Fermentation guide

Home-brewed kombucha starts with a good foundation. Here you will find help for your first batch, advice on choosing your tea, bottling tips and background on what your culture does.

Your first kombucha

Gather your equipment. You need a living culture with starter liquid, tea, sugar, water and a suitable glass jar with a clean cloth cover.
Follow your starter’s recipe. Stick to the stated amounts and starting volume. Let the tea cool before adding the living culture.
Get to know your brew. Follow the directions for fermentation and storage. To add fizz afterwards, read the bottling article below first.

Need a culture? Explore BiomeBrew starters on Etsy.

Jar of kombucha — read what happens during fermentation

What happens in your kombucha?

How do yeasts and bacteria work together? Explore changes in sugars, acids and aromas, and learn how to interpret research about kombucha.

Fizzy kombucha — read about bottling and second fermentation

Bottling and fizz

From your first fermentation to a fizzy brew: learn how bottles, flavourings, sugar, pressure and refrigeration fit together.

Honey — read about the difference between kombucha and Jun

Kombucha or Jun?

Sugar or honey, black or green tea: compare ingredients and flavour experiences, while distinguishing what brewers observe from what has been measured.

Green tea leaves — read which tea you can use for kombucha

Which tea for kombucha?

Green, black or something completely different? Read what tea does to your kombucha, discover my favourite flavours for bottling and keep your own brewing journal.

Can’t find your topic?

Missing a topic in the guide? Or unsure about your starter, the flavour or what you see in the jar? Feel free to email your question to info@biomebrew.nl. A photo and some details about your recipe and temperature help me take a closer look.

Ask Joey