Preparing the first batch

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the sugar and remove the pot from heat. Add the tea and allow it to steep until the water has cooled down. You can cool it down faster if you’d like using an ice bath. You can do this in your sink or surround the pot with just cold water.

2. Strain out loose leaf tea or remove tea bags. Add the starter tea.

3. Pour entire mixture into a one gallon glass jar and place scoby on top with clean hands, to avoid contaminating the mixture. Place a paper towel, cheesecloth or coffee filter on top of the jar and secure with a large rubber band.

4. Let it ferment for 7 to 10 days, keeping the jar out of direct sunlight. You can begin tasting it at around 7 days to see if you like the balance of sweetness and bitterness or let it ferment a couple days more.

5. Once it’s ready, lift the scoby off of the kombucha and set aside on a plate and have a look at it to make sure it is not black or mouldy.

Planning ahead for the next batch & bottling the current one

1. Prepare another batch and pot of tea as described above, before bottling. That way you can save 2 cups of starter tea from this batch, to add to the next one. However, if you’ll be making the next batch later, still save the 2 cups of starter tea from this batch and add the tea and the scoby to a mason jar. Cover with cheesecloth, securing with a rubber band. This way you can leave it at room temperature, away from sunlight, for another few days until you are ready to make the next batch.

2. You can bottle it now, into the 500 ml mason jars (or any other beverage bottles with a secure lid you may have). If you want to make another batch for when it’s done, using the scoby you have, go to the next step.

3. Add roughly 2-3 inches of mango lemonade juice to the bottom of each of the mason jars.

4. Next add the kombucha leaving about an inch of space from the top of the jar for air. Close the jars with the lids.

5. Store the kombucha for about 1-3 days at room temperature and out of direct sunlight, until it’s carbonated. Make sure it is not longer than that, because too much carbonation can cause the jars to explode and the glass to break. Therefore, you want to be sure you have enough space between the kombucha and the lid and you also want toe refrigerate it once it’s ready.

6. Put the jars in the fridge to stop further carbonation and to save for consumption.

7. Get ready to make another batch after bottling the previous one. Add the reserved starter tea to a batch of recently made sugary tea and add to a large and clean 1 gallon fermentation jar. Place the scoby on top, cover and continue the cycle. This way you’ll have a daily supply of kombucha for whenever you want.