Brew some strong tea.  There are a lot of ways to do this, but I usually boil 3-4 cups of filtered water and then add the tea bags. I usually use 4 black tea bags & 1 green tea bag.  It would be smart to stir the sugar in while the water is hot, but I’m never smart.

Let the tea bags steep for quite a while…at least 15-20 minutes to get really strong (and cool off), but it's okay to leave it for a few hours.  You don’t want to add really hot liquid to your scoby.

If you're turning over an existing kombucha batch, first we'll pour up your ready-to-go kombucha (if you’re starting from the very beginning, skip down to Step 7).  Wash your hands and take the tea towel off the top of the jar.  Gently remove the scoby and place it on a clean plate.  Set aside, you’ll need it at the end. 

If your scoby has gotten super thick, you can peel some layers off and throw them away or gift them to a friend.

Pour out MOST of the kombucha into smaller clean glass jars, leaving around 2 cups in the large gallon jar (exact isn't important, I eyeball it). A gallon of kombucha should make three to four regular-size Mason jars, leaving a bit of space at the top to add juice for a second fermentation.

You can add a splash of organic, 100% juice to each small jar of already-brewed kombucha, then put the lids on tight and leave them for a few more days for a second ferment.  Or if you prefer, they're ready to drink as-is.

Now we brew a new batch of kombucha. If you’re starting from scratch, pour the liquid that came with your scoby into the gallon jar, but DON’T put the scoby in yet.  Just set it aside on a clean plate.

You may have to peel off some layers from your scoby and throw them away.  You will have to do this from time to time, and it’s a sign of a healthy, active scoby.

Your gallon jar now should either have the liquid left over from our old batch OR your liquid that came with the new scoby. Pour your strong tea mixture in with it, and add 1 cup of organic, non-GMO sugar. 

Then fill the rest of the gallon jar up (to the “shoulders”, not to the very top) with filtered water. Stir in the sugar until it’s COMPLETELY dissolved.

Then all you have to do is gently lay your scoby in the jar.  Usually it will float right away, but sometimes it sinks to the bottom and makes its way to the top over time.

Put one of your clean tea flour sack tea towels over the top and fasten it with a rubber band…or in my case, a stretched-out hair tie. You definitely don't want to actually seal it with a lid.

Set your new batch of homemade kombucha somewhere out of the way (ideally at least room temp or a tiny bit warmer, not chilly), and let it ferment for at least a week.  However, often it will take more time with newer scobys.