Today, I wanted to try something different, so I picked up some kombucha tea bags.

First, I grabbed a pot and boiled some water. While waiting, I got out the tea bags, sugar, and a couple of cups of starter tea. I’d read online that the basic recipe is one cup of sugar, eight tea bags, and two cups of starter tea for each batch.

Once the water boiled, I dumped in the sugar and stirred until it all dissolved, it wasn’t too hard. Then I tossed in the tea bags. I used some green tea kombucha ones I found at the store. It had some cool stuff like lemongrass, which sounded pretty good. I let it all steep for a while until it cooled down.

After it cooled, I poured the tea into a big jar, and then I added the starter tea. I made sure to use a clean spoon so I didn’t mess up the whole thing.

The next step was finding a warm spot to let it sit. It needs to ferment, from what I’ve read. They say it helps with digestion and gives your immune system a boost. I covered the jar with a cloth and secured it with a rubber band. I found some information online that suggested kombucha helps with weight loss too, since it produces acetic acid during fermentation. I also read that the CDC recommends no more than 12 ounces a day, or else you might get a headache or an upset stomach.

Now, all I had to do was wait. It takes about a week or two to fully ferment. During this time, I checked on it a few times to make sure nothing weird was happening, I didn’t want any surprises. I also kept an eye on the SCOBY that formed on top—it’s like a weird, rubbery disk. It’s a sign that it’s fermenting properly, so that was reassuring.

After about ten days, I decided to give it a try. I carefully scooped out some of the kombucha, careful not to disturb the SCOBY too much. It had a tangy, slightly fizzy taste, which I liked. It wasn’t too sweet, which was good.

So that’s my kombucha-making adventure. It’s a pretty simple process, and I think it’s worth trying if you’re into fermented drinks. Plus, it’s supposed to be good for you, so why not?