Category: Kombucha Questions Answered

Is it really necessary to use both a scoby and starter tea?

A question from the mailbag!

So. Why do we need both? If the scoby contains all the microbes we need, why do we need to add starter tea? And if the starter tea contains all the microbes we need, why do we need a scoby at all?

Basically it boils down to efficiency, and preventing contamination. Continue reading “Do I need starter tea AND a scoby when brewing kombucha?”

How do I make a kombucha scoby from scratch?

Growing your own scoby from scratch using purchased kombucha is a pretty straightforward process, so long as you’ve got the basics right! Read on for the details of how to make a DIY kombucha scoby when you can’t find a fresh one. Continue reading “How do I grow a scoby from store-bought kombucha?”

What do I do with my Scobys when I want a break from making kombucha?

Well, the first question to ask yourself is how long a break do you want? Are you going on holiday for a couple of weeks and need to know that your scoby will still be alive when you come back? Or are you looking for a longer break? Maybe you like kombucha as a summer drink, but just don’t drink cold drinks during winter, so you want to keep your scoby safe through winter until springtime.

For short breaks, you can just put all your scobys together into a big jar of sweet tea on the bench – just like brewing kombucha, but for longer.

This is called a scoby hotel. It is a good solution for short or medium term storage (up to about six months).

Keep reading for how to make a scoby hotel, and also how to store your scoby for longer periods of time. Continue reading “How to make a Scoby Hotel”

Recently I’ve seen an article or two being shared around Facebook talking about the perils of plastic leaching from teabags, so I decided to have a little bit of a closer look. Continue reading “Is it OK to use teabags to brew the tea for my kombucha?”