How to Make Almost Sugar-Free Kombucha

Today I am going to show you how easy it is to make "almost" sugar-free kombucha. This simple Kombucha recipe adds a secret ingredient to the second fermentation that increases the growth of all the good bacteria found in kombucha without any of the added sugar that is found in store-bought brands!

Did you know that you can actually EASILY make Kombucha at home?

And did you also know that with the addition of 1 simple ingredient, you can make deliciously sweet Kombucha that is still filled with tons of probiotics without any added sugar?!!!

Yup...it's true!!!

Now you can enjoy a glass of refreshing and healthy Kombucha whether or not you are a diabetic or a health fanatic watching your sugar intake!

This easy Kombucha recipe is a copycat version of Humm Kombucha. Just like Humm Kombucha, this kombucha recipe starts just like all traditional kombucha – with water, tea, and sugar! Then comes the magic: the special fermentation process gets rid of all the sugar, but still keeps all the good-for-you probiotics. Next, by simply adding delicious flavors you love, you can easily your favourite flavours at home.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fizzy sweet-and-sour drink made with tea.

Many people say it helps relieve or prevent a variety of health problems, everything from hair loss to cancer and AIDS. There’s little scientific evidence to back up the claims, but some elements of the drink may be good for you.

Where did Kombucha originate?

Kombucha has been around for nearly 2,000 years.

It was first brewed in China and then spread to Japan and Russia. It became popular in Europe in the early 20th century. Sales in the United States are on the rise because of its reputation as a health and energy drink.

And now with all the available Kombucha brewing ingredients and equipment, you can easily make your own Homemade Kombucha and save a TON of money!

Kombucha Health Benefits

• Kombucha bacteria includes lactic-acid bacteria, which can work as a probiotic.
• Kombucha also contains a healthy dose of B vitamins.
• Kombucha mayyour digestion, rids your body of toxins, and boosts your energy.
• Kombucha is also said to boost your immune system, help you lose weight, ward off high blood pressure and heart disease, and prevent cancer, however, more research is needed to support these claims.
• Due to the high level of probiotics found in Kombucha, drinking it may help with diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and may even strengthen your immune system.

Kombucha Ingredients

You only need 3 ingredients to start brewing your own Homemade Kombucha:

• SCOBY
• Tea
• Sugar (the first fermentation uses regular sugar but the second fermentation uses inulin and allulose which are sugar-free)

What is a SCOBY?

When the basic ingredients in kombucha are mixed together and allowed to sit for a week or so, the bacteria and acids form in the drink, as well as a small amount of alcohol.

This process is known as fermentation, and it’s similar to how cabbage is preserved as sauerkraut or kimchi, or how milk is turned into yogurt.

These bacteria and acids form a film on top of the liquid called a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). The SCOBY is then kept in a container in order to ferment more kombucha.

Kombucha bacteria includes lactic-acid bacteria, which can work as a probiotic. Kombucha also contains a healthy dose of B vitamins.

Almost Sugar-Free Kombucha?

Yes...it is almost sugar-free. You see, you have to add regular sugar to the first fermentation in order to get the probiotics to grow and to reap the benefits of drinking Kombucha.

However, since the SCOBY is actually feeding off the sugar, it is actually digesting the sugar and using it for energy. Therefore, the longer you wait before pouring the your first fermentation into flip top bottles, the less sugar is in each drink.

From what I found on the internet, there is only about 4 g of sugar in a cup of Kombucha after the First fermentation. Then as you go through the second fermentation, you can replace the sugar with inulin.

Inulin is a type of prebiotic fiber that is found in many plant-based foods. The human body doesn’t make digestive enzymes that can break down inulin. Instead of being digested in the stomach and small intestine, it travels through the digestive system to the large intestine where it feeds gut bacteria. Inulin has a sweet taste and since it can NOT be digested by humans, it is considered to be "sugar-free".

So, although I do not have a lab to confirm the amount of sugar in my Homemade Kombucha recipe, I estimate that by the end of the second fermentation process, I end up with about 1 g of sugar for every 1 cup of my Almost Sugar-Free Kombucha and only about 10 calories!

How do you make Homemade Kombucha?

Although I have a large continuous flow Kombucha container on my counter, I would DEFINITELY not conisder myself an expert.

But, if you are thinking of making Homemade Kombucha, here is the gist of the steps needed to make your first brew:

Step 1: Make the SCOBY

This step involves boiling water, dissolving sugar, and making tea. Then, all you need to do is add some store-bought Kombucha and stir the mixture together. Pour the liquid into a jar, cover the top with a breathable cloth and tighten the cloth using a rubber band. Finally, store the jar in a dark, warm area for anywhere between 1-4 weeks.

So, the ratio of ingredients is as follows:

7 cups of water: 1 cup of Store-bough Kombucha starter: 4 bags of caffeinated tea: ½ cup sugar

Step 2: The First Fermentation for a Continuous Brew

Now that you have a SCOBY (it is disgusting and scary looking but try to look paste this a see a wonderful healthy creature!:-), it is time to make your first Kombucha drink!

I have a continuous brewing system that simply translates into a "big ass" jug! I like to have a continuous non-stop supply of first fermentation going at all times. Then, all I have to do is remove some from the jug, pour it into a different container, add some flavouring and my sugar-free food for the SCOBY.

