Quick Start Guide to Homemade Kombucha (First Fermentation)

[@emmybeckwith7924]

Oh my freaking God! Can you please teach everyone else on youtube how to do instruction videos? You are the best! Informative, you get right into it, and the quality is awesome! Keep up the amazing work! I'm sending a link to this video to everyone I share a scoby with! You rock!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Emmy Beckwith Thank you so so much! This made my morning. 😊

[@meniquelloyd252]

@@YouBrewKombucha I don't know if you'll see this but I just started making kombucha. Tomorrow it would be fermenting for 10 days but the new scoby is sooo thin it's translucent. The lady that I got the original scoby from said it's normal and it'll take a couple of months for the new scoby to thicken, but I think it's too thin?

[@bimjeam0088]

good lawd! she looks so fine too mm mmm.

[@JLuvLee]

Agreed! She’s amazing.

[@ms.understood3167]

I can't tell you how many times I've watched this video but tonight I MADE MY FIRST BATCH!!!!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

OMG I'm so excited for you! I hope it turns out well!

[@theoortcloud742]

Congrats!

[@telldpablo]

I think I have to try this tomorrow! Can I use reverse osmosis water? Thanks!

[@ms.understood3167]

Not sure, I'm still a newbie

[@cmhardin37]

@@telldpablo yes

[@MarkDonat]

this is the best kombucha getting started video I’ve seen so far.

[@jonahlynch9857]

Hey, I just wanted to thank you for being a competent human being that makes helpful, informative videos. I've been trying to learn how to brew through KZbin and you are the first person that I've come across that makes quality, intelligible videos. Thanks again!

[@amandasteven1400]

yes. she is a human bean :)

[@fionmor4893]

I made a SCOBY from scratch..... no starter scoby..... I put 2 bottles of raw kombucha into a 1/2 gallon mason jar.... after 3 weeks I noticed a scoby on the top it slowly sank and then another one grew on top.... at 4 weeks I made a sweet tea mixture and gently added it .... so that was a super easy way to make a scoby from scratch

[@smallspaceswithGloria]

With no previous scoby?

[@fionmor4893]

@@smallspaceswithGloria no SCOBY needed... the raw store bought kombucha will make a SCOBY... as long as it is is alive

[@Lueshima]

I made my first scoby same way!

[@nishantnishant357]

Can we make it without raw kombucha and no scobei

[@fionmor4893]

@@nishantnishant357 in order to make kombucha you will need some type of SCOBY or Mother to start the fermentation. The easiest way is to buy raw kombucha from the store, pour it into a 2 quart mason jar and cover with a cloth for a couple weeks, you'll see the thin translucent SCOBY start to form. If you get mold or something odd, start over.

[@kevinneal2575]

The first time I tried it I had no idea what to expect and I didn’t think it worked. It just sat there. But I’m pretty sure I did it wrong. These videos are excellent. I wish I would have had them the first time. I think I just read the directions on the scoby the first time. Getting my fresh scoby today as well as a heating wrap. I’m much more confident after watching these videos.

[@tomdurkin5149]

My wife drinks Kombucha a lot and a lady she works with just got her her first starter kit. She felt a little overwhelmed to start the process so I found your video and decided to try for her following your video. Just brewed our first batch and sealed it and put it in the cupboard to ferment. Wish us luck! 🤞 Thanks for a really clear, concise step-by-step explanation of the whole process. Your video really helped 😊

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Oh i'm so glad you found this helpful! I hope your batch turns out wonderfully! :D

[@tomdurkin5149]

@@YouBrewKombucha It did thank you! Almost like apple juice but with that vinegar tart undertone. We pulled it after just over a week. We've already drunk out first batch XD Got our second one fermenting now and we're going to leave that one for 2 weeks this time to get a little more tart. Happy for a first attempt though. Kinda scary brewing your fist batch 😳

[@HEADBANGRR]

Great video. I too prefer to brew for 15 minutes instead of 5. But I prefer 1 cup of sugar instead of 3/4s. Thank you!

