Kombucha, a tangy, fizzy fermented tea, has captured the attention of health enthusiasts across the world. In India, it has made its way into cafes and grocery stores, but at a steep cost—bottles often range between ₹250 and ₹400. Brewing your own kombucha at home offers a far more economical solution, with costs dropping to just ₹10–₹15 per serving. Beyond the savings, the DIY process lets you control the ingredients, ensuring a healthier drink free from preservatives and excess sugar. You can also infuse it with flavours that you like, whether it’s ginger, tulsi, or fruit blends like mango or guava.
Making kombucha at home involves fermenting sweetened tea with a SCOBY—a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast that works its magic over time. The process is surprisingly simple and requires little more than tea, sugar, and patience.
Kombucha SCOBY (Credit: Alvarez/Getty Images)Also read: The 'plant' doctor will see you now
Step-by-step guide
To start with, the tea is brewed, sweetened, and allowed to cool. You can use black or green tea, but make sure to brew a big old batch of it, and add sufficient sugar (usually a fourth of a cup of sugar for one litre of tea). Kombucha is brewed pretty much like any other fermented drink: the microbes in your brew need sugars to feed on, so they can release molecules and proteins that fizz up your brew. But they can only feed on cane sugar–so don’t swap it out for any other sweeteners. The tea will cool down, and that’s when you add the SCOBY to it. This is a gelatinous, fairly cloudy slab of microbes that will feel slimy to the touch. You can find SCOBY online (in SCOBY kits) or even get them from friends who regularly brew kombucha. Along with the SCOBY, add some starter tea–a small amount of store-bought, unflavoured kombucha. If this reminds you of setting aside milk in a dark corner of your kitchen to turn it into dahi, it’s because both processes follow the exact same science: just like you’d add one spoon of microbe-filled dahi to milk and start an infinite chain of homemade curd, you can keep aside some unflavoured kombucha from your brewing batch and keep adding it, as a starter, for your future batches!
Brewing kombucha doesn’t take too long–compare it to vinegars, which sour away for months before you can use them!–but if you want to cook up a flavoured kombucha, it does take two phases. The first phase is to ferment the sweet tea into kombucha and the second, shorter phase is to flavour it with fruits.
The first fermentation (F1) takes place over seven to 10 days, with the bacteria and yeast transforming the sugary tea into a probiotic-rich, slightly sour beverage. Make sure you store your clean glass jar of tea and SCOBY in a cool, dark corner (ideally, 20-26° C); avoid direct sunlight or drafty spots.
First phase of fermentation (Credit: Alvarez/Getty Images)The length of fermentation determines its taste—shorter brews are sweeter, while longer ones have a tangier, almost vinegary kick.
The second phase of fermentation (F2) is optional, but fairly straightforward if you wish to infuse flavour into your kombucha. To begin with, remove the SCOBY from your kombucha, and strain the liquid. Divvy it up into small batches that you want to flavour, and go ahead and add your flavourings: fruit pieces or juices; pieces of ginger or herbs; spices like cinnamon, cardamom etc. Transfer these batches into clean, air-tight bottles, leaving some room at the top. This phase requires you to ferment the drink again for about two to five days, so a lot of fizz will form: that’s why the room at the top. In fact, one crucial step in this process is to “burp” the bottles daily. Quite literally, you are required to slowly open the bottle caps and release the gas before screwing it tight again. Five days of this, and you’ll have a flavoured, fizzy drink.
Second phase of fermentation (Credit: Alvarez/Getty Images)When you’re happy with the flavour and carbonation, remember to store your kombucha in refrigerators–not just for it to chill, but also because this will finally stop the fermentation and carbonation process.
Great for gut and environment
Brewing at home also has an environmental edge. By reusing jars and bottles, you cut down on the plastic waste associated with store-bought drinks. For Indian kitchens, where sustainability and frugality are often part of daily life, this is an added advantage. Plus, the joy of nurturing your own SCOBY and watching the tea evolve into kombucha can be immensely satisfying—it’s like a living science project in your kitchen.
However, there are a few precautions to keep in mind. Cleanliness is crucial, as contaminated equipment can lead to mold or harmful bacteria. Always use sterilised jars and utensils to ensure a safe brew. If you notice fuzzy mold growing on the surface—a rare but possible issue—it’s best to discard the batch and start over. Additionally, kombucha is naturally fizzy, so bottles need to be sealed tightly during secondary fermentation to trap the carbonation. This step requires careful monitoring to prevent over-fermentation, which can lead to pressure build-up in bottles.
Also read: The fragile future of Guchi mushrooms
The health benefits of kombucha make it worth the effort. It’s loaded with probiotics that improve gut health and digestion, and its antioxidants may help reduce inflammation. It’s also a great alternative to sugary sodas and energy drinks, offering a natural caffeine kick with minimal calories. For those wary of sugary beverages, homemade kombucha provides the ability to control the sweetness, especially important for people managing diabetes or simply aiming to reduce sugar intake. It’s important to note, though, that you can’t actually brew kombucha without sugar, or even with less sugar–the microbes need enough to feed on. So, the way to control sweetness is to monitor for how long you ferment your kombucha – the longer the brew, the more sugar will be consumed by the microbes, and the less there will be for you. By some estimates, fermenting kombucha for about 50 days removes all the sugar in it.
While the process may seem intimidating at first, kombucha brewing is forgiving and adaptable to Indian kitchens. You don’t need specialised equipment—just a large glass jar, a breathable cloth to cover it, and bottles for storing the finished product. With just a little practice, you’ll have a refreshing, healthful drink that’s not only easy on your wallet but also packed with flavour and probiotics.
Brewing kombucha at home isn’t just about health or saving money—it’s a step towards a more intentional way of living. By taking control of what you consume, you create a drink that’s uniquely yours, while reducing reliance on packaged goods. For those looking to embrace healthier habits without breaking the bank, kombucha offers an easy, rewarding start.
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