Brewing Kombucha at Home: A Tea Ritual for Curious Makers

At D&D Essentials, we believe tea isn’t just a drink, it’s a ritual filled with a little moment of grounding, and sometimes, a spark of creativity. Kombucha embodies all of that: ancient fermentation, modern wellness, and fizzy joy in a glass. And the best part? You can brew it at home with just a few ingredients and a bit of patience.

Why Kombucha?

Kombucha appeals to both tea lovers and wellness enthusiasts because fermentation transforms a simple brew into a naturally active beverage.

Many people enjoy kombucha as part of their daily wellness routine for reasons ranging from digestive comfort to mindful hydration and reduced sugar intake. While it isn’t a cure-all, its combination of fermentation byproducts, tea compounds, and effervescence makes it a functional beverage with both flavor and purpose.

What Makes Kombucha Special (the science bit)

Kombucha starts out as sweetened tea, usually black or green since these tea leaves already contain the antioxidants, amino acids, and other plant compounds that give the SCOBY a healthy environment to grow. When you add a SCOBY (a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and a bit of starter kombucha, fermentation begins and that’s where the magic (and the science) happens.

During fermentation, the yeast breaks down the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Then, the bacteria convert that alcohol into organic acids. These acids give kombucha its tangy flavor, lower pH, and mild antimicrobial qualities. Meanwhile, tea polyphenols and fermentation byproducts interact to create a mix of bubbles, gentle sweetness, acidity, and bioactive compounds.

Fermentation also produces probiotics, trace B vitamins, and organic acids that many people associate with digestive support and gut health. The natural carbonation makes it fun to drink, and when compared to sugary sodas or canned energy drinks, kombucha offers flavor with a more health functional twist.

In short, kombucha isn’t just tea with bubbles, it’s a living system shaped by time, microbes, and chemistry.

Why Homebrew Kombucha?

Beyond the fun of brewing and feeling like a mad scientist, homemade kombucha lets you:
✨ Personalize flavors
✨ Control sweetness and tang
✨ Skip additives
✨ Save money
✨ Embrace intentional wellness at home

It becomes a sensory ritual which allows you to watch the bubbles form, tasting as it evolves, and bottling the final creation.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need a lab or fancy gadgets:

✓ 1-gallon of unchlorinated water (separated in quarts)
✓ Glass jar ( ~1.25 gallon)
✓ Sweet tea (1-2 tablespoons of black or green with real sugar only)
✓ SCOBY + (1-2 cups of established starter tea)
✓ Breathable covering (cheesecloth or coffee filter) & rubber band
✓ Bottles for carbonation (optional, but rewarding)

✓ herbs and/or fruit for second brew (optional, but rewarding)

How to Brew (The Gentle Version)

1. Heat 1 quart of water: Just below boiling point on the stove. Combine the tea and the hot water in the pot, a separate bowl, or in the brewing vessel. Let steep for 5 to 15 minutes, then remove the tea leaves.

2. Add sugar: To the hot tea and stir until completely dissolved.

3. Pour the remaining 3 quarts of cool water: Into the brewing vessel. If prepared separately, add the sweet tea. Dip a clean finer into the mixture to gauge its temperature. If warmer than body temperature, cover with a clean cloth and set aside until lukewarm.

4. Place the SCOBY: With clean hands, gently place the SCOBY into the vessel and place the starter liquid on top. This acidifies the pH at the top of the vessel, where the culture is most vulnerable. By doing this, you're adding an extra layer of protection from pathogens.

5. Cover vessel with breathable cloth: And secure with a rubber band. Set the vessel in a warm/ dark location (ideally 75-85 F)

6. Allow vessel to ferment between 7 to 21 days: After 7 days, began tasting the brew until it reaches a level of fermentation of your liking. For new established SCOBY hotels, this should be around the 2-week mark for ideal kombucha taste.

7. Bottle and strain. Once the kombucha is brewed to your liking, you may now bottle and prepare for the second brew. Strain liquid into bottles leaving 1 cup for your SCOBY. you will need this for your next brew.