[@psifire333]

I couldn't figure out why you added so much sugar to the concentrate for 4 cups. Then I saw you dilute it and thought... why would you dilute it? Then I saw that you didn't have to wait for it to cool down. GENIUS!!! Other instructional videos I saw said to make the sweet tea the night before and let it cool overnight. This is so much better and without the risk of growing bacteria overnight with it sitting out. Thank you!

[@nicholebeck8177]

Making the tea concentrate and then adding it to the cold water was perfect! I didn't have to wait around for the heat to go down. Thank you!

[@stephaniemorey8351]

Great video. One suggestion: the best reason for putting the cold water in your glass container first is safety. Hot water in cold glass can cause them to shatter. And that’s a pretty big mess to clean up!

[@finnd5569]

Stephanie Morey do you mean previously boiled water that’s been cooled down? Or can u put straight cold water?

[@cathleencumpton779]

I let add cold water to my sweet tea and when it's cool enough I just pour it over my SCOBY that brewed the last batch.

[@cathleencumpton779]

I also use the filtered water straight from the fridge or spring water right from a jug at room temp. Make sure it's cool enough so you don't kill the SCOBY. No need to boil good quality water.

[@donnastormer9652]

11/24 I took your advice two years ago and I bought my Scoby from who you suggested and it took three weeks to get to me and was healthy and made really good kombucha BUT now, 11/24 I ordered a new Scobie from them, and it came the next day, which tells me it was probably sitting around someplace local, and it grew a funky white mold right away when I attempted to brew with it. I had noticed that Amazon had some bad reviews of people having the same problem, but I didn’t believe it because I had such a good experience a couple of years ago, but I have been making kombucha for over 30 years and never never had that problem before so obviously they either have a problem in their factory or Amazon has a very serious problem when it reaches them . I will no longer buy a Scoby from Amazon.

[@CelesteStutz]

I love your tutorials!! I took some time off from making kombucha and now I have got back into it. I had to come back to your tutorials to remind myself of the process and the endless possibilities for flavouring in the 2nd fermentation. Thank you!

[@NatashaLeeDivine]

This video is absolutely fantastic, thank you so much. I've been given a scoby, some starter tea and instructions but didn't feel confident enough until I watched this. Thank you 🧡

[@drdluv]

Just started my first batch! Thank for your Very informative videos. They are inspiring, clear-cut and professional.

[@gilly0628]

Very informative videos and the length is just right. They're neither too short nor excessively lengthy - each displays written instructions. Clear, concise steps without the ususal KZbin nonsense. Also, love the Ina Garten reference at the end. I was so impressed, I subscribed!

[@luismacatalan1436]

Just prepared my fifth batch of kombucha. Seriously your videos were of great help and Im extremely happy with the results

[@Arek.Arkadiusz]

I absolutely love your videos! Straight to the point, very informative, ver well explained!

[@Felimhuang23]

Your videos are by far the best! I am so glad I came across to you’re videos because they helped me understand the process better and make good kombucha. You are so good at this! Thank you 💕

[@roysantos3475]

I got SCOBY from a friend and didnt has idea what I was doing but thanks to you my first batch was successful and didn't had any fear at all.

[@benturner6588]

This is the first video I watched on your channel when I began my Kombucha journey 2 months ago. Since then, I've watched all the videos and followed all your advice. I feel very confident each time I brew a new batch. My wife and I enjoy drinking Kombucha, and I even was able to convince some of my co-workers how great it tastes. Thank you!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Yay! I'm so glad you find the channel useful.

[@drdluv]

Update!!!! My first batch went so well thanks to you. I think it tastes even better than the store. No mold, no issues thanks to clear cut instructions! I experimented with triple berry and mango mint. Both are equally glorious! Can’t wait for My second batch!!!

