What Brewing Supplies do I need to make Homemade Kombucha?
You’ve tried Kombucha tea and love it but buying it at the store can get pretty expensive.
Did you know you can make your own Kombucha at home and it can taste exactly the same, or even better, than your favourite store-bought varieties?
When it comes to making Kombucha, you only need a handful of basic supplies. Below, we have listed out the supplies you will need to make your very own Kombucha:
LARGE GLASS JAR WITH TAP AND COVER: You will need a glass jar as glass is the best option for brewing Kombucha. Not only will it not react to the acidity of the brew, but it also doesn’t scratch easily or contain chemicals. You will need something that is at least 4L or 8L and comes with a tap. Unlike many jars, the Crazy Culture Kombucha Brewing Jar is specially designed for continuous Kombucha brewing. This glass jar with a tap and cover lets you test and taste with ease; just grab a glass, open the tap and taste. You’ll know when it’s brewed just right for you without having to tilt the jar and risk disturbing the newly formed SCOBY on top or contaminating your Kombucha brew.
ORGANIC SCOBY: SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It is made of bacteria and yeast. It is essential to making Kombucha because the SCOBY pellicle is the vessel in which the bacteria and yeast found in the Kombucha can live. A healthy SCOBY is the key to a successful brew and a lifetime supply of Kombucha. You can grow them or order them online.
SUGAR: Sugar is required for the fermentation process and cannot be bypassed or substituted. In essence, this acts as the food for the Kombucha Brew and is mostly consumed during the fermentation process.
ORGANIC GREEN AND BLACK TEA: Brewing kombucha requires real tea for both minerals and nitrogen. The type of tea used to brew Kombucha can affect the health of the SCOBY as well as the taste of your finished brew. If you're just getting started, we recommend using organic green tea or black tea whenever possible, to avoid oils from flavoured teas contaminating your Kombucha brew.
PH TESTER STRIPS: Finding the right balance of acidity and alkalinity (or pH) is important when brewing Kombucha, not so much for taste, but for identifying when the Kombucha is protected from harmful microorganisms. Since the purpose of brewing Kombucha is to develop more "good" bacteria, it is important that the pH of the Kombucha be low enough to act as an antimicrobial solution to prevent the growth of "bad" bacteria. The pH test strips offer peace of mind to new and experienced brewers that their kombucha is progressing as it should. You can easily find pH tester strips online.
THERMOMETER STRIP: The quality of your Kombucha can be easily influenced by the brewing conditions. Your SCOBY loves a dark and quiet environment. You can use a thermometer strip to check the temperature of your brew without disturbing the SCOBY or exposing the brew to any metal. You can simply order adhesive Thermometer Strips online.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by the list above? Don’t worry—check out our Kombucha Brewing Kits that give you all the necessities in one simple package.