To feed your kombucha, you just need to give it sweet tea. That’s it. The sugar in the tea is what your SCOBY eats to stay alive and make that tangy, fizzy drink we all love.
Start by boiling about 4 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of loose tea or 2 black or green tea bags. Stir in 1/4 cup of white sugar while the water is hot so it fully dissolves. Let the tea cool to room temperature. Once it’s cool, pour it into your kombucha jar and gently stir. If you’ve already brewed a batch, take out some of the finished kombucha first to make room.
Feeding should happen every 7 to 10 days if you’re brewing normally. If you’re storing your SCOBY between batches, feed it with sweet tea about once a month so it doesn’t dry out or grow mold.
The key is keeping it sweet, clean, and at room temperature. Never use honey, flavored teas, or artificial sweeteners. Stick to basic black or green tea and plain white sugar. That’s what your SCOBY likes best. Keep it simple, and your kombucha will stay happy and healthy.
HOW TO MAKE KOMBUCHA: Everything you need to know!
Did you know that your kombucha is alive and hungry? Just like a sourdough starter, a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) needs regular feeding to stay active and healthy. Whether you’re brewing your first batch or you’re on your fifth jar, knowing how and when to feed your kombucha is key to getting that perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and fizzy. I remember overfeeding mine once and ending up with a vinegary mess. Never again. In this post, I’ll break down how to properly feed your kombucha so it stays strong and flavorful. Ready to dive in? Let’s get brewing!
What Does “Feeding Kombucha” Actually Mean?
Feeding kombucha means giving your SCOBY sweet tea to drink so it can stay alive and do its job. The SCOBY is the round, rubbery thing that floats on top of your kombucha jar. It’s made of healthy bacteria and yeast, and it needs sugar and tea to grow and work. When you feed it, you’re not giving it food like you’d give to a dog or cat. You’re just making a new batch of sweet tea and adding the SCOBY to it. The SCOBY eats the sugar and turns the tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha.
When I first started brewing, I didn’t get what “feeding” meant. I thought I had to add sugar every day like I was feeding a pet hamster or something. Turns out, feeding only happens when you’re starting a new batch, usually every 7 to 14 days. The SCOBY eats the sugar slowly, turning it into acids, bubbles, and good stuff for your gut. So don’t overthink it—it’s really just giving it sweet tea and letting it sit.
It’s kind of like a science project you get to drink. If you forget to feed it, it won’t work right. And if you feed it too much or with the wrong tea, it can get weak or even die. But if you keep it simple, your kombucha will turn out just fine. Think of feeding kombucha as starting a new brew. You make the sweet tea, add the SCOBY and some starter liquid, and then let it sit covered on your counter. That’s it.
When Should You Feed Your Kombucha?
You should feed your kombucha when it’s done fermenting and ready for a new batch. This usually happens every 7 to 14 days, depending on how warm your kitchen is and how tangy you like it. In the summer, mine’s ready in just a week. But during cooler months, I wait almost two weeks. The longer you let it sit, the more sour it gets. So if you like it sweeter, feed it sooner. If you like it sharp and vinegary, let it go a bit longer.
One way I check is by tasting it with a clean spoon after about a week. If it still tastes sweet, it needs more time. If it tastes kind of like apple cider vinegar, it’s ready. That’s when I know it’s time to take out the SCOBY and start fresh with new sweet tea. Feeding kombucha isn’t about a strict calendar. It’s more about learning what your brew likes. You’ll get better at it the more you make it.
I used to wait too long, thinking more time was always better. But one time, I left it for three weeks. Yikes. It smelled like vinegar and was so sour I couldn’t drink it. So now I set a reminder on my phone to check it every 7 days. Trust your nose and your taste buds. If it smells clean and slightly tangy, it’s probably ready to feed. If it smells rotten or funky, something’s off. That’s how I know my kombucha is hungry for a fresh batch.
Ingredients You Need to Feed Kombucha
To feed your kombucha, you only need a few simple ingredients: tea, sugar, water, and your SCOBY. That’s it. The tea gives it flavor and nutrients, and the sugar is what the SCOBY eats. You don’t actually drink the sugar, because the SCOBY uses it up during fermentation. When I started, I thought I needed fancy stuff, but nope—just regular black tea and plain white sugar work best.
Use real tea like black or green tea. Avoid herbal teas or anything with oils, like Earl Grey or chai, because they can hurt the SCOBY. I made that mistake once and my SCOBY turned brown and slimy. It was gross, and I had to throw it out. Stick with plain tea bags for now. You can mix green and black tea if you want to try something different later on.
