If you are ready to enter the world of making your own kombucha then you need a SCOBY. Known as the Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, it is responsible for fermenting sugars from tea into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Essentially SCOBY is the starter culture that you need to have for making kombucha. Even this is a relative term because you can make kombucha without a SCOBY in some cases. If you have enough pure, unflavored kombucha and mix it with additional tea and sugar it will ferment with time and create another baby SCOBY.

But let’s make it simple and easy. To make kombucha you first need to get your hands on a SCOBY. The easiest way to do this would be to borrow one from a friend who is also making kombucha. If you’re not that lucky you can always purchase a SCOBY online. Just make sure to choose a reputable seller and an organic one. You want to have a good quality SCOBY from a reliable source to have a premium kombucha. To proceed with your first kombucha recipe follow How To Make Kombucha – Basic Recipe.

What you need to make a SCOBY?

We have opted for the simplest way out there. You need to know that this will take some time. So please be patient and follow all the instructions so you will be successful. To make a SCOBY you need

• 2 cups of unflavored, raw kombucha
• 8 tea bags (black or green tea)

• 8 cups water
• 1 cup sugar, granulated

Heat up 8 cups of water and dissolve all sugar by stirring. Please use white sugar. No artificial sweetener or sugar supplement. For fermentation, SCOBY needs sugar as food so you’re not going to grow anything without sugar.

While the water is hot steep your tea. You can use tea leaves but then you will have to strain them before adding the kombucha. After the tea is cooled down to room temperature and not too hot you can add the pure, unflavored kombucha to the tea. It’s important for this step to only use the kombucha which has not been pasteurized. Some kombucha manufacturers will have additions or yeast enhancers that are not listed on their product labels. So please take pure kombucha from a reliable source or your SCOBY will not be made, or it will be made but with a low quality.

Place everything into a sterile jar and cover with a double coffee filter or a clean paper napkin and seat it with a plastic band. Place your jar at room temperature not colder than 20 and not hotter than 30 degrees Celsius. And make sure it’s not in direct sunlight. Please do not move or shake the jar too much. At this stage, you will have to be patient and wait for the results.

Patience is a virtue

You will notice that there will be bubbles and foam starting to appear on top of your jar after a few days. This is a good sign that the fermentation has started. Little by little a small SCOBY will start to form on top or at the bottom of your jar. Be aware that they come in all colors, shapes, and sizes so don’t be alarmed if you think you see something unusual.

The formation of one SCOBY can take from 3 to 4 weeks. And don’t be surprised if it takes you a little longer. You will know that the process is finished once your SCOBY is at least 1/4 inch thick. Unfortunately, if there are any spots or molds on it, it could mean that your process was not successful and that the SCOBY is dead. Please don’t be discouraged if you fail your first time. Creating a SCOBY is a process that takes time and patience. Maybe to get a faster result you just buy one first.

Things are not going to go perfectly

We always want to do the best that we can. We always want to be the best. When you are entering the world of fermentation you will notice that it requires a lot of your time and hard work. So don’t hesitate if sometimes you get an opportunity to make things a little easy on yourself. To be honest, making a SCOBY from scratch is not going to make you a great kombucha maker. Maybe the SCOBY you grow is not that good after all. You’re not going to know until you try to make a batch of kombucha. I certainly recommend that you try buying a SCOBY from a reputable source and make a batch of kombucha with it. Then you can compare the flavors and aromas of both. This will give you the chance to see how successful you have really been with it. And also to find out the quality of your kombucha before you start sharing it with your friends. We all want to have the best result for the hard work and time we have invested.

One final piece of advice. Go out. Taste some great kombucha. Even buy it in the nearest supermarket. Just try as many as you can. It will give you an idea of what you want to create and accomplish in making your own. If possible join a local kombucha community or try to find one online. That’s a great way to share experiences, get advice, and stay out of issues that others have been through. I’m sure you will receive tons of support, helpful advice, and even some discounts at your local supply store. Best of luck to you. Go make some great kombucha.