Cultures for Health ENDLESS Live SCOBY Kombucha Starter | DIY Fizzy Fermented Tea Probiotic Drink | Start Right Away | Heirloom Culture Makes Limitless Batches | Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Superfood
$19.99
Price: $19.99
(as of Feb 24, 2025 22:35:04 UTC – Details)
Product Description
Call it kombucha, mushroom tea, spumonto, Manchurian tea — we call it magic! 
Brewing your own kombucha takes barely more effort than simply making sweet tea! You don’t even need any special fermentation supplies—just a glass jar and a strainer. With our starter culture, you can learn how to make this popular probiotic beverage in your own kitchen.
“Kombucha” = Japanese for “seaweed tea” Why drink kombucha?
Kombucha is an ancient fermented tonic made from sweetened tea. Once cultured, this effervescent beverage contains a host of beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and acids imparted to it by its kombucha mother culture, often referred to as a SCOBY.
Kombucha has a long history of consumption in Asia and Europe, but in recent years it has gone somewhat mainstream. Many drink kombucha for the host of health and probiotic benefits it is touted for, while others simply enjoy its tangy, fizzy flavor.
What is a SCOBY?
“SCOBY” is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. Also called “mushrooms” due to their appearance, these slimy, gelatinous disks are the masterminds behind kombucha.
One thing all kombucha SCOBYs have in common is that they are a self-perpetuating culture. This means the SCOBY multiplies itself through the process of creating kombucha.
As you continuously ferment more kombucha, new “baby” SCOBYs will form, allowing you to replace the “mother” SCOBY.
Why Homemade Is Better 
Healthier
Many commercial kombuchas are produced with unnatural fermentation and additives to last longer, but you’ll control every aspect of homemade kombucha.
More Cost-Effective
Your SCOBY will pay for itself within a few batches, and you’ll continue to save more with every brew.
Easy to Flavor
With store-bought kombucha, you’re limited to the available flavors. When you make it yourself, you can flavor it however you like!
Limitless Supply
You don’t have to keep buying more kombucha constantly; you can just have a continuous brew system at home and always have kombucha on hand.
Do I need any special equipment to make kombucha?
You probably already have everything you need at home! All you’ll need is a quart-sized glass jar; a thermometer; a coffee filter or tight-weave cloth; a rubber band; a plastic mesh strainer; and measuring cups.
How long does kombucha take to ferment?
Typically between 7 and 30 days; we generally recommend 10–20 days, but it all depends on how you want it to taste. (Shorter ferments are sweeter, whereas longer ones are more vinegary.) You can taste test it every few days as it ferments.
Where should I put my kombucha jar while it cultures?
It’s crucial that your kombucha is given the proper temperature to ferment successfully (68–85°F). It can culture on your countertop (provided it’s at least 4 feet from any other cultures) or in a cupboard. Just make sure it’s out of direct sunlight.
My SCOBY is acting weird. Is it okay?
Many strange symptoms are actually totally fine, even signs of a healthy ferment. Some examples: brown stringy debris; bubbles; culture sank to bottom of jar; SCOBY climbing out of liquid; or cloudy white layer on top (it’s a baby SCOBY forming).
I’ve been making kombucha for a while now and have more SCOBYs than I can use. What can I do with the extras?
You can always give a SCOBY to a friend (tucked into some starter tea); put it in your compost; feed it to your dog or cat; cut into pieces and dehydrate it as a healthy snack (for you OR your pet); or you can even make SCOBY candy!
The video showcases the product in use.The video guides you through product setup.The video compares multiple products.The video shows the product being unpacked.
Learn How to Make Kombucha
This video walks you through the simple process of making your own kombucha at home with your live SCOBY!
Kombucha & Kefir
Kefir, like kombucha, is a fermented probiotic beverage, just made with a different kind of SCOBY that comes in the form of gelatinous blobs called “grains” (they don’t actually have any grain, though). Water kefir is made with sugar water, as opposed to kombucha, which is made with sweet tea. In this video, learn about the similarities and benefits of both kombucha and kefir.
The video showcases the product in use.The video guides you through product setup.The video compares multiple products.The video shows the product being unpacked.
The video showcases the product in use.The video guides you through product setup.The video compares multiple products.The video shows the product being unpacked.
Why Our Fans Love It
Hear from other Cultures for Health fans and what they love about our Kombucha Starter and the homemade kombucha they’ve fermented with it!
Compare our line of sparkling probiotic drink starter cultures:
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Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars 32
3.6 out of 5 stars 57
3.1 out of 5 stars 2,149
3.2 out of 5 stars 14
4.0 out of 5 stars 2,565
3.7 out of 5 stars 21
3.4 out of 5 stars 47
Price
$19.99$19.99
$14.99$14.99
$17.99$17.99
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$39.99$39.99
Make Bubbly Probiotic Beverage
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Start Right Away
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Makes How Many Batches
Limitless
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4 – 28
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Gluten-Free
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Dairy-Free
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Non-GMO
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Includes pH Strips
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Includes Detailed Instructions
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Thermometer, Sugar & Muslin
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Includes Starter Culture
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Other Included Components
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Black tea bags + vinegar
Stainless steel mesh strainer
Package Dimensions : 9.88 x 6.14 x 3.15 inches; 6.88 ounces
Date First Available : March 31, 2023
Manufacturer : Cultures For Health
ASIN : B0C15CNGB4
INCLUDES: (1) live kombucha culture SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) in black starter tea. For best results, open and feed within 24-48 hours of receipt.
