Grow Your Own Kombucha SCOBY

What Is a SCOBY?

If you want to make homemade kombucha, you have to start with a SCOBY: A Symbiotic Combination of Bacteria and Yeast. Some folks refer to this kombucha starter as a "mushroom." It doesn't have anything to do with fungi.

A SCOBY appears as a thin membrane that floats on the top of brewing kombucha and continues to grow and reproduce as you make subsequent batches.

You can buy these online or procure one from a friend, but you can also grow your own using a store-bought bottle of kombucha!

Any kombucha that states on the label that it is "raw" should develop a SCOBY of it's own under the right conditions.

How to Grow Your Own SCOBY

1. Choose a kombucha. If you can find it, get a plain variety with no flavoring added. Some stores don't carry plain kombucha so choose a flavor that has the least sediment in it. For example, I would not choose kombucha with chia seed added for this project. Look for something relatively clear.

2. Pour the kombucha into a glass jar. Cover with a cloth and secure with a rubber band. This allows the brew to "breath" but keeps insects and dust out.

Set your jar in a warm, dark location where it will be disturbed as little as possible.

Leave for about 5 days.

3. Check your kombucha to see if a SCOBY has formed. You'll be able to see this by tipping the jar a little or removing the cloth and observing. If no SCOBY has formed, let it sit for another few days. Continue checking until you have a substantial SCOBY for your brewing!






4. Use your new SCOBY to brew a batch of kombucha.and use the kombucha that you grew it in to inoculate the new batch!

A Beautiful, New SCOBY!

For information on making kombucha, check out this

basic kombucha recipe.

For tips on speeding up your kombucha making, read
So You Think You Don't Have Time to Make Kombucha?