[@jhgvfvgthyu]

I don't even like kombucha but this was in my recommended videos so I watched it. Now I'm gonna watch more of your videos because this was informative and easy to follow along

[@gramadidi]

Of all of the videos, I have watched yours is the best. You have answered a lot of my questions. Made my first batch 2 days ago, I will be on the lookout for mold, (I saw your reply to someone else about not having enough starter tea). Also, I loved the concentrated tea and then adding cold unfiltered water tip. It took forever for a gallon of water to cool down.

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Pattie Francis Thank you so much, Pattie!

[@amzbly1]

I'm loving your channel. Thank you so much for all of the info and clear instructions. I love that you have multiple videos pretty much explaining all of the questions that have popped into my head as I go. 🙂

[@davidfont2596]

The production quality of this video is amazing!

[@susiet2150]

I love your videos. Thank you for making them so straightforward!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Thank you so, so much Susie! Glad you love 'em :)

[@pariaghaty1860]

Amazing videos. So easy and straight forward. Look forward to more. Thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@righteousone8454]

3:01 - simple solution is to have a sink with a drain plug. If you use a soup container for boiling water or anything large and deep, you can just lower it into the sink, and run water into the sink around the container (make sure it's not glass, or it will crack), and cold water will take the hot temperature. You can cool 2 gallons in less than 20 minutes, usually around 10 minutes or so. Obviously check with your finger to see. Restaurants do that to cool hot items quickly. My family did so for years in home cooking. Since if you put the hot container into the fridge, you have extreme risk of ruining your fridge in that 1 sitting. Never put hot stuff in the fridge. Cool it first. Water is amazing in this.

[@noearmandocardenas]

I bottle my first batch...it is so yummy!!!! Thank you for the video, I followed the direction and it worked so perfectly my Kombucha is better tasting than store bought.

[@caroltouchton4924]

Love your videos! As others have said you’re direct and keep to the point. Can’t wait till my tea is ready so I can start flavoring. Will definitely watch your Video on flavoring and bottling

[@beautyfox6683]

I make my flavours for my kombucha from making a sugar water mix also except i use twining infused cold water tea, It works well, I don't need to have any fruit, just these flavoured tea bags. They come in lots of differant fruit flavours. Love your videos. I have scobys 6 years old, I made, it myself my first infact.i made him myself yrs ago, his quite a big boy, but I just love him, it still makes fantastic kombucha and I have a few hotels with scobys in them, they all come from my first scoby, Who was made with a flavoured bottle of kombucha, which was all I could get in Australia, it worked, thanks for your videos there great.

[@dana102083]

Dos you name your big boy scoby? I know people in my sourdough groups name their starters ha ha.. i may call it wugene #2 as i have a 9kg orangie cat ha ha cheers from Canada ❤

[@francoisst-jacques7251]

Doing my first batch of kombucha right now ! Your videos have been really helpful :) Thanks !

[@flyinlo1474]

2 quick questions. I bottled all of my Kombucha in bottles leaving 1.5 cups with my scobie. My F2 bottles are on the shelf (1 day so far) and I added just a few grapes and strawberries to them. 1) Would this be considered tainted to use some of this for my next 2 gallons? 2) If I can use some of my kombucha that is in the bottle with a few grapes and strawberries thrown in, can I just split the "scobie" that I took off the top in 1/2 so that I can now get 2 gallons going? I was unsure how much scobie it took to make the next batch. It seems like it could even be slit in 3 sections??? Thank you again for the awesome videos!! My wholesale bottles will be here next Monday at a huge savings thanks to you.

[@AudreyRoemer]

My sister and I just finished out f1 and it turned out great!! Even the raw kombitcha is amazing!! 💜💜 On to f2... We have raspberry mint, honey lemon, and citrus rosemary!

[@christinabarbieri2167]

I am a visual learner and this video was perfect for me. I just made my first batch and I am so excited. The person I got my SCOBY from told me to use spring water. I was wondering, can you use filtered tap water?

[@anavieira5900]

You're amazing at you do! Please don't stop making these videos, it makes a difference that you don't give up. I appreciate what you do so much!

[@cluggyahoo]

Love your professionalism, love your personality, love your voice !

