I have been growing SCOBYs (symbiotic combination of bacteria and yeast) and making kombucha for quite a few years now and I now feel confident that I know enough to document what I do.

I have a very healthy scoby hotel and provide scobies to anyone who wants one. After a brief demonstration, I have, up until now told people I give them to to look on the internet for instructions.

This is for my daughter-in-law who is going to take over my kombucha while I am on holidays so I don’t pretend it is the answer to all questions but it is a good start.

SCOBY

A cream coloured semi-solid slime that usually floats on the surface of the sugary tea. It enables the fermentation. A new scoby grows on top of every batch, the old one sometimes sits at odd angles, nothing to worry about.

SCOBY HOTEL

Your working scoby can get quite thick – when it is about 3cm thick divide it in half and make the next batch with half the thickness.

Put the other half into a large clean jar and add a strong tea solution, put a close weave cloth on top held on securely with a large rubber band. Don’t do anything much to this apart from adding additional scoby layers when your working batch gets too thick. It needs to breathe through the cloth but apart from that sits harmlessly waiting for the inevitable emergency or to be shared with friends.

I add some fresh,  strong, sugary tea occasionally. The old liquid makes a pretty good vinegar if left long enough. Just keep tasting until it has enough acidity. You don’t have to, but can drain some down into another bottle and use it in salad dressing or for rinsing your hair. Just add more strong sugary tea to keep your spare scobies alive.

Your scoby hotel could be a life saver.

WORKING SCOBY

With each batch a new scoby grows on top of the tea. Sometimes it is attached completely to the previous one and sometimes the previous one is at an odd angle in the tea. Don’t worry.

Occasionally I sink the scoby (very clean hands, or pupsh down with anything clean) to get all the air bubbles out.
Worry about the scoby if it gets bugs in it, those little things that sometimes hang around your compost bin will lay eggs and you get maggots, or if it gets fluffy mould spots. Ditch it and the tea and start a new batch with a scoby from the hotel. (The reason the hotel is important)

KOMBUCHA

TIME FRAME:

About every 10 days you will:

Drain the kombucha into bottles, (old, clean, screw top wine bottles are good as are swing top bottles). Use a plastic slotted spoon to keep the scoby from being sucked into the tap.

Leave a few cups of the kombucha in the container to start the new ferment.

Add whatever flavours you want to the bottles, seal, label, leave on the shelf for at least 3 days before refrigerating. 3 blueberries in each small bottle works well, but I have used sultanas, finger limes, ginger slices, mulberries – whatever inspires is worth a try.  This is called the second ferment. Leave them too long and they will explode – see my kitchen ceiling. Just check for fizz, occasionally, open a lud and taste. It’s all about the taste and what you like.

Make a new batch of sugary tea and when cool add it to your container that has the scoby and about 5cm of leftover kombucha.

Top the container up with filtered water

Date and label everything and wait again.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Large container, I like to have a tap on it but it is not necessary
  • White sugar
  • Filtered water
  • Black tea or tea bags (preferably organic)
  • Green tea – leaf or bags (preferably organic)
  • Large teapot or sauce pan

Making up the tea for my 2 containers

Ready for more sugary tea to begin the next batch.

  • 8 bags of black tea
  • 8 bags of green tea
  • 3 cups of white sugar
  • Filtered water
  1. Add the sugar to the tea pot, add some boiling water, stir to dissolve
  2. Add the tea bags and more boiling water until the pot is full.
  3. Put the lid on and leave until cool (room temp)
  4. Put half the tea into each jar then top up with filtered water.
  5. Cover each containers with clean close weave  cloth and hold down with elastic. This is necessary to stop  bugs getting in. I like to half  cover the container with plastic wrap, as even more anti bug insurance.

Ready to be covered

MAINTENANCE

You will eventually see brown dangling bits hanging from the scobies and probably a brown scum on the bottom. When it gets too much to bear you can clean everything up and separate what is by now probably a very thick scoby.

White vinegar is your friend, not the one with the mother, just plain white vinegar. You need clean hands and a couple of clean plates.

Drain off the kombucha, keeping enough to start the new batch.

Remove the scoby, put it on the plate. Scrape off the excess brown stuff, separate the scoby, putting half into the scoby hotel and keeping the top half for the next generation.

Clean the jar with hot water and paper towel, rinse with vinegar.

Put the scoby back, add enough reserved kombucha to cover it and cover 90% with plastic wrap, then cover the entire top with fabric, tied on well.

Wait.