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Difficulty: Easy
Fermentation: 3w
How to Grow a SCOBY from Scratch for Kombucha
Learn to cultivate your own kombucha SCOBY from scratch using just store-bought kombucha and sweet tea. Perfect for beginners wanting to start their kombucha journey without buying a starter culture.
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Recipe by Ori Iscovici
Published
Make It Yours
Recipe by: Ori Iscovici
Published: 1/16/2026
Your fermentation journey0 / 19 items
Ingredients: 0/4Steps: 0/15
Recipe Overview
Total Time
Prep: 20m • Cook: 10m • Rest: 30m
Servings
1 people
Difficulty
Easy
Fermentation
3w
Dietary Information
Vegan
Gluten-Free
Ingredients
ingredients0 / 4
7 cups (1.65 liters) Filtered or spring water1/2 cup (100g) Organic cane sugar4 tea bags or 4 teaspoons loose leaf Black tea bags or loose leaf black tea1 cup (240ml) Raw, unflavored kombucha (store-bought)
Instructions
Enjoy the process
steps0 / 15
Understanding SCOBY Growth
Growing a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) from scratch is one of the most rewarding fermentation experiences. You're literally cultivating life! This process takes patience, but watching your SCOBY form is magical. The culture will start as a thin film and gradually thicken over 1-4 weeks.
Preparing Your Workspace
Before you begin, thoroughly clean your hands and all equipment with hot, soapy water. Rinse well to remove any soap residue. You don't need to sterilize - kombucha cultures are robust and will outcompete most unwanted bacteria - but cleanliness helps ensure success.
Set up in a location with stable temperature between 68-78°F (20-26°C). Avoid direct sunlight, but some ambient light is fine.
Making the Sweet Tea Base
1
Boil the water: Bring 7 cups of filtered water to a rolling boil in a clean pot. This serves two purposes: it brews the tea and eliminates any potential contaminants.
2
Steep the tea: Remove from heat and add your 4 tea bags or loose leaf tea. Let steep for 7-10 minutes for a strong brew. The tannins in black tea provide nutrients that help your SCOBY thrive.
3
Add the sugar: Remove the tea bags (or strain out loose leaf) and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar until completely dissolved. The sugar feeds the culture - don't reduce it or use substitutes at this stage.
4
Cool completely: This is crucial! Let the sweet tea cool to room temperature (68-75°F / 20-24°C). Never add the kombucha starter to hot liquid as temperatures above 90°F (32°C) can kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast. This cooling process typically takes 30-60 minutes. You can speed it up by placing the pot in an ice bath.
Starting Your SCOBY Culture
5
Combine in your jar: Pour the cooled sweet tea into a clean 1/2 gallon (2-liter) glass jar. Add the entire cup of store-bought raw kombucha, including any stringy bits or sediment at the bottom - these contain the active cultures you need.
6
Cover properly: Cover the jar opening with a tight-weave cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel secured with a rubber band. Do not use a solid lid - your growing SCOBY needs oxygen to form properly. The cover keeps out fruit flies and dust while allowing airflow.
7
Find the perfect spot: Place your jar in a warm location (68-78°F / 20-26°C) away from direct sunlight. A kitchen counter away from the stove works well. Cooler temperatures will slow growth; warmer speeds it up.
The Waiting Period: What to Expect
8
Observe without disturbing: For the first 5-7 days, you might not see much happening. Then, a thin, translucent film will begin forming on the surface. This is your baby SCOBY! It may look cloudy, patchy, or uneven at first - this is completely normal.
9
Watch it thicken: Over 2-4 weeks, the SCOBY will gradually thicken to about 1/4 inch (6mm). You might see:
Brown stringy bits: Yeast strands - totally normal and healthy
Bubbles underneath: CO2 from fermentation - a good sign
Creamy white to beige color: Healthy SCOBY coloring
10
Resist the urge to peek: Try not to move or jostle the jar during the first 2 weeks. Moving it can disrupt SCOBY formation. It's okay to look, but don't stir or disturb the surface.
Knowing When Your SCOBY Is Ready
11
Check for readiness: Your SCOBY is ready to use when it's at least 1/4 inch (6mm) thick and covers most of the liquid's surface. This typically takes 2-4 weeks, depending on temperature. A thinner SCOBY will work, but a thicker one is more robust.
12
Taste test: The liquid beneath should taste tart and vinegary - this is now your starter tea for your first batch of kombucha! If it still tastes sweet, give it more time.
Troubleshooting Common Concerns
No SCOBY forming after 2 weeks? Check your temperature - it may be too cool. Move to a warmer spot. Also ensure your store-bought kombucha was truly raw and unpasteurized.
Mold (fuzzy, colored spots)? This is rare but possible. True mold is fuzzy and usually green, black, or white with colored spots. If you see this, discard everything and start over. Yeast (brown, stringy) is not mold.
SCOBY sank? No problem! A new one will form on the surface. You can have multiple SCOBY layers.
Strange smell? Kombucha should smell pleasantly tangy and slightly vinegary. A strong vinegar smell means it's very fermented but still usable. Rotten or foul smells indicate contamination - start over.
Using Your New SCOBY
13
Harvest carefully: With clean hands, gently lift your new SCOBY out of the jar. It will be slippery! Place it in a clean bowl.
14
Reserve starter tea: Pour out 1-2 cups of the liquid from your SCOBY-growing jar. This is potent starter tea that will help acidify your first batch of kombucha and protect it from contamination.
15
Begin brewing: You're now ready to make your first batch of kombucha! Your SCOBY will continue to grow and thicken with each batch. Many brewers keep a "SCOBY hotel" with extras in starter tea as backup.
A Note of Encouragement
Growing your first SCOBY is a beautiful lesson in patience and trust. You're working with wild cultures that have sustained humans for thousands of years. Each SCOBY is unique - yours might look different from pictures you've seen online, and that's perfectly okay. Trust the process, watch for the signs of healthy fermentation, and soon you'll have a thriving culture that can provide you with probiotic-rich kombucha for years to come. Welcome to the wonderful world of kombucha brewing!