[@danikawhittaker8105]

I just watched several of your videos. I want to say you are doing a great job! Very informative, straight to the point, and very pleasing to the eye. Keep up the good work!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Danika Whittaker Thank you! ❤️

[@dylanlawhorn5309]

You are such a good teacher.. Amazing content. Much love keep the kombucha magic commin

[@radicafantasy6887]

Presentation skills! Come through Mamma!

[@johomusic]

Love your channel, not only informative but also appealing and so well structured! Bravo! Thanks & Happy Brewing :)

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Nina Yay! Thank you for watching! ❤️

[@halleysky8005]

HEY HELLO ANGELICA I WANT TO TELL YOU I REALLY LIKE THE WAY YOU HAVE DONE ALL THIS VIDEOS, YOU ARE REALLY A SUPER STAR!! AND THANKS TO YOU I BEEN DOING GREAT KAMBUCHA !!

[@erinyoung2539]

Just watched this video for like, the 18th time BUT THIS TIME I was making my first batch!! 🤗

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Yay! I hope it turns out well! Let me know how it goes!!

[@emceeunderdogrising]

How did it go? I'm starting tomorrow.

[@erinyoung2539]

Underdog Rising it went GREAT! My fruit wasn’t sweet enough and I didn’t use enough of it so some of my bottles didn’t fizz a lot but they were all delicious.

[@franklinsmith8634]

this is the best bucha making video I've seen, very straightforward! thanks for making them!

[@mmedeuxchevaux]

Best how-to! No nonsense. So, where to get a starter? If I buy raw, plain kombucha at the store, would I use the entire bottle?

[@sonjaoldenburg5020]

Thank you so much for these videos! These have helped me make the best kombucha I've ever made :)

[@tcjr35a1]

Love your videos❤ Do you think I can add soursop leaves to the black tea when making my Kombucha?

[@philliptandymiller1058]

This video is so well done. The way you provide your info is VERY well done. I hope you make money off these vids since your level of skill warrants it in my opinion

[@lindawescott2390]

Very well explained. So clear it gives me confidence to give it a go. I've subscribed. Thank you 😊

[@andylopez6393]

Wow just wow. So I been drinking kombucha for a year (expensive as hell, 4 dollars per bottle and am sure I spend over $1,000.00 dollars consuming this product). I drink it not for the small health benefits, but because i come to love the taste of it, and is a far better replacement for soda. I just stumbled on kombucha starter kits last week, so I purchase one, and now this Chanel, and her website and I learn so much. I just wish I had known about this 7 moths ago. Could have save so much money. Now that I know this, i hope I can replicate my favorite flavor Meyer Lemon Ginger Cayenne by Moss Beach kombucha. 🙃

[@jaieatsplants]

Andy Lopez Did you replicate your favorite flavor? If so how?

[@virtualrealistic6242]

Help me. I don't have refrigerator so how to keep kombucha for long(2 weeks) ?

[@ramonsommerhalder6974]

hello, thanks for your video's. Can you let us know how to avoid baby scoby in second fermentation? thanks

[@shantrellwilliams364]

Can distilled water be used? Can you use tea bags ? What happens if you don't have a Scoby?

[@smilez4us]

how many tea bags are used instead of the loose tea?

[@brittanyw6388]

When I did that, I believe 1 teabag was 1 tablespoon. I would double check though

[@Mtcooper1000]

I used five and it went pretty well

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

Generally 6 teabags per half gallon are what I have seen across many recipes.

[@clairequinn8665]

Hi I followed your recipes on how to make kombucha. 4 cups of boiling water 6 bag of blk tea. I cooled then put 8 more cups of distilled water 3/4 cup of sugar. 2 cups of store bought kumbucha, then when I received my scoby in a bag of liquid from Amazon, I dumped everything in the tea. Did I do it right?😊

[@marky8745]

Thank you!!!! Great instructions, you are a wonderful teacher!

