How to brew kombucha safely?

Brew 1 gallon of black or green tea with 1 cup sugar. Cool completely to room temperature. Pour into a wide-mouth glass jar, add a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and 1-2 cups of starter liquid (unflavored kombucha). Cover with a cloth secured with a rubber band. Ferment 7-14 days…

After the first fermentation, pour kombucha into swing-top bottles, leaving 1-2 inches of headspace. Add flavorings: fruit juice (2-3 tbsp per bottle), ginger (1 tsp grated), or berries (2-3 per bottle). Seal tightly and ferment 2-4 days at room temperature. Refrigerate before opening.

Buy a bottle of raw, unflavored kombucha (GT's Original works well). Pour it into a wide-mouth jar, cover with a cloth, and leave at room temperature for 1-3 weeks. A thin SCOBY will form on the surface. Once it is about 1/4 inch thick, use it and the liquid as your starter for a full batch.

Kits from The Kombucha Shop ($50-65) or Fermentaholics ($40-55) include a live SCOBY, starter liquid, tea, sugar, brewing jar, cloth cover, temperature strip, bottles, and detailed instructions. Everything you need for your first batch in one package.

Instead of batch brewing, use a large vessel (1-2 gallons) with a spigot at the bottom. Draw off finished kombucha from the bottom and add fresh sweet tea to the top. The SCOBY lives at the surface and ferments continuously. You always have kombucha ready.