For sugar, use white cane sugar. Don’t use honey, maple syrup, or artificial sweeteners. Those don’t feed the SCOBY right and can mess up your brew. You’ll also need clean, filtered water. Tap water with chlorine or other stuff can harm your culture, so I always boil my water and let it cool or use a filter. You’ll also need a clean glass jar, a cloth or coffee filter to cover it, and a rubber band to keep out bugs and dust.
That’s it! Simple stuff you probably already have at home. Don’t overthink it—kombucha loves the basics.
Step-by-Step: How to Feed Your Kombucha
Feeding your kombucha is really just starting a fresh batch with new sweet tea. It might feel a little weird at first, but once you’ve done it once or twice, it’s a breeze. I remember the first time I tried, I spilled tea everywhere and almost dropped my SCOBY on the floor. But even with all that mess, the kombucha still turned out pretty good. So don’t stress just follow the steps and you’ll be fine.
First, brew your tea. I boil about 4 cups of water, drop in 4 black tea bags, and stir in 1 cup of white sugar. Then I let it sit until it cools down to room temperature. You don’t want to pour hot tea onto your SCOBY because it can kill it. Once it’s cooled, I mix the sweet tea with about 4 more cups of cold filtered water to help it reach the right temperature.
Next, I take my SCOBY out of the old jar with clean hands. It’s slippery and weird feeling, but kind of fun too. I pour about a cup of the finished kombucha (this is called starter tea) into the new jar along with the SCOBY. Then I add the cooled sweet tea and cover the jar with a clean cloth and a rubber band.
Now it just needs to sit in a warm, dark place for 7 to 14 days. That’s it. You’ve just fed your kombucha! After a few days, you’ll start to see bubbles and maybe a new baby SCOBY forming. I always peek at mine after day three because I get too excited to wait.
Feeding kombucha doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as you keep everything clean and use the right ingredients, your SCOBY will be happy. And if something doesn’t go right, no big deal—you can just try again.
Common Mistakes When Feeding Kombucha
Feeding kombucha isn’t hard, but there are a few easy mistakes that can mess things up. I’ve made most of them myself, so don’t worry if you do too. The good news is, your kombucha can bounce back if you catch the problem early. One time I used flavored tea without thinking, and my SCOBY turned weird and the brew tasted like perfume. Lesson learned.
One of the biggest mistakes is using the wrong kind of tea. Teas with oils, like Earl Grey or anything labeled “natural flavors,” can damage the SCOBY. Stick with plain black or green tea until you’re more confident. Another mistake is using hot tea without letting it cool. Hot tea can burn your SCOBY and kill the good bacteria. Always wait until the tea is room temperature before adding it to your brew.
People also sometimes use the wrong sweetener. Honey, stevia, or artificial stuff might seem healthier, but they don’t feed the SCOBY properly. Always use plain white sugar. Brown sugar or coconut sugar can work, but they change the flavor and sometimes slow down the fermentation. I tried using brown sugar once and ended up with a weird, flat-tasting batch that didn’t fizz at all.
Another mistake is not saving enough starter tea from your last batch. You need that acidic liquid to keep the pH low and protect your new brew from mold. If you skip it, the kombucha can grow bad stuff on top. Speaking of which, don’t overfill your jar or close it with a tight lid. It needs to breathe. I did that once, and the pressure built up too fast and the jar leaked all over the counter.
It’s also easy to forget about your brew and let it sit too long. After 3 weeks, it starts turning to vinegar. If you like tangy kombucha, that’s fine. But most people want something more balanced. I set a reminder on my phone to check it after 7 days so I don’t forget.
Mistakes happen, but they’re part of the process. As long as you’re using clean tools, good tea, and sugar, you’re already on the right track.
Tips to Keep Your SCOBY Healthy Between Feedings
Keeping your SCOBY healthy when you’re not brewing is super important. If it dries out or gets moldy, you’ll have to toss it—and trust me, that’s a huge bummer. I lost my first SCOBY by leaving it out too long on the counter while I was “taking a break” from brewing. It shriveled up like an old mushroom. So now I treat it like a little kombucha pet and give it the care it needs.
The best way to store your SCOBY is in something called a “SCOBY hotel.” It’s just a jar filled with a few SCOBYs and some finished kombucha to keep them covered. You don’t need to do much—just make sure the SCOBYs stay submerged in the liquid. If the top dries out, that’s when mold can sneak in. I check mine every couple of weeks to make sure everything still looks and smells okay.