[@annebailey6261]

Very concise., very well done tutorial on kombucha. Thank you so much!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Thanks Anne!!!

[@nikiacallwood]

Hello! Do you have to use green or black tea? Can you use floral or herbal teas?

[@changeisgood68]

HI ! you are so helpful! I'm a first timer- I want to make my own SCOBY so.... I brewed 4 cups of filtered water with 3 black tea bags - added about 1\3 cup of cane sugar and let it cool down. Then I added 2 cups of store bought plain room temp. Kombucha - stirred and covered it with a coffee filter bag. I've stored it in my kitchen pantry. Should I have diluted the tea concentrate ? or does it make a difference?

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Hey there! I'm glad you find the videos helpful! It shouldn't make a difference whether you diluted the tea or not. It should technically grow a scoby even if you didn't add any extra tea/sugar to "feed" it. But I've seen success stories either way. I think in your case, go ahead and just leave it alone for at least 3-4 weeks to let the scoby get thick and to let that tea + starter get super strong and acidic. Good luck! Let me know how it goes :)

[@changeisgood68]

You Brew Kombucha I sure will- thank you!

[@kalicollin]

Thanks for the great tips and positive vibe:). Stay well

[@lorimcgraw2482]

Hiya!!! Ok so I am new at this and I used black tea mixed with hibiscus is that a no no for the first batch? Does it have to be straight black tea? Also I put my scoby in when the tea was 98* but quickly added ice cuz well I’m new and wasn’t focusing. 🤦‍♀️ it was only in it for merely seconds before cooling to 77*. Should I just start over with a new scoby and just plain black tea?

[@coolcucumber32]

An instruction kit on a starter SCOBY I bought says to measure the pH to make sure it is less that 4.5. Is this necessary? They also say to use vinegar to get the pH down so based on your video I'm questioning these instructions haha

[@TheElizalexa]

Love your videos. It helped a lot and I just brewed my 1st batch of kombucha 😁😁😁. I then let it ferment for a 2nd time and Flavoured it with ginger and blueberries and it made a scoby. Can I re-use the flavoured scoby?

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you find it all helpful. In general, I don't recommend re-using flavored scobys -- over time, flavorings (even natural ones like fruit) can degrade and weaken the scoby and contribute to mold growth. So to be on the safe side, I don't let any flavorings come in contact with the scoby. (You can always flavor and bottle the liquid, so there's really no need to second ferment the scoby anyhow.) Hope that helps!

[@nuklear777]

Making kombucha is actually easier than the video suggests... You don't need a scoby to start. A bottle of kombucha from the store works perfectly fine. This is my own method that I tried as an experiment and it was successful on the first attempt. 1. buy a bottle of kombucha from store as starter 2. brew some tea with liquid ratio about 1:1 to the kombucha (You want the live kombucha culture to populate and dominate the environment, the higher ratio of kombucha starter the less likely other unwanted bacteria can have a chance to catch up) 3. Sweeten the tea with as much sugar as possible (sugar, similar to salt and acid, lowers water availability and discourages growth of bad bacteria. I don't agree with the video that you should dilute it before fermentation. Adding cold water is also potentially a source of contamination.) 4. Once the tea is cooled to room temperature, mix them together, put the container in a dark place and wait 5. eventually you'll get kombucha with scoby floating on top 6. repeat step 2 to multiply Once the kombucha is sour like vinegar and the scoby forms, the environment is very robust and it's really hard to mess up. You can now mix it with more tea 1:8 ratio and it should still do pretty well. I always make my tea refill very sweet and never mix it with cold water but wait for temperature to come down as I don't want to take any chances. You can always dilute before drinking.

