Prepare the Tea Base

• Boil 1 gallon of water in a large pot.
• Once boiling, add 5-6 tea bags (or loose-leaf tea). Let it steep for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves. Stir in 1 cup of sugar while the tea is still hot, dissolving it completely.
• Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature (important to avoid killing the SCOBY).
• Set Up the Continuous Brew Vessel
• Fill a 1-gallon glass jar with the cooled tea.
• Add about 1 cup of kombucha from a previous batch (or store-bought kombucha) as a starter liquid. This helps to lower the pH, preventing harmful bacteria from growing and giving the new batch a jump-start.
• Gently add the SCOBY into the jar.
• Cover the jar with a cloth (to allow airflow while keeping out contaminants) and secure it with a rubber band or string.
• Fermentation Process
• Let the kombucha ferment at room temperature (ideally between 70-85°F / 21-29°C) for 7-10 days. During this time, the yeast and bacteria in the SCOBY will convert the sugar into alcohol and acids, creating the familiar tangy taste of kombucha.
• Taste the kombucha after about 5-7 days to check the flavor. If it’s too sweet, leave it to ferment longer. If it’s too sour, it’s ready for bottling.
• If you find that the kombucha has become too strong, you can add fresh tea and sugar to dilute it.
• Continuous Brewing: Topping Off
• Once you’ve removed some kombucha for bottling (leaving about 1-2 cups behind), refill the jar with fresh, sweetened tea (1 gallon of cooled tea per 1 gallon of kombucha). This process keeps the SCOBY healthy and continually active.
• Each time you add fresh tea, ensure it’s cooled to room temperature before adding it to the brew vessel.
• The more you brew, the better your SCOBY will grow, and the more efficient your continuous brew system becomes.
• Flavoring (Optional)
• After your kombucha has fermented for 7-10 days and you've decided it's reached the right balance of sweetness and tang, you can bottle it.
• You can flavor it during the secondary fermentation phase. Add fruits (e.g., berries, ginger, citrus slices) or herbs to individual bottles, then pour the kombucha into them.
• Seal the bottles tightly and leave them at room temperature for 2-5 days to carbonate.
• After secondary fermentation, refrigerate the bottles to stop the fermentation process.
• Enjoying & Maintaining the Continuous Brew
• As you bottle kombucha, always leave at least 1-2 cups of kombucha in the jar to act as the starter liquid for the next batch.
• With continuous brewing, you’ll never run out of kombucha. Just keep topping off with fresh tea and sugar, and your SCOBY will continue to thrive.
• If your kombucha becomes too vinegary over time, you can give the batch a longer break between top-offs or slightly reduce the fermentation time for a milder flavor.