8. Refrigerate: After you have strained your kombucha in sealable bottles, you can now add flavorings and place in fridge to seep and create more carbonation (try on of our recipes below) or you can skip the botanicals and place the strained bottles directly in the fridge. At this stage, make sure you “burb” your kombucha every other day to prevent over carbonation.

Flavor Inspirations from Our Botanical Pantry

If you’ve spent time exploring our tea blends, you already know we love pairing botanicals with intention. Kombucha is the perfect canvas for that. Try:

🌿 Lemon Balm + Chamomile + Lavendar (reduce stress & increase focus)
🌸 Hibiscus + Fresh Ginger & lemon juice (fizzy hibiscus lemonade)
🍍 Pineapple + Cayenne (playfully spicy)
🫐 Blueberry + Lavender (calming with depth)
🍓 Strawberry + Mint (summer in a sip)

Botanicals add aroma, nuance, and color and the fruit sugars give carbonation a boost.

You can find some of our favorite recipes below along with links to buy Kombucha tea kits.

A Few Gentle Safety Notes

Fermentation should feel approachable, not intimidating:
• Clean jars = better results
• SCOBYs multiply (yes, you’ll end up sharing them)
• Mold is rare, but obvious — if in doubt, restart

The Beautiful Part

In a world that moves a little too fast, kombucha offers slow reward. You brew, you wait, and then you sip something alive, layered, and nourishing.

That’s the magic of tea and part of why we do what we do at D&D Essentials.

Kombucha Flavor Inspirations

While plain kombucha is great on its own, flavoring during the second brew is what makes kombucha- brewing fun! Below are some of our favorite blends. You can also find the herbs within our shop.

FRUIT BLENDS

Fruit blends in kombucha transform a tangy, effervescent tea into a layered, refreshing experiences. Blending fruits also allows the brewers to balance acidity, tannin, and fermentation sugars so that the flavor evolves rather than overpowering the base tea. Before you begin experimenting, remember that a little bit of flavoring goes a long way. Luckily, we have the measurements down, so you don’t have to guess!

Master Cleanse (16 oz batch)

• 1/4 cup Apple of choice (diced with skins)

• 1/8 tsp. of lemon zest

• a pinch of cayenne pepper

Blueberry Basil (16oz batch)

• 2 Tbsp of halved blueberries (frozen is ok- just thaw first)

• 1/4 tsp of holy basil (tulsi)

Vitamin C Booster (16oz batch)

• 2 tsp (dried sweetened cranberries (roughly chopped)

• 1 tsp halved cherries (frozen is ok- just thaw first)

• 1tsp rose hipes

Cold Care (16oz batch)

• 1/2 tsp elderberries

• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger diced

• 1/4 tsp lemon zest

HERBALS

Herbal kombucha blends marry the effervescence and tang of fermented tea with the aromatic, therapeutic qualities of dried herbs and botanicals. Crafted by steeping herbs like lavender, chamomile, rosemary, hibiscus, or lemon balm during the secondary fermentation add layered flavor, color, and subtle healthful notes. Herbal kombuchas can be enjoyed as a refreshing, low-sugar alternative to sodas, used as a mixer in cocktails, or sipped for their calming and digestive-supporting properties.

When selecting or making herbal kombucha, balance is key: use palate-friendly herb pairings, avoid overpowering bitter botanicals, and ensure proper sanitation to keep the brew safe and effervescent.

Turmeric Glow (16 oz batch)

• 1 tsp calendula - dried

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric - ground

Hibiscus Lemonaide (16oz batch)

• 1/2 tsp hibiscus - dried

• 1/2 tsp ginger (fresh or dried)

• 1/8 tsp fresh lemon juice

Relax Reset (16oz batch)

• 2 tsp holy basil (tulsi) - dried

• 1 Tbsp rose petals - dried

• 1Tbsp chamomile - dried

Antioxidant Boost (16 oz batch)

• 1/8 tsp cloves - whole

• 1/8 tsp fresh ginger diced

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp peppermint - dried

• 1/8 tsp cardamom - ground

• 1/16 tsp/ pinch allspice - ground

• 1/16 tsp/ pinch orange zest

• 1/16 tsp/ pinch black pepper