[@sebastianarielburd3119]

Hi Eric M, would u mind explaining again. I messed up the process of the first fermentation and I threw it out including the scoby since it was all bluish and greyish color. I would like to try the process u mentioned above how to make a new one without buying a scoby and using a bottle of kombucha from the store. I didnt understand the steps u wrote. Step 1 u said brew tea with liquid ( u mean with hot water correct)? I didnt understand what you meant by 1:1 to the kombucha? step 4 u said: once the tea is cooled to room temperature, mix them together ( u meant mix the cooled tea with kombucha starter without adding cold water ? Did u cover the container with cheese cloth or what type of fabric or cloth to cover to make scoby? thanks ERIC Sebastian

[@winebox]

@@sebastianarielburd3119 Just make the tea and sugar concentrate like in the video. If you don't want to wait around for it to cool, you can just let it sit overnight or while you're away doing something else. If you don't have a scoby-and I didn't- just buy a bottle of plain unflavored kombucha. Grocery stores usually have flavored, so you might check a health food store. Just add the unflavored bottle of kombucha to your tea concentrate and add rest of water like in the video. The bottle of plain kombucha is your scoby but not formed yet. You should see it in about a week or two. Mine looked like what we call "skim ice." Like when it's been below freezing and a small lake or pond has a thin layer of ice in the morning. Give it a few weeks to really form. Then you're set.

[@megja1812]

This is wrong

[@sebastianarielburd3119]

@@megja1812 whats wrong? Eric is totally right and she is doing her best to explain and help me out. Its a science, everyone does their own way. thanks

[@winebox]

@@megja1812 What's wrong?

[@aletheiagolightly7026]

Can I use tea bags instead of loose leaf? And if so how many do I use?

[@sarab.379]

Thank you, but what is starter tea. I thought we made it in the beginning and it is already in a jar? This is my first time making it, so would you please explain?

[@maxpower8385]

I have 3 and half yo scoby that was sitting in a couple cups of kombucha in the cupboard. I opened it and it smells like vinegar. Can I still use it as the starter liquid? The scoby looks happy, a little on the darker side, but looks like that's just the yeast I'll rinse off.

[@maxpower8385]

Too late it's in there. I'm going to give the first bottle to my brother to test it 😈

[@izaiahyopek5268]

Does it have to be organic cane sugar? Can any sugar do?

[@makedamulushewa2956]

Thank you for the video. Where I'm from we don't no body use kombucha. So my question is how could I make the first round without starter tea and scoby?

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Hi there, unfortunately you can't make kombucha without a starter tea and scoby. That's really the key ingredient that adds the necessary bacteria and yeast in the brew. You're not able to purchase from online sources? I think there should be some that ship internationally if you look online.

[@sebastianarielburd3119]

hi question, have u made water kefir? I love the way u explain and show how to make kombucha, i wonder if u do also make water kefir? if so let me know, thanks a lot, please stay safe

[@YouBrewKombucha]

I've made water kefir, but I honestly didn't like the taste (or enjoy the process) as much as I enjoy kombucha, so I haven't kept making it :)

[@sebastianarielburd3119]

@@YouBrewKombucha it makes sense. I love kombucha more as well and the taste is different from water kefir as well, thanks for teaching us

[@kaymontgomery4613]

Where do you keep your kombucha while it is brewing? In the winter, I don't keep my house really warm at night; and room temperature can fall below 65 degrees. That may be how I killed my first scoby. How do I keep it warm enough? Your videos are so helpful! Thanks!

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

Yes it really can't be below 65 and stay alive. There are heating wraps for jars if you want that, or you can keep the house warmer, or keep it near radiator or on top of where your oven is (if you have an upper cabinet or on top of refrigerator nearby etc.)

[@jonik1556]

Just donated a cup of coffee. Read just enough on the website that I love your heart and feel confident I can do this--after reading your site and viewing your videos. God bless. 💗

[@antben]

I'm transferring my kombucha to a container with a different shape. Do you think it's a good idea to put the scoby in a food processor, so that the scoby "puree" will create a new scoby with the shape of the new container? Thanks

[@MeredithQuinn-t3v]

Can you use earl grey tea with the first fermentation?

[@165cents]

That chopping board is awesome.

[@VinothKumar-ng7uf]

Just wondering if i can seal it air tight for first fermentation? Is it necessary to cover it only with cloth?

