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Published June 19, 2018 Updated June 15, 2019 By Gigi Mitts 3 Comments

How to Grow Your Own Kombucha SCOBY

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How to Grow Your Own Kombucha SCOBY
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In many instances you can get SCOBY of a friend or a family member or purchase it online from a reputable retailer. You can also grow a SCOBY from a bottle of commercial raw kombucha at your home. Growing your own SCOBY is not a fast process however, it is relatively simple.

Have you tried to grow your own SCOBY?

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kombucha scoby

Kombucha SCOBY Recipe


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  • Author: Gigi M
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 1 Kombucha SCOBY 1x
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Description

Kombucha SCOBY is a starter culture which is necessary for brewing kombucha. SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is a combination of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic relationship.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 250ml of original raw commercially brewed kombucha
  • 250ml of filtered water
  • 1 bag of organic black tea
  • 2 teaspoons of raw (organic) white sugar

Instructions

  1. Make a cup of organic black tea and add 2 spoons of raw (organic) white sugar. Stir the sugar with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves completely. Let the tea cool down on the room temperature.
  2. In a glass jar pour the bottle of kombucha and the cup of black tea. Stir the contents with a wooden spoon.
  3. Cover the jar with a cheesecloth or tea towel. Secure the covering with a rubber band.
  4. Leave the jar on the countertop on the room temperature for a week before having a sneak peak.
  5. After the first week you will notice SCOBY looks like a clear film or blob then slowly becomes less translucent and gets thicker as time goes on. Wait until SCOBY is around 1/4-inch thick before using it to brew the kombucha tea.

Notes

Equipment: glass jar, wooden spoon, cheesecloth or tea towel, and rubber band

*If you do not see any signs of SCOBY development after the first three weeks we suggest you discard the batch and start over again. While the SCOBY is growing watch for any mold. If mold develops, discard the batch and start the process all over again.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes

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Author

Gigi Mitts
Hi! I’m Gigi. A fermentation nerd passionate about healthy food and great diet. I believe that our wellbeing and beauty starts in our gut and that each of us has a responsibility to get informed, take action, and look after their body. I’m here to spread that message, bring back the benefits of ancient nutrition to modern life, and show you all the latest cool ways to ferment and preserve food at home.

Comments

  1. Jenny says

    December 25, 2018 at 10:06 pm

    This is interesting. I’m going to try making my scoby.
    My kombucha addiction is hurting my pocket!

    Reply
  2. Gary says

    June 23, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Did you really mean 5 cm thick? Is that a typo or is a 2-inch thick SCOBY what I should be shooting for?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      June 23, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      Sorry Gary, that was a typo which I’ve corrected now. It meant to read 0.5cm or approx 1/4 inch.

      Reply

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A word from the Founder

Hey, Gigi here. I developed an interest in fermented foods a couple of years ago when I recalled that my mum used to make it when I was a kid. Once I rediscovered the world of fermenting, I started reading about and making the food myself. Here at MyFermentedFoods.com I blog about my journey and share my knowledge with you. I hope you enjoy reading it. Read More…

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