems worth it!
It’s easy.
This fermentation thing is actually easy and fun. Pick up a kombucha SCOBY from Fusion Teas. Once you have a SCOBY, brew some tea and your all set. A single SCOBY will grow and can continue to be used for unlimited batches of kombucha. It can even be divided to grow new SCOBYs to share with friends.
It’s inexpensive.
By selecting your favorite tea and adding sugar and water to make your own kombucha, you bypass the $4 a bottle commercial price. Not only is it inexpensive to brew kombucha at home, but it tastes delicious. The equipment is simple: a one-gallon glass jar (don’t use plastic) and a cloth napkin or coffee filter to cover the top of the jar.
Learn more about the Health Benefits of Kombucha from our blog.
Make your own Kombucha at home:
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil.
- Steep 6 teaspoons tea of pure, unflavored tea in water for twice as long as you would normally steep, about 7 minutes.
- Remove tea leaves and add 6 teaspoons sugar. Stir until dissolved.
- Cool completely and pour into your glass jar.
- Add the kombucha SCOBY.
- Cover the jar loosely with cheesecloth or another breathable cover.
- Set on top of your fridge (find a warm spot) and let it ferment for about 6-10 days. Try sampling it at the 5-day point to make sure it is tangy, but not too vinegar-like.
- Strain into glass bottles, and enjoy!
If you’d like, add candied ginger at the end for a second fermentation and an extra zing. We do this in the final bottle, at room temperature for 18-24 hours. If you’d like to add mint leaves or your favorite herb just add a scant bit more sugar depending on vessel size, to promote additional fermentation. Then seal and refrigerate.
Want to learn a little more about Kombucha and how to brew kombucha at home? Check out our posts on Ancient Kombucha and Brewing your own Kombucha and Kefir.
Enjoy!
