Grow your own SCOBY from store-bought kombucha

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.

Why It Works

Raw kombucha contains the same bacteria and yeast that form a SCOBY. Given time, warmth, and airflow, these organisms naturally organize into a new SCOBY pellicle on the liquid's surface. This is free and avoids shipping a live culture.

Tips

• Use only raw, unflavored kombucha — pasteurized versions have no live cultures
• The jar should be wide-mouthed — a narrow opening restricts airflow and SCOBY growth
• It may take 2-3 weeks in cooler weather; 7-10 days in warm weather
• The SCOBY may look strange (stringy, uneven, pale) — this is normal. Mold (fuzzy, dry, colored spots on top) is not normal