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1
Heat 6 cups of the water in a stainless steel saucepan to 212F over medium heat.
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2
Remove from the heat, add the tea, stir well, and cover.
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3
Steep for 4 minutes, stirring once after 2 minutes.
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4
Remove the tea bags or pour the tea through a colander or fine-mesh strainer into a second pot.
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5
Compost the tea.
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Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
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Add the remaining 8 cups of water to cool the tea to about room temperature (72F or cooler).
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8
Add 2 cups of the starter tea and stir.
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9
Pour into a 1-gallon jar.
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With rinsed hands, carefully lay the SCOBY on the surface of the tea.
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Cover the opening of the jar with a clean cotton cloth and hold it in place with a rubber band.
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Place the jar in a warm spot (72F to 78F) out of direct sunlight and leave undisturbed to ferment for 7 days.
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13
Taste your kombucha using a straw.
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14
Does it taste too sweet?
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15
Let it go a few more days before tasting again.
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16
Is it sufficiently tart, and you love it?
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17
Time for the next step.
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18
Carefully remove the SCOBY with rinsed hands and place it on a clean porcelain or glass plate or bowl bathed in kombucha.
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19
This will be your culture for the next batch.
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20
If immediately proceeding with another batch, reserve about 2 cups of the finished kombucha for the starter tea of your next brew.
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Add the pomegranate juice to the fermented kombucha tea.
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22
Stir gently.
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Using a funnel and a spouted measuring cup (for easy pouring), fill your bottles with the flavored kombucha, leaving about 1 inch of air space in the neck of the bottle.
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As you pour, you may want to use a fine-mesh strainer to filter out yeast strands.
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25
Cap tightly.
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Your kombucha is ready to drink, but if you prefer a more carbonated beverage, proceed to the next step.
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27
To begin the optional secondary fermentation process, simply store the capped bottles in a warm dry place (72F to 78F is best) for 48 hours.
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28
Be aware that the sugars present will add fuel to the fermentation action in the bottle, which will increase the pressure inside the bottles.
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After 48 hours, chill one of the bottles for at least 6 hours.
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30
Crack it open and pour it into a glass.
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31
If it effervesces, youve done it!
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If you want more carbonation, let it go for a few more days and test again with another chilled bottle.
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When youre pleased with the carbonation, refrigerate all the bottles to end the fermentation.
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34
Starter Tea
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35
Starter tea is previously brewed kombucha or store-bought raw kombucha with no flavorings or infusions (essentially as close as possible to a traditional plain kombucha).
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It is added to freshly brewed sweetened tea to lower the pH and introduce a plethora of beneficial yeasts and bacteria to help kick-start the
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37
fermentation process.
