How to Make Kombucha Tea

Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, remove the cloth, add the scoby and two cups of the starter liquid to the gallon jar, then reapply the muslin or cheesecloth. For the primary fermentation, let the kombucha sit out for seven to 10 days, depending on how hot or cold your house is. During very hot days, i.e. 80 degrees, the tea might be ready for bottling by the sixth day.

Strain the liquid. Refrigerate the scoby and about two cups of the brew (the starter for the scoby) or make more tea to start the process again. Bottle the remaining strained liquid in screw-cap glass containers. Otto says, "For black and green tea, leave out on your counter for three to five days to get the secondary fermentation. The more sugar content in the brew, the faster the secondary fermentation will occur. Sometimes, it can be as soon as one day. To test carbonation, twist the top open and listen for the fizzy noise you hear when opening a soda bottle. When you hear that sound, refrigerate the bottles."