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

Yes or good quality paper towel (Bounty or Seventh Generation in US work well) works perfectly fine too.

[@natalya3257]

Hi! Your videos are so helpful! I made the mistake of putting 10 teabags + sugar into a 1/2 gallon jug instead of a gallon jug. it's been a week and my booch still tastes a lot like tea, there is a thin scoby that has formed at the top though! I have another1/2 gallon jug so at this point do you think the best thing to do would be split the batch in half between the two jars and add more water to each of them and keep checking in on it? Or do you think that I should wait with this jar and see if it ferments more? Thank you!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

It's up to you -- I think either option would be fine. Using too much tea isn't super detrimental to the process at all -- but to your point, it will just result in a stronger tea flavor. If you don't like that, you could "water it down" or just mask it with stronger fruit flavorings during bottling. The longer you let it ferment, the more acidic it'll get -- so though the strong tea flavor will lessen over time, so will the sweetness. So it may just get too vinegary if you leave it for too long.

[@meta4kl237]

I have a scoby but only a small amount of liquid with it. The only store here with kombucha tea for sale is in plastic bottles. I read everywhere that plastic is taboo. So should I not use this plastic-bottled kombucha as a starter tea. Some sites state vinegar is not a good substitute.

[@cavymomma]

wow - wish I'd 'found' you sooner! Made my first batch by boiling the whole 3 qts of water per the enclosed instructions, and as you said - waited FOREVER for it to cool down. In all fairness, it may have been recommended in case someone is on not-so-clean well-water. Watching all your videos now so I'll be better informed when this first batch is done brewing :-) Thanks!

[@OliveB69]

I am about to start brewing kombucha again but this time it will be in an RV that is moved across the country every couple of months 😬 I used to do a lot of fermenting at home; kombucha, sourdough, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, etc. but attempting to do this in a house on wheels will be an interesting experiment! When we are stationary it won't be any different than brewing at home but I'm not sure how it will work out when my brew is being jostled around violently for hours on end 🤞

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

Yikes. Yes I'd be extremely careful with that and think that way through before executing. You could ruin the RV and the product (sticky plus wet plus broken glass). Also keep in mind you will use up your very premium refrigeration space unless you do F2's in very very small amounts. Good luck!

[@TheMagedassad]

Hello, I bought the scoby from the link you had mentioned, however it comes with only 12 ounces. I've been driving around like crazy to find raw kombucha but cannot find one. I know that you said don't use vinegar, how do I get the last 4 oz to make 2 cups if starter tea?

[@ibnuslaykum]

I would like to use black & green tea bags ! How many would you recommend to sue !? Thanks

[@potatosmith3482]

How long does it take for a new scoby to form? And is scoby necessary or just the starter culture? Lastly, would adding a scoby to the culture make the formation of a new scoby faster? Thank you!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Check out my video on that topic for more details! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIqYgYOtq5eBbqc

[@apanoiu]

Please add quantities in metric system(grams) and/or percentages for your European viewers. Especially on sugar added. I am brewing with 8-10% sugar on the first fermentation stage. At room temperature it is ready after a week(it is a tiny bit sweet)

[@privateprivate9285]

Hi, guidance please. I had so many scobies that they out lived my huge scoby hotel. I had to do something about it. I pureed half of them and keep the puree in a lid container in the fridge. 1. Will this scoby puree last? If so how long? Impossible to use so much scoby puree in a short space of time. Will it grow mold? Will it go bad? Do you know? Can you help?

[@aishamohammed7406]

Amazing thank you 🙏 But what’s a scopy and how do I make my starter tea please

[@danieldinicolantonio7872]

Hey thx for the informative video, but there is a lot of controversy out there on if you should use cheese cloth to cover your first ferment, what do you usually use, and is it that serious what you use on top of your first ferment.

