You would like to produce kombucha at home, but you do not possess a SCOBY. Fear not! Without the jelly-like lump fermentos frescos, you can still make this acidic, bubbly drink. Let’s go straight ahead.
Get some black or green tea first thing in the morning. This is going to be your kombucha’s foundation. Change them up if you’re feeling daring! After bringing 4 cups of water to a boil, steep 4–5 tea bags for around 10 minutes. After then, take out the tea bags and add in one cup of sugar, stirring until it melts completely. I understand your concern, though: sugar in a health beverage? I assure you that during fermentation, the bacteria and yeast will devour it.
Let’s now discuss how to start those beneficial bacteria without the use of a SCOBY. For your starter, you’ll need a bottle of raw kombucha that you purchased from the shop. We need those live cultures to be active, so make sure it’s flavorless and unpasteurized.
Now, in a large glass jar or bowl, blend your sweetened tea with roughly 12 cups of cold water. Two cups of the store-bought kombucha should be added to this blend. Dust or any inquisitive insects will be kept out of the top by covering it with a fresh cloth or a coffee filter fastened with a rubber band.
Choose a warm location that isn’t in direct sunlight for your brew. This requires patience, so give it a full seven to ten days to sit undisturbed. Periodically check to see if that familiar sour fragrance is starting to develop.
As you wait, you may notice something beginning to develop on top—that’s the baby SCOBY making its appearance! Congratulations on creating your own symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. You deserve a slap on the back.
When the flavor reaches the ideal balance between sweetness and sourness, it’s time to bottle it for the subsequent fermentation stage. Using a funnel, transfer your kombucha into bottles, allowing a gap for carbonation of about one inch at the top.
The tasty part is about to begin! Add whatever fruit that catches your attention, such as bits of mango or berries, herbs like mint or basil, or even spices like ginger or cinnamon sticks! For an additional three to seven days, leave the bottles well sealed and at room temperature to develop some fizz.
After secondary fermentation, use caution while opening these bottles since they have the potential to explode! Avoid anything brittle, just like when you open a bottle of champagne.
To drink your handmade elixir, place them in the refrigerator to cool. Now you have some incredibly cool kombucha that doesn’t use SCOBY!
This concludes our simple guide to making kombucha without requiring the slimy disc right away. All you have to do is be patient and let nature take its course as you unwind.
Hey, in case someone wonders how you managed without a SCOBY, here it is. Say it’s all part of the magic with a knowing smile!
