DIY Kombucha

Back in December, I went to a workshop on how to make kombucha, a popular probiotic fermented sparkling tea. I recently made a batch, following the instructions I received that evening. If you want to try your hand, you can use the recipe I've posted below, once you acquire the essential symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria (or scoby) by finding out when the next workshop is, contacting your favourite kombucha producer and asking for a scoby baby and some starter liquid, or ordering one online.

Ingredients:

4 black or green tea bags or 15 g loose leaf tea
1 scoby and some starter liquid
830 mL water
80 g sugar
chopped fruit, herbs and/or spices for flavouring (optional)

1. Boil the water, and pour it into a suitable mixing vessel like a larger Mason jar. Add the teabags and allow the mixture to steep for 4-6 minutes. 
2. Pour in the sugar to the warm tea, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. When the mixture has cooled, add the scoby and its starter liquid.
3. Cover the top of the jar with either a piece of cheesecloth or a paper towel, and secure the covering with a rubber band. Place the jar somewhere away from sunlight at room temperature for 7-14 days to allow the kombucha to ferment. Do a taste test on your batch after the seventh day to see if it's to your liking.
4. When you are happy with your results, you will notice a new layer of scoby has formed. Remove it and about 235 mL of kombucha, and place it in a separate container - you now have a scoby with some starter liquid to use for another batch. Pour the remaining kombucha into glass bottles and seal, leaving a bit of space at the top. If you want, you can add some chopped fruit and some herbs and spices for flavouring before you seal the bottles. Allow the kombucha to sit and self-carbonate at room temperature for 3-5 days, then store it in the fridge. Drink your kombucha within two months.