Kombucha starter set

Kombucha is on everyone's minds and hopefully soon yours too! Are you quickly getting confused with all the new kombucha options out there? Then make your own! We help you with kombucha, from pronunciation to preparation. Your starter set includes a 2 L glass jar, the Kombucha mushroom with preparation liquid, 500 g organic raw cane sugar, a tea blend + tea strainer, a temperature gauge, a cotton cloth + rubber band and instructions.. With this you are perfectly equipped for your own Kombucha production - order now and enjoy the finest, fresh Kombucha very soon!

Kombucha – what is that?

Let's start with the basics: Kombucha - pronounced like "Kom-buh-tsha" - is a delicious refreshing drink made by fermenting sweetened tea (usually green or black tea) with the help of a kombucha culture (more on this later). Kombucha is by no means a newfangled phenomenon, but has probably been around for almost 2,000 years! The origin of the drink is not 100 % certain, but it probably lies in Japan or China.

The Kombucha scoby: a true miracle weapon

Let's now address the elephant in the room - or rather the so-called SCOBY, which visually resembles a piece of cheese or a pancake. Even if it doesn't look particularly appealing at first glance, there is a lot in this gel-like piece! SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, a symbiotic bacteria and yeast culture. So far, so good, but what does that mean exactly? Also called yeast fungus, it is, together with the starter liquid, our basis for delicious kombucha. It is not a fungus in the true sense of the word, but a living ecosystem of its own. The bacteria and yeasts in the SCOBY begin their fermentation work in the sweetened tea mixture, driven by the sugar. We will spare you the exact chemical processes here. With each new process of fermentation, a new SCOBY grows on the surface of your vessel, so you are equipped with the Kombucha fungus for life.

Making kombucha at home

You finally want to know how the preparation works, don't you?

1. Bring a pot with 300 ml of water to the boil and add 15 g of the tea mixture. Let it steep for 15 minutes.
2. Now pour the tea mixture through the tea strainer into your 2 L fermentation jar. Add 1 l of cold water and 100 g of cane sugar and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Then attach the temperature gauge to the jar. Let the liquid cool until it is between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. This step is very important, as the kombucha fungus will die if the temperature is too high.
4. Now add the SCOBY along with the preparation liquid. Then cover the jar with the cotton cloth and secure it with the rubber band. This way your kombucha can breathe, but no bugs can get into the jar.
5. Now the fermentation begins! Place the jar in a warm, sun-protected place for 7-9 days. Don't be surprised if a layer forms on the surface, this is your new Kombucha fungus.
6. Almost ready! Taste your Kombucha now and then with a clean spoon. Does it taste good? Perfect, then you've made it! Still too sweet? Then let your Kombucha ferment further.
7. Your Kombucha is now really ready! Before you can enjoy it, remove the SCOBY with washed hands (make sure you don't have any soap residue on your fingers!) and keep it with 250-500 ml of your kombucha drink: This is already the basis for a new round of kombucha fermentation.*
8. The remaining kombucha should be filled into smaller, tightly sealable bottles and stored in the fridge to stop the fermentation process. If the small pieces of yeast in the drink bother you, simply pour the kombucha through a sieve into your bottles. Cheers!

9. *Please rinse your fermentation jar with hot water, but without detergent, before each new fermentation.

   Double kombucha fermentation for extra flavour

   Of course you can enjoy your Kombucha pure - but if that's too boring for you, we have another step for you. For a particularly aromatic taste, you can add dried fruit, ginger and/or herbs of your choice to your already fermented and bottled Kombucha. During the second fermentation, the oxygen is removed from your bottle so that the bacteria cannot continue to work and your kombucha does not sour. However, the yeasts in the Kombucha fungus can continue to do their work at room temperature, as they don't need oxygen, and ensure that more carbonic acid is produced. So if you prefer your kombucha a little more sparkling (and with a certain flavour), leave your tightly closed bottle in a dark, warm place for around 3 days before putting it in the fridge. But be careful: Use high-quality bottles made of thicker glass for the secondary fermentation, don't fill them completely to the top with liquid and check the pressure regularly (by opening them briefly every day) so that your bottles don't burst! 

   Buy your kombucha starter set

   Phew, after so much text you probably can't wait to get started! With our starter kit you have everything you need for your own Kombucha production at home. The sugar and tea included in the set are enough for about 5 preparations and have to be bought as needed (of course both are available in our shop, we recommend our darjeeling tea), the rest you can use indefinitely - for delicious, homemade Kombucha all day long! By secondary fermentation with dried fruit and fresh herbs, you give the Kombucha your own personal touch. So quickly order our Kombucha Starter Set, close your laptop - and let the fermentation begin!