LIVE SCOBY: Don’t want to wait around for a starter to activate? This kombucha tea SCOBY is fresh and ready to start fermenting kombucha as soon as it arrives!
HEIRLOOM CULTURE: This kombucha SCOBY mother can be reused over and over to continuously brew more kombucha, and it will start creating more “baby” SCOBYs as well!
HEALTH BENEFITS: Kombucha is full of enzymes and probiotics that promote stronger gut health, resulting in better digestion, boosting the immune system, and reducing inflammation.
COST EFFECTIVE: While upfront costs may be higher than just buying kombucha bottles, home kombucha brewing offers a much greater return on investment and pays for itself in a matter of weeks.
Dan Goldsmith, Sr. –
Great Scoby
Made my first batch of Kombucha using this product. Poured the entire scoby content in a 2 gallon jar and let ferment for 2 weeks. Everything turned out great. The scoby has grown in size and now Iâm making my second batch. Note: Shortly after receiving the scoby packet ensure you place it in the refrigerator until youâre ready to use it.
Maya T –
Do it right away or refrigerate
Didnât see the instruction, ordered it and moved soon after and misplaced it. Months later i found it, opened it and smells quite funky and realized it might not work. Doing some research to see if itâs worth me trying it out.Highly recommend everyone to get it when youâre ready start it ! Fermentation is takes time, effort and love !
JJ+3 –
Growing like crazy!
I must admit, when I first got this the directions were very confusing. But I work with sourdough and I know these things require time to get into the groove, and itâs kind of an art rather than a science. After watching several online videos, researching, and talking with friends, my kombucha is going great. The taste is good, the quality is good (nothing showing up that shouldnât be there!), it looks great (Iâm needing a bigger jar!)! If this continues then I will say this is a very good value for the money!
Luba N –
did not work
Product was dead because the kombucha did not work out. I followed instructions and it did not work. I would not recommend and I was unable to return.
Fotodo –
Didn’t work out
I have brewed beer and made sourdough bread so I have some inkling of what I’m doing. That said, I’ve never done kombucha and I may have waited a bit too long to make the batch so I can’t fault the supplier there. Make sure you have time blocked out for this *before* ordering!
Kasey –
healthy scoby that produced really tasty and fizzy kombucha
Iâve been brewing Kombucha for more than five years now with my original scoby. I had been having issues with the flavor and carbonation of my batches lately so I figured it was time to start with a new starter. I received this in the middle of summer, I was really worried about the health of the starter when I received it because of its exposure to the heat. The bag it was in was so full of gas I was surprised it didnât burst. I followed the instructions on the card to get it started in a quart mason jar. I waited about a week, and then I fed it and gave it a bigger home in a gallon size jar. I typically brew 2 gallons at a time so I went ahead and made a second gallon with my original scoby.It took about 7 days for it to have the tart flavor I was going for, while my old scoby was still too sweet. It was really exciting to see the difference in the health of the scoby. I bottled both batches and waited 4 days for them to carbonate. The batch with the fresh scoby ended up being so carbonated that the bottles were fizzing over just from opening them. That is a really exciting sign!The kombucha tasted great. It was tart and fizzy and flavorful. I am extremely pleased with the results. The starter survived the shipping, and produced a really lovely kombucha. Its just enough for a quart, but its pretty easy to let it grow into bigger batches. I had enough scoby to move on to 2 gallons in just 3 weeks. The quality of the tea that is used to feed it is really important. With the right research and ingredients this soby can really thrive. I highly recommend using a bottle that can hold quite a bit of pressure to get it properly carbonated. I used mango pure as the flavoring for the second fermentation. Mango flavored kombucha is absolutely divine, and it has plenty of sugar to allow for carbonation.
Jen –
Fingers crossed!
I have been considering making kombucha at home for quite awhile, but I haven’t really dived into the process quite yet. Until now. Admittedly, I should have probably looked into this a bit more! Especially the aspect of the scoby needing to be fed upon arrival. The poor thing went into our pantry, where it was forgotten about for a bit as we headed out on vacation. Oops! I finally got her going. The instructions weren’t super clear, and you get just the scoby and some pH strips. Luckily, I was able to find some really helpful videos on YouTube that explained the process. A quick run to the store, and we picked up a large glass jar, black tea, and cheese cloth. I added 8 cups of cold water to the jar. Then I brought an additional 8 cups of water to a boil. I steeped 12 organic tea bags for 20 mins. in the hot water, before then adding 1 cup of sugar. I then added the sweetened tea to the jar. Splitting the water meant that I didn’t need to wait for the temperature to drop before adding the scoby (water was at a perfect 90*). She has been happily floating, and while we’re only on Day 3, I already am noticing the color of the tea is getting lighter. She survived my terrible caretaking and is alive! Once she’s been chilling for a week, we’re going to do a second ferment in hopes of getting some carbonation. Excited for this process!
Customer Review of Product –
Easy to use and great tasting Kombucha
I’ve made kefir water before, but I had never made Kombucha. The processes are pretty similar. The directions were easy to follow. It had to sit a few days longer to get the same carbonation level I enjoy with my kefir. I added some lemon, lime, and ginger for flavoring. It was delicious. (By the way, I didn’t make until a month after I received it, but I did keep it stored in the fridge.) It didn’t seem to have any effect on it.