Name: Homemade kombucha with fruit flavoring
Prep time: 168 h 8 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 168 h 23 min
Yield: 1 glass
Ingredients: 2 l water; 160 g caster sugar; 6 packets black tea; 200 ml kombucha; 1 pc SCOBY; 30 g ginger; 1 pc lemon; 100 g raspberries; 1 teaspoon caster sugar; ice

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Thoroughly wash a large jar with hot water, remove any soap residue, and let it dry well. Also, prepare a clean kitchen towel and a rubber band to cover the jar's opening.
2
Allow the SCOBY and starter kombucha to come to room temperature. Prepare several clean bottles with tight caps that you will later use for bottling the drink and for the second fermentation.

Brewing and fermentation

3
In a pot, heat approximately half of the water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved, then add the black tea bags. Remove the pot from the heat and let it steep for about 10 minutes, then remove the bags or strain the tea.
TIP:
Dissolve the sugar first in hot water, then add the tea bags. This ensures an even distribution of the sugar and better steeping of the tea.
4
Add the remaining cold water to cool the tea, and then let it reach room temperature, ideally below 25 °C. the tea must be completely cooled.
5
Pour the tea into the prepared clean jar, add the starter kombucha, and place the SCOBY surface-side up. Cover the jar with a towel and secure it with a rubber band. Place it in a quiet spot away from direct sunlight and let it ferment for 5-7 days.
TIP:
When fermenting with a SCOBY culture, cover the container with a clean cloth and secure it with a rubber band to allow air flow while keeping impurities out.
6
After five days, taste with a clean spoon. the kombucha should be pleasantly sour and less sweet. Once the fermentation is to your liking, carefully remove the SCOBY and set it aside in part of the finished kombucha for the next batch.
7
Strain the beverage into clean bottles through a sieve. You can add pieces of ginger, raspberries, or lemon slices and a teaspoon of sugar for fruity flavoring to each bottle. Fill with kombucha from the first fermentation and seal tightly.
8
Let the bottles sit at room temperature for another 1-3 days for the second fermentation. To increase fizziness, briefly release pressure daily by opening them. Once the kombucha is pleasantly fizzy, store the bottles in the refrigerator.
TIP:
To create the ideal carbonation, leave the bottles with the fermenting beverage at room temperature for 1-3 days. Every day, open the cap for a few seconds to release the built-up pressure and prevent the bottles from bursting.

Serving

9
Open the chilled kombucha carefully. you may strain it through a sieve to remove any fruit or SCOBY remnants. Pour into glasses with ice cubes and lightly stir before serving if you added fruit.
10
Store the kombucha in the refrigerator and ideally consume it within two weeks. it will best retain its fizziness and fresh taste.

More tips:

Use at least 10% starter kombucha from the previous batch. the drink will be safely sour and protected from mold from the start.

During the second fermentation, briefly release pressure from the bottles daily to prevent over-carbonation. For a less sweet drink, shorten the second fermentation time.

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