If you’re not brewing for a while, you should still feed your SCOBY with fresh sweet tea every 4 to 6 weeks. I usually just pour in a small cup of cooled sweet tea and leave it alone. You don’t need to start a full brew, just enough to give the bacteria something to munch on. Also, keep the hotel covered with a breathable cloth, not a lid. The SCOBY needs air, but not dust or bugs.
Be careful about what’s near your SCOBY jar. Strong smells like onions or cleaning sprays can mess with it. And never use metal utensils to touch your SCOBY. Wood or plastic only! I once used a metal spoon without thinking, and my brew never fizzed again. Now I keep a special plastic spoon just for kombucha.
Taking these small steps keeps your SCOBY strong and ready to brew anytime you are. It’s like hitting pause on your kombucha hobby without losing your place. That way, when you’re ready to start a new batch, your SCOBY is ready too.
How Feeding Impacts Flavor and Fizz
Feeding your kombucha the right way has a big effect on how it tastes and how fizzy it gets. I didn’t realize this when I started. I thought you just tossed in tea and sugar and waited. But after a few batches, I noticed that small changes in how I fed it made a big difference in the final drink. One time, I added extra sugar thinking it would ferment faster. Nope—it just made it super sweet and barely fizzy. Lesson learned.
If you like your kombucha sweet, don’t let it ferment too long. The longer it sits, the more sugar the SCOBY eats, and the more sour it gets. I like mine kind of tangy with a little bite, so I usually wait about 10 days before feeding again. My friend likes hers sweeter, so she feeds every 6 or 7 days. You’ll figure out your style after a few batches.
The type of tea also changes the flavor. Black tea gives it a strong, bold taste. Green tea makes it lighter and kind of grassy. I’ve tried mixing the two, and that’s actually my favorite—smooth but still fizzy. The sugar type matters too. Stick with white sugar if you want a clean taste. When I used brown sugar, it tasted kind of like molasses, and I wasn’t into that.
Fizz depends on how healthy your SCOBY is and how much sugar is left for it to eat during the second ferment. That’s when you bottle the kombucha and leave it sealed for a few days. If you feed it well before that, with enough sugar and good tea, you’ll get better bubbles. If you underfeed or over-ferment, you end up with flat or vinegary stuff.
It’s all a balance. How you feed your kombucha changes everything—from the flavor to the fizz. It took me a few tries to find my rhythm, but now my bottles pop every time I open them. And that first fizzy sip? Totally worth the wait.
How to Know It’s Working
You’ll know your kombucha feeding is working when you start to see little signs of life in the jar. The first thing I notice is bubbles rising to the top after a few days. That’s always a good sign. It means the yeast is active and doing its thing. The top might also get a thin, clear film—that’s a new baby SCOBY starting to grow. I used to think it was mold, but nope, it’s just your brew getting stronger.
Another way I check is by smelling it. A good batch smells kind of like sour apples or vinegar, but not bad or rotten. If it smells sweet with a little tang, things are on track. One time, I opened the jar and it smelled like dirty socks. Yeah, I tossed that one. Trust your nose. If it smells weird, it probably is.
Tasting is also a big clue. After 7 days or so, I take a little sip with a clean spoon. If it tastes too sweet, I wait a few more days. If it’s tangy and just a little sweet, it’s perfect. I mark the day so I remember for next time. Everyone’s kitchen is different, so your timing might be a bit faster or slower than mine.
You might also notice your SCOBY getting thicker. That’s a good sign it’s healthy and growing. Sometimes it even makes a new baby that floats or sinks. Both are totally fine. I used to freak out when mine sank to the bottom, but now I know it’s all part of the process.
Basically, if it smells clean, tastes good, and shows bubbles or growth, you’re doing it right. Feeding kombucha isn’t magic—it’s just keeping your culture happy and active. Once you learn what to look for, it’s easy to tell when your brew is working like it should.
Conclusion
Feeding your kombucha is really just about giving your SCOBY what it needs—sweet tea, a clean space, and time to work its magic. Once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes second nature. I still remember how nervous I was with my first batch, triple-checking every step. But now? It’s like brewing a cup of tea. Easy, relaxing, and kind of fun to watch it bubble and grow.
The key is paying attention. Use good ingredients, keep everything clean, and listen to your senses. If it smells right, tastes right, and looks alive, you’re doing great. Don’t be afraid to mess up a batch—every kombucha brewer has. I’ve made some flat ones, some sour ones, even a couple that smelled funky. But each mistake taught me something.
So grab your jar, brew your tea, and feed that SCOBY. Whether you’re aiming for sweet and light or bold and tangy, it all starts with a good feeding. Your kombucha will thank you with fizzy, delicious sips every time. And hey, if you ever feel stuck, just trust your gut—literally.