I know the feeling! You’ve found kombucha and can’t get enough of the tart, carbonated goodness, but perhaps your weekly habit of buying your favorite GTs Synergy flavors is making your wallet too light.
Or, like me, you love process-driven hobbies and want to learn how to brew kombucha and save $3-5 dollars per bottle.
Whatever the reason, one of the first steps to brewing is getting your hands on a SCOBY, but before I show you the best places to buy a SCOBY, let’s do a quick refresher on what the heck it is!
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What is a SCOBY?
It’s an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It is the powerhouse that turns sweet tea into fermented kombucha. Also known as a pellicle, it contains lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria, which, along with the yeast, gives kombucha its signature sour taste and smell.
Can You Get a SCOBY From Store Bought Kombucha?
Yes, you most certainly can. If you’re ambitious, you can grow a SCOBY using just a few ingredients. Producing your own will take 1-2 weeks if done correctly.
However, if you want to get to brewing your first batch of booch quickly, your next best option is to buy yourself a SCOBY!
What Makes a Quality SCOBY
Now that you know what a SCOBY is, and you’ve decided you’re just going to buy one instead of grow one, let’s discuss the differences between what you’ll find out there.
Stay Hydrated
Contrary to what most believe, strong starter tea is most important when making healthy and robust kombucha brews.
With this in mind, you’ll want to avoid dehydrated SCOBYs because they can take a long time to rehydrate and wake up.
Additionally, they won’t be as strong as SCOBY’s in starter liquid, and weak SCOBYs can lead to mold, leading to risky kombucha batches, which can make you very sick.
Size Doesn’t Matter
Don’t be discouraged if the SCOBY you purchase is small. As was already eluded to, the starter culture (tea strength) + volume of tea is what’s most important.
If you didn’t get enough starter tea, don’t fret, you can use a bottle of unflavored store-bought kombucha to supplement the starter tea that came with your SCOBY.
Don’t Use Vinegar
If the instructions for your SCOBY advise using vinegar, look for another option. This advice is likely based on older brewing techniques, but vinegar can weaken your SCOBY and produce less-than-desirable kombucha.
While it’s true that kombucha is a class of vinegar, other types don’t work for kombucha. Your brew will acidify too quickly and create an imbalance of yeast and bacteria.
Where Do You Get a SCOBY From?
You may be surprised to know that you can find a kombucha SCOBY for sale online. When I started homebrewing kombucha, I was gifted this kombucha brewing kit, and to this day, I still use the jar for my SCOBY hotel! It also includes a starter culture and is an excellent option if starting from nothing.
I’ve written a post detailing how to create your own customized kombucha starter kit, and if you have what you need, then I recommend the following:
Can You Send a SCOBY in the Mail?
Absolutely! Your SCOBY will be traveling in that strong starter tea and ready to go once you receive it, assuming the place you purchase it packs it well.
It’ll continue fermenting and producing C02 as it travels to you, but don’t be alarmed; this is a good thing for making strong kombucha.
What’s Next?
Once you have your SCOBY in hand, you’ll want to build your basic brewing kit and brew some kombucha!
I wrote this post about putting together an essential kombucha brewing kit with some optional stuff to make your brew days fast and effortless.
Once you’re ready, head to this post and learn how to make kombucha in three easy steps.
A world of refreshing kombucha awaits.
Cheers!