If you’ve ever sipped a fizzy, tangy glass of kombucha and thought, “I’d love to make this at home”,  you’re in the right place. Brewing kombucha is simple, rewarding, and a brilliant way to connect with living food.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to start your own homemade kombucha; it is, to how to make it safely and flavour it beautifully. We’ll also share the best products to get you started, available right here at Symbiota.

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea made with sweet tea, a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), and time.
During fermentation, the SCOBY feeds on the organic sugar, transforming your tea into a lightly carbonated, tangy, probiotic drink filled with beneficial acids, enzymes, and live cultures.

The result?
A refreshing, slightly tart drink that supports gut health, digestion, and immune balance and tastes amazing when infused with fruits, herbs, and spices.

What You’ll Need to Make Kombucha at Home

Making kombucha doesn’t require any fancy equipment. To keep it easy, we’ve gathered everything in our Kombucha Kit, perfect for beginners.

Here’s your basic setup for 1L:

Kombucha SCOBY (or Large Kombucha SCOBY if brewing bigger batches)
Organic tea: black, green, or a blend
Organic sugar (the SCOBY’s food source)
A large glass jar

A clean cloth or paper towel and rubber band (to cover the jar)
Starter liquid (from a previous batch or store-bought unflavoured kombucha)
Patience (fermentation magic takes about 7–14 days)

Step 1: Brew the Tea Base

Start by making your sweet tea.

1. Boil 750ml litre of filtered water.
   
   

2. Add 2 teabags of organic tea and steep for 5–10 minutes.
   
   

3. Stir in 1/4 cup of organic sugar until fully dissolved.
   
   

4. Let it cool to room temperature.
   
   

Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before adding your SCOBY. Heat can damage the delicate cultures.

Step 2: Add Your SCOBY and Starter

Once the tea is cool, pour it into your clean glass jar. Add:

• Your Kombucha SCOBY
  
  

• About 1/2 cup of starter liquid (from a previous batch or your kombucha kit)
  
  

Cover the jar with a breathable cloth secured with a rubber band or use our elasticated cotton top.

This allows airflow while keeping dust and fruit flies out.

Place your jar in a warm, shaded spot, ideally around 22–26°C and let the fermentation begin.

Step 3: First Fermentation (5–14 Days)

Now the SCOBY gets to work. Over the next week or two, it’ll consume the sugar, producing healthy organic acids, B vitamins, and carbonation.

Taste your brew each day from day 5 onwards. When it is slightly sweeter than how you’d like to drinks it, it is the perfect time to stop the first stage fermentation. 

If it’s too sweet, give it a few more days.
If it’s pleasantly tangy and slightly sweet, it’s ready for the next step!

Temperature affects fermentation speed - cooler kitchens take longer, while warmer ones speed things up.

Step 4: Second Fermentation: Flavour and Fizz

Once your base kombucha tastes just right, it’s time to add flavour and fizz it up.

Pour your kombucha (leaving the SCOBY and a cup of starter tea behind) into swing-top bottles. Add your chosen flavourings this is where Symbiota Fruit Infusions make life easy and ferments delicious!

Try:

• Raspberry & Strawberry Infusion
  
  

• Lemon & Ginger
  
  

• Peach, apple & elderberry
  
  

Add 1–2 tablespoons of fruit infusion or fresh fruit per bottle, then seal and ferment for another 2–4 days at room temperature.
This is when the bubbles form naturally.

After a few days, refrigerate your bottles to slow fermentation and enjoy your homemade kombucha chilled.

Step 5: Care for Your SCOBY

After each brew, remove your SCOBY and about 1 cup of starter liquid to reuse for your next batch.
Keep it healthy by:

• Storing it in a SCOBY hotel (a jar with some kombucha and your SCOBYs submerged)
  
  

• Avoiding metal utensils (they can harm the culture)
  
  

• Feeding it regularly (don’t leave it unfed for months)
  
  

If you’re expanding your brew setup, our Large Kombucha SCOBY is ideal for scaling up your batches.

Why Make Kombucha at Home?

1. Better for your gut
   Homemade kombucha contains live, active cultures, often far more than store-bought versions that have been sitting in bottles.
   
   

2. Customise your flavours
   Experiment endlessly with fruit infusions, herbs, or even edible flowers.
   
   

3. Save money
   Brewing at home costs just a fraction of buying bottled kombucha.
   
   

4. Sustainable
   Reuse jars, bottles, and SCOBYs, no single-use packaging or transport footprint.
   
   

5. It’s fun!
   Watching your SCOBY grow, bubble, and thrive connects you to a living process that’s both ancient and creative.
   
   

The Science Behind Kombucha

Kombucha’s power lies in its symbiotic culture; a blend of bacteria and yeast that transforms sweet tea into a probiotic beverage.

Here’s what happens inside your jar:

• Yeast converts sugar into alcohol.
  
  

• Bacteria then convert that alcohol into organic acids (like acetic and gluconic acid).
  
  

• The result is a lightly acidic drink that naturally preserves itself, teeming with beneficial microbes that support digestion, immunity, and detoxification.
  
  

These same compounds may help balance your gut microbiome — which influences everything from energy levels to mood.

 Choosing the Right Ingredients

Your kombucha is only as good as what goes into it.

• Tea: Use high-quality organic tea. Avoid flavoured teas with oils or additives, as they can harm your SCOBY.
  
  

• Sugar: Feed your SCOBY with organic sugar- it’s the yeast’s energy source and gets mostly consumed during fermentation.
  
  

• Water: Filtered or chlorine-free water is essential. Chlorine can disrupt fermentation.
  
  

At Symbiota, we use organic, non-GMO ingredients that ensure your microbes thrive, not just survive.

New to Fermentation? Learn with Us!

If you’re feeling unsure or want to master kombucha-making from the ground up, our Kombucha Course is the perfect next step.
You’ll learn:

• The science behind fermentation
  
  

• How to troubleshoot common issues (like mould or weak fizz)
  
  

• Creative flavouring and bottling techniques
  
  

• How to maintain healthy SCOBYs for years
  
  

It’s a fun, practical way to become confident with live cultures and fermentation, perfect for anyone who loves real food and wants to take control of their gut health.

Troubleshooting Common Kombucha Problems

Remember, practice makes perfect. Each batch teaches you more about your environment and microbes.

Storage Tips

Once bottled, store kombucha in the fridge to slow fermentation and maintain freshness.
Keep sealed to preserve carbonation, and consume within 4–6 weeks for best flavour.

Why Kombucha Fits Symbiota’s Philosophy

At Symbiota, we believe in reconnecting with food that’s alive, food that supports your body’s natural balance.
Kombucha is the perfect example: a simple, ancient ferment that turns basic ingredients into something extraordinary.

When you brew your own, you’re not just making a drink, you’re cultivating life.

Explore our full range of kombucha essentials:

• Kombucha Kit- everything you need to start
  
  

• Kombucha SCOBY or Large SCOBY - the heart of every brew
  
  

• Organic Tea - for a clean, robust base
  
  

• Organic Sugar - pure energy for your microbes
  
  

• Fruit Infusions - flavour inspiration for your second ferment
  
  

• Kombucha Course- learn, brew, and grow your skills
  
  

Homemade kombucha is more than a probiotic drink, it’s a living connection between you and nature’s microbes.
It’s sustainable, affordable, and endlessly creative. Whether you love it for the health benefits, the ritual, or the flavour, brewing your own kombucha brings a sense of calm and curiosity to everyday life.

So grab your Kombucha Kit, meet your SCOBY, and start fermenting your way to better gut health and glowing vitality — one bubbly bottle at a time.