In the US, and specifically south Louisiana, we are in under a “Stay At Home order” due to COVID-19. Life has reorganized itself; school is out, my brick and mortar business has been shut down for over two weeks, and we have been isolated at home, besides weekly trips to the grocery store. We have been cooking, gardening, cleaning, crafting, and organizing like little worker bees. We are lucky to be physically, emotionally (most of the time), and economically fit, at the moment. This quarantine has afforded us time to connect and experience a different, calmer way of life. While we recognize the gravity of this disaster, we have found a lot of gratitude in it. I am specifically grateful for is the opportunity to do some things I had let go of in my “busy” life. One of those was brewing my own kombucha.

Kombucha (bucha) is a fermented black tea that has a sour flavor and can be very fizzy. It was one of those things I “made” myself drink, initially, because I thought it was essential for my health. But, through all that wellness culture nonsense I found an actual love for it, regardless of its potential benefits- which are similar to those in yogurt; basically it’s full of advantageous microbes that can contribute to a thriving gut flora. 

Anyway, before we were stuck safe at home, I would drink kombucha at least 3 times a week. At Root2Rise we carry a local New Orleans brand, Big Easy Bucha. This bucha is also partially responsible for my lack of home brewing. I had an easily accessible, locally made, delicious kombucha on hand. And, while I love the Big Easy flavors, I am excited to make my own again. I plan to leave half the batch plain, but will flavor the other half with grapefruit I received from a neighbor. 

Let’s get to the process! 

The first step is getting a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), in the bucha brewing process one SCOBY creates a second SCOBY, so every brew produces another one. This goes on to infinity so get ready to start running a SCOBY motel- which is where I got mine. If you don’t know someone brewing their own you can order one here. 

Then, read through the recipe, gather your supplies and ingredients, and dive in! It’s worth noting that while bucha takes time, and some planning, it is a very simple process. I got some tips from my friend, but also used this recipe as a guide.

I’ve organized this recipe in two sections so you can start brewing before you have everything, but you’ll want to be sure to have your equipment and materials ready because there is a sweet spot with timing. 

Day 1: Sweet Tea to Bucha 

Materials

Ingredients

1 gallon water

8 black tea bags (1 family size tea bag)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 SCOBY

1 cup starter tea (reserved from last batch or from a bottled bucha)

Process

Bring water to boil in pot, turn off, allow to cool slightly, and add tea. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, remove tea bags and add sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Allow tea to cool completely, then move to clean jar, add SCOBY and starter tea. Cover and secure with towel and rubber band. Keep out of direct sunlight, allow to ferment for 7-10 days. Start tasting on day 7, and each day after to look for desired sweetness with a tang.

Day 7-10: Bottling + Optional Flavoring (2F Process)

Materials

Glass bottles that can be sealed (growler, flip tops, used kombucha bottles, mason jars, etc.)

Clean funnel

Ingredients 

(You can the flavoring, plain bucha is actually one of my favorite things about making my own.)

2 cups fruit, chopped (berries, citrus, apples, etc.)

Other flavorings (ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, herbs, etc.)

Process

Place flavor option in bottle(s), then pour in kombucha, fill to an inch from the top, reserving 1 cup of starter tea and SCOBYs, (there should be 2 now) in separate glass jar (SCOBY hotel). Leave bottles on counter for 1-3 days (longer creates more carbonation*), refrigerate and enjoy!

*Be careful with carbonation, I’ve read stories of exploding glass. It hasn’t happened to me, but I tend to be overly cautious. This has the downside of a less carbonated bucha so I’m working on being braver! I read a tip about putting your fermenting bottles in a container, this way if they do happen to explode then the mess is controlled. 

I hope this makes it easy for you to start brewing your own kombucha at home, please share with me if you do start, or re-start, you own!