Prepare the honey tea
In a glass jar or plastic container, combine 3 cups hot water and 1/4 cup honey. Add 2 green tea bags or 1 1/2 tsp loose green tea and steep at least 5–10 minutes.
Live JUN Tea Kombucha Starter Culture Instructions
Your live culture can get started right away. Follow the five steps below and save starter tea for your next batch.
Let’s get brewing ↓Before you begin
Gather everything first
These quantities make your first quart-sized batch.
Store your unopened live starter: Refrigerate until ready to use, and use by the date on the bag. This guide is for a live JUN culture, which is ready to brew.
Your first batch
Make your honey-sweetened JUN
A little preparation, then time for the culture to work.
Cool and remove the tea
Cool the mixture to room temperature, 72–85°F. Remove the tea bags or completely strain the tea leaves from the liquid.
Check with a thermometer before adding the SCOBY. Hot tea can damage the live culture.
Add the live culture
Add the entire package of live SCOBY with 4 ounces of starter tea to your freshly brewed, cooled sweet tea.
Cover and culture
Cover with a coffee filter or butter muslin cloth and secure with a rubber band. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed at 70–80°F, out of direct sunlight, for 7–30 days, or to taste. The longer it ferments, the less sweet and more tangy it will taste.
Choose when to check your brew
A reminder is a check-in, rather than a guarantee that your batch is finished. Check taste and pH before harvesting. You can set another reminder if it needs longer.
Pour, save and repeat
Pour JUN kombucha off the top of the jar for consuming. Retain the SCOBY and enough kombucha from the bottom of the jar to use as starter for your next batch. See the batch chart below for how much starter tea to save.
Keep the starter tea plain. Add fruit or juice only after separating the SCOBY and the tea reserved for your next batch.
Keep it going
Once you’ve brewed your first batch
Use these ratios for subsequent batches of JUN.
| Ingredient | Quart | 1/2 gallon | Gallon* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot water | 2–3 cups | 6–7 cups | 13–14 cups |
| Honey | 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup | 1 cup |
| Loose green tea | 1 1/2 tsp | 3 tsp | 6 tsp |
| Tea from previous batch | 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup | 1 cup |
Start here: Keep using the quart ratios until a baby SCOBY starts to form at the top of your tea. It will look like a thin film floating on the liquid.
*Before brewing a gallon: Brew 2–3 smaller batches first.
*Before brewing a gallon: Brew 2–3 smaller batches first.
Repeat the brewing cycle
Prepare fresh honey tea, cool and strain it, then add your SCOBY and the reserved starter tea. Cover and culture as in Steps 1–4, then harvest and save starter tea again.
Check your finished brew
Use your pH strips
A drop in pH indicates that bacteria and yeast are at work. The supplied instructions recommend approximately 3.6 for finished kombucha.
1–2 secDip the test strip
Dip into the solution to be tested.
10–15 secCompare the color
Compare with the supplied color scale. Do not let the strip dry before comparing.
Finished pH: JUN kombucha should be 3.6 or lower. Use the color scale supplied with your strips.
A little guidance
Questions along the way
How long should I culture it?
The supplied live JUN instructions specify 7–30 days, or to taste, at 70–80°F. Longer fermentation makes it less sweet and more tangy. Check pH as described above.
What does a baby SCOBY look like?
A thin film begins to form at the top of the tea. Keep using the quart ratios until this begins forming.
Can I add flavorings to my brewing jar?
Reserve your SCOBY and plain starter tea first. Use the finished JUN for flavoring. The recipes below were written for kombucha; follow JUN-specific bottling guidance for fermentation time.
Need a hand with your culture?
The Cultures for Health team can help with your next step.
Ask our teamMake it yours
Four flavors to explore
Use finished JUN after reserving your plain starter tea.
These are kombucha flavor recipes. JUN can carbonate faster: CFH’s JUN guidance suggests a second fermentation of 1–3 days, then refrigerating. Monitor carbonation and use bottles designed for fermentation.
Lemon-Ginger Zinger KombuchaView recipe →
Strawberry (or Any Berry) KombuchaView recipe →
Any Fruit Juice Fizzy KombuchaView recipe →
Apple-Cinnamon KombuchaView recipe →
Useful brewing tools
Keep temperature, acidity and your breathable cover in check.
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