Do you already make a basic kombucha recipe, but wish you could easily make more than a gallon at a time? If so, this advanced kombucha recipe plus video series is for you!
The technique I’ve developed for brewing many gallons of kombucha at once involves making a sweetened tea concentrate that you can use to make as many gallons as you like in a single batch. To prevent mold because cold water is mixed with the concentrate, extra starter is used.
I’ve also included the written recipe for those of you who wish to jump right in!
If you wish to add additional fizz to your finished brew, know that you can bottle it. This recipe plus video shows you how to bottle fermented beverages to add that additional carbonation everyone loves.
Advanced Kombucha Recipe
How to make huge batches of kombucha by making this recipe for sweet tea concentrate.
Ingredients
- 3 2.5 gallon glass jugs
- 1 16+ quart stockpot
- 15 quarts filtered water
- 7 cups white cane sugar preferably organic
- 28 black teabags or 28 tsp black tea, preferably organic
- 3 floursack cloths
- 3 large rubber bands
Instructions
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Bring15 quarts of water in large stockpot to a boil.
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Add cane sugar, stir, and continue to boil for 5 minutes.
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Remove stockpot from heat and add tea.
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Steep for 10 minutes.
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After steeping, remove teabags or if using bulk tea, strain out tea.
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Divide sweet tea concentrate into large 2.5 gallon jars. This will be 5 quarts per jar.
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Add 2 quarts cold filtered water to each jar. This will total 7 quarts of liquid per jar. Stir.
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Let cool for 2-3 hours until tea water comes to body temperature.
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Add 2 cups of starter per jar, stir, and place SCOBY on top.
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Cover with clean floursack cloth and secure with a rubberband.
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Place jars carefully in a quiet part of the house away from the kitchen. The top of a cabinet or dresser in a guest room is a good place. Do not put in a closet.
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After 7-10 days or when a new SCOBY that is at least 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick has grown on top, the kombucha is ready to drink.
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Repeat process to make the next batch after refrigerating kombucha in glass jars and washing out the containers with mild soap and warm water.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Half green tea bags or bulk green tea may be substituted for half the black tea. Do not use all green tea as the brew will not take properly. If you wish to use all green tea, then brew Jun tea.ย
Kombucha FAQ
Want to know more about this age old fermented drink? ย These articles provide more detail for your research.
Fluoride in Kombucha: Should You Be Concerned?
Why You Are Addicted to Store Kombucha
Never Pack Commercial Kombucha in a Child’s Lunchbox
GTs Kombucha Now Labeled as Alcoholic!
7 Common Kombucha Myths
Can Candida Sufferers Drink Kombucha?
Kombucha: What it is and How to Make it
Does Kombucha Tea Prevent Grey Hair?
Batch vs Continuous Brew Kombucha
Have You Tried Kombucha?
Safe Traveling with Kombucha
Kombucha on Mars
Kombucha Tea: Drink It and Wear It?
I am going to try to make my own kombucha soon (need to gather supplies) and was wondering what you think of growing your own culture from a store bought bottle as I’ve seen this online and seems best option (getting from a friend might be possible but I just moved so don’t know many ppl and would be hard to verify if they treat their SCOBY in the manner you teach). Also should any flavorings- in particular fresh ginger- be brewed with the initial tea or afterwards? THX!
One Tablespoon is 3 Teaspoons, NOT 2.
listen to it again, she says One TBS is “3” tsp. B4 that statement she did say divide 28 tea bags by 2 because we are using half green tea and half black tea so that is where you heard her state the number 2.
Hi Sarah,
I have a large glass jar with a stainless spout. Is it ok to use for my kombucha?
Thanks, Ellen
From what I have heard in Sarah’s videos, kombucha SHOULD NOT come in contact with stainless steel or plastic at all. ONLY glass.
No, you will kill your Scoby. You can only use clear glass.
Not even stainless steel? I heard stainless steel was ok because it is non reactive?
Hi Sarah,
Could you print your instructions for making the larger amounts of kombouca in your advanced Komboucha video. I have tried several times to play this video and it does not show up on your site or Youtube.
Thanks so much,
brenda
have you ever heard of a continuous brew? Happy Herbalist (happyherbalist.com) recommends it- what’s your opinion of it?
Hi Sarah, I have just started brewing my own Kombucha, I am up to about day 7 with the brew and I used rapadura instead of white sugar, will that create any problems? should I use white sugar next time?
Thank you
Would you mind sharing what type of black tea you use? I’ve been looking at ordering bulk tea because we go through about a gallon per week of kombucha at my house – and that’s just for my husband and me ๐ – and I never realized there were so many types!
I answered my own question about GTDave’s porcelian pots being lead free. His site says they are. I don’t know how I mised it!!!
Thanks,
Sheryl
Argh! Sarah, is your Advanced Kombucha video still up? When I try watching it I keep getting an error message. I just got a new scobie (I killed, or did something to my old one, leaving it for too long, and it made something that smelled more like beer from then on.) and two three-gallon jars and really want to get into some heavy-duty kombucha-making!
Thanks,
Sally
Hi Sally, I just tried the video and it played fine. Maybe reboot your computer? Must be a connection issue somehow.