[@YouBrewKombucha]

I think the controversy around cheese cloth centers around the fact that there are a few types of cheese cloth with different weaves, and if people use one with a more open/loose-weave, it sort of defeats the purpose because dust/insects can easily burrow into the cloth and get into the kombucha. I always recommend using tight-weave cheese cloth, but honestly any clean, tight-weave fabric will do. I even cut up old cotton t-shirts and use those as vessel covers.

[@DebbieD7777]

Can you tell me how many tea bags to use

[@ivyherstory]

We used two bags per cup of water, 4 cups of boiled water = 8 tea bags. We then added 8 cups of chilled water.

[@bkjan4282]

Hello, I love your whole series of videos. I live in Melbourne, Australia and 1/2 the year it can get very cold here, winters are about 12 degrees celsius during daytime, with overnight temps about 2 to 8 degrees. Should I purchase a heating mat for my kombucha to get it to the correct temperature.

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

If they can't live at the proper temp inside, then yes. They can't grow in cold temps.

[@JaimeRosario884]

dont put hot things in the fridge to cool down, the temperature of the fridge will go up a few degrees and things in the fridge will start to go bad faster, specially the things closer to the hot object

[@cormacbrady2177]

Thanks. U r correct my husband is a chef.

[@garrettmiller6667]

I used black tea to build my Scoby. Am I allowed to use green tea for when I put the scoby into new tea to create kombucha?

[@perrinemalivert800]

hello, i ve read that if you use green tea you have to use half green tea bags and half black tea bags and you have to do it not very often. apparently black tea is better

[@Johnnywithoutaface]

Can you just throw some leaves and a scoby in some sugar water and cold brew it during first fermentation? That way you can still make it if you don't have time to boil water one day?

[@stephanieoconnell7646]

Firstly, thank you for literally having advice for every situation with Kombucha! If you cut this recipe in half do you still do 3/4 cup of sugar?

[@lindsaywilliambrown808]

No, the ratio is what you are looking for.

[@javajo9197]

Good Morning! I've been reading that a pellicle is not required to make your first brew. Can you simply put in double to amount of store bought raw komboucha?

[@janeroque4733]

Best video I found!!! A question, what types of Tea is good to use?

[@YouBrewKombucha]

Check out my video on tea! Thanks for watching 💕

[@OverJam52]

I wish this was converted to metric system cause I have no idea what cups and Fahrenheits are. Yes, I have Google, and I will use it, but it would’ve been a good idea to facilitate the process to 90% of the world using the metric system ;-)

[@MirelAngelheart]

I so agree. It would help with following the video more seamlessly and not loose thread. Just a couple of typed characters while editing.

[@AECommonThread2137]

I agree with your idea/addition, and you said you'll use google which is great! I am from US and often use our standard system, however, I have purposely started recording everything in the metric system for various projects of all sorts so I can just know both like the back of my hand. Learning harder/newer things creates neuro plasticity and the fact it is more difficult really yields the best brain development. I have a passion for learning most things I don't understand and it has given my life and understanding such rich complexities and intuitive processing. That said, it brings a sense of joy to tackle things like that head on as if it is a great opportunity to be mindful and treat challenges as the best teachers. This philosophy has made it so I am very very rarely upset, annoyed, or discouraged - all while handling any situation with some sort of resolve, even if my internet goes out or I am stuck somewhere without the aid of Google.

[@I2AmUS]

I am happy that you just put the recipe out there young lady. Thank you very much and I will not complain❤❤❤

[@versatilecraft]

Same. I have give up on most recipes from US because of this

[@mrzif0013]

I got so many scobes now. My hotel is full. I do not carbonate. I am using fruit flavored teas and am successful. I strain my kombucha from the hotel. Thanks for the vids. Have you tried a bubbler vs coffee filters?

[@nathanbais]

I’m not sure if this question has been asked but could I use a cold brew tea to add to the process instead of heating it up? Thanks!

[@lykri3350]

My first ferment is really fizzy. The key is to remove the scoby and then stir it up gently. A head should form because you are stirring up all the yeast and microbes that lay on the bottom of the jar.

[@bkjan4282]

Excellent presenter and very knowledgeable, well done.