How to Store Scoby

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 28, 2021 References Approved

If you are brewing your own kombucha, you may want to store your Scoby in between batches or while you are away. “Scoby” stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast, and it is the mother culture that brews your kombucha. If you want to store your Scoby for less than 1 month, you can simply brew a new batch! In addition, you can pause the fermentation process by placing your Scoby in the refrigerator. Do this if you want a storage option for 1-3 months. To store your Scoby for the long term, make a “Scoby Hotel”!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a New Batch of Kombucha

1
Start a batch of kombucha to store your Scoby for less than 4 weeks. The best way to store your Scoby is to make a new batch! Boil about 3.5 quarts (3.31 L) of water in a medium pot, add in around 8 black or green tea bags. Once the water boils, remove the pot from the heat source so it can cool.^{[1]
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- You can place your pot over ice to speed up the cooling process.
- If using loose-leaf tea, use about 2 tablespoons (29.57 g).
- Avoid using decaffeinated tea!^{[2]
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2
Add in 1 cup (200 g) of cane sugar and dissolve it into your tea. As soon as you remove your tea from the stovetop, you can pour in your sugar. Mix it into your tea with a spoon until the sugar completely dissolves.^{[3]
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3
Pour your tea into a glass jar after it cools and cover it with a cloth. Let your tea steep until the water has cooled, which make take 1-3 hours. Then, pour it into a large, clean glass jar. This is where you will house your Scoby as your kombucha brews.^{[4]
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- Wash your jar with soap and water before you pour in your tea.
- A 0.5 US gal (1.9 L) glass jar works great!
4
Put your Scoby inside the jar and secure the lid. Once your jar is filled with tea mixture, put your Scoby into your jar using your hands. It will likely settle at the bottom. Then, place a tightly-woven cloth on top of your opening, and screw on the lid tightly.^{[5]
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Store your glass jar in a warm, dark spot. Kombucha ferments the best at room temperature in a dark environment. You also want to keep it away from any potential damages, so situate your jar on a flat, stationary surface where it will not be bumped.^{[6]
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- You can place your jar in a cabinet, for example.
- Your Scoby will safely ferment at room temperature for 30 days, so you can let it brew without worrying.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pausing Your Brew

1
Store your Scoby in a small glass jar or a clean plastic bag. If you want to take a break in between your brews, you can refrigerate your Scoby in a clean, air-tight container. Use a glass jar or a fresh plastic bag to house your Scoby temporarily.^{[7]
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- Store 1 Scoby per container.
2
Pour some tea mixture in your jar or bag so it fills about 20%. To keep your Scoby healthy in between batches, pour in some of your tea and sugar mixture or remaining kombucha so it submerges the Scoby. You can use both or either one to feed your Scoby.
- This amount doesn’t have to be precise, but you want your Scoby to have enough food to survive as it is in between batches. You can always add more later!
3
Place your Scoby in the refrigerator to prevent it from going bad. Once your Scoby is in a temporary container and has some food, you can stick it in the fridge until you are ready to brew with it again. The low temperature stops the fermentation process, so your Scoby's growth pauses.^{[8]
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- You can place your jar or bag on the bottom shelf in the back corner.
- If you are using a bag, make sure your Scoby stays away from any excess moisture.
4
Avoid leaving your Scoby in the fridge for over 3 months. While you can pause your brew in between batches without any issue, your Scoby is at risk of going bad if you leave it in temporary storage for more than a few months.^{[9]
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- Plan to make a fresh batch or place your Scoby in a “hotel” after a couple months maximum.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Scoby Hotel

1
Select a large, sterile glass container big enough to fit several Scobys. You can use any size jar, though keep in mind the number of Scobys you want to store in it. Wash your jar thoroughly with soap and water.^{[10]
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- You can squirt some soap into the jar and soak it, then rinse the jar to wash away soap residue.
- For example, you can use a a 0.5 US gal (1.9 L) glass jar.
2
Put all of your Scobys into the jar. Over time, you will add more Scobys into the same jar to create your “hotel.” This is helpful in case 1 of your brews goes bad. That way, you will have back up Scobys to use for new batches.^{[11]
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- You can place a few Scobys or several inside the same jar.
3
Pour in 1 cup (0.24 L) of kombucha and 3 cups (0.71 L) of freshly brewed tea. You can use some of your recent kombucha brew or use a bottle of store bought kombucha. Pour in some kombucha, and then dump in a few cups of freshly brewed green or black tea mixture. This helps feed your Scobys in their hotel.^{[12]
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- To make your tea, you can boil {{convert|5-6|cup|L} of water and steep about 4 teabags. Then, pour in about 0.5 cups (0.12 L) of cane sugar.
4
Cover your jar with a clean cloth and secure it with a lid. Use a tightly woven cloth, and place it on the top of your jar. Then, screw on your lid so it fits tightly over your jar.^{[13]
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- If you don’t have a cloth, you can use 2 coffee filters instead.
5
Store your jar in a dark, warm, and dry place. You can place this next to other kombucha batches, if you'd like. Make sure your Scoby hotel will not be disturbed in whatever location you pick.^{[14]
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Replace the kombucha in your Scoby hotel every 2 weeks. Since you have multiple Scobys in your batch, it will ferment quicker than normal and will be much more potent. Because of this, replace your kombucha with a fresh batch after 2 weeks.^{[15]
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- To use up your kombucha, you can drink kombucha from the jar, pour some off, or discard it.

Community Q&A

Question

Will some loose tea leaves in the tea damage the mother?

Community Answer

Any potential bad bacteria could ruin your scoby. You also want to be careful using paper towels, they drop particles of paper onto of your scoby.

Things You'll Need

Scoby
Air-tight jar
Tea bags
Sugar
Cloth
Dark, warm storage spot

Warnings

If your jar or bag is not completely clean, your Scoby may grow mold.

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Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2
If your Scoby is black, it sadly is dead. You must use another to make a new brew.

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Helpful 11 Not Helpful 2
If you see any blue spots, you must stop your brew. That is mold, and you don’t want to drink it!^{[16]
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