For this step, you have to brew some more tea, add some more sugar, some water and your SCOBY. Let this mixture sit in a dark container (I LOVE my 10 L ceramic jug that has a metal spigot which I purchased through amazon) for about 6-10 days.

Step 3: Second Fermentation

The second fermentation step is where the real delicious taste of kombucha happens as well as the step to making Kombucha almost sugar-free. This is where you are free to play around with flavors that will not only make your homemade kombucha taste better than store-bought, but will give those good bacteria the power to kick it into high carbonation gear, bringing everything together into effervescent bliss.

In this step, some type of sugar (in this case, we are going to use inulin and allulose as are sweeteners) is added to flip top bottles that are going to store your kombucha. The inulin allows the healthy probiotic bacteria to continue to grow and to produce carbon dioxide which is what forms the fizz in store-bought kombucha. This is also where store-bought Kombucha gets loaded with sugar.

BUT NOT OUR HOMEMADE SUGAR-FREE KOMBUCHA!!!

By adding Inulin, you keep feeding your kombucha without adding any high glycemic sugar! You only need about 1 teaspoon to up to 1 tablespoon per liter flip-top jar.

If you want step-by-step directions from Kombucha experts, check out the You Brew Kombucha or Acadamy of Culinary Nutrition.

Then, adding allulose to the brew brings out the sweeteness we all love!

Allulose can be added in any amount and can be varied depending on preferences.

Also known as D-psicose, allulose is technically classified as a rare sugar because it can naturally be found in just a few foods, such as kiwi, raisins and figs.  It is chemically similar to fructose which is a type of natural sugar found in fruit.

However, unlike fructose or other types of sugar, your body doesn’t process it the same way and therefore has no effect on blood sugar and is therefore virtually calorie-free.  

It has around 70% of the sweetness of regular table sugar therefore if you want to replace sugar with allulose, remember that for every 1 cup of sugar, you will use 1 ⅓ cup of allulose.  

The BEST thing about allulose is that unlike other keto and low carb sweeteners, allulose does not crystalize when it cools making it great for certain desserts such as custards, pudding and marshmallows.

What equipment do you need to make a continuous brew of Kombucha?

Below I am listing all the products that you need for making continuous brew kombucha. With a continous brew system, I can make a month long supply of kombucha.

• A large ceramic container with a stainless steel spigot- I got the Humble House Sauerkrock tap Kombucha Crock with a Stainless Steel Spigot and Cotton Cloth Cover. There are 2 different sizes, a 5 L and a 10 L. I ended up getting a 10 L and am happy I went for the bigger size. If you plan on keeping the container on the counter, you have to get a ceramic or a container that does not let in any light. However, if you plan on living your brew in a dark pantry or closet, then a glass container will work. Make sure that you buy a container that has a stainless steel spigot. Stainless steel of 304 grade and higher is corrosive resistant and used extensively in the professional brewing community, including with vinegar which is up to 40X more acidic than Kombucha during brewing. This type of spigot is the only metal spigot safe to use with Kombucha or other fermented drinks.
• Grolsch Swing Top Glass Bottles with Ceramic Caps - Although any type of mason jar or glass jar will do, I bought the Otis Swing Top 1 L Glass bottles and could not be happier! Make sure that you choose bottles that are made of food-grade glass only. Plastic has the potential for leaching harmful chemicals. Also, make sure that you choose bottles that are meant for carbonated beverages. That means that you must buy bottles that sell well and will be able to hold pressure. Weak glass bottles may explode as Kombucha can create over 100 psi of pressure (for reference, a bottle of beer is about 50 psi).  DON’T USE Ikea swing-top bottles (KORKEN) nor milk bottles – these are for water or other non-carbonated drinks.
• Black Tea or Green tea - you can use either type but just make sure that they are NOT decaf.
• Organic sugar - You MUST use sugar during the first fermentation which is the only way to keep your SCOBY alive. Don't worry about the sugar adding carbs to your keto diet as the sugar is digested by the SCOBY
• Inulin - I used Kate Natural Organic Inulin powder. By adding a teaspoon of inulin to your bottles during the second fermentation process, you are feeding the good probiotics without adding any extra sugar or carbs. Add any additional fruits or sugar-free flavours to your kombucha and 3-10 days later, enjoy your homemade brew!

Tips and Tricks if you are going to try to make your own Kombucha:

• using glass or stainless steel bottle containers.
• Keep everything sanitary, including the equipment and your hands.
• make sure you use caffeinated tea and NOT decaf
• use only black tea for making the SCOBY but then feel free to use green tea or any other tea for the 1st and 2nd fermentation
• the ratio for making a SCOBY is: 7 cups of water: 1 cup of Store-bough Kombucha starter: 4 bags of caffeinated tea: ½ cup sugar
• Add only about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Inulin to the second fermentation process along with additional allulose depending on how sweet you want your Kombucha to taste.
• If you use higher sugar fruit such as pineapple, mango, peach or watermelon juice be extra cautious and burp the bottles or check carbonation frequently as the bottles can build up a lot of pressure
• Once you have left the bottles at room temperature for 3-10 days after the second fermentation, place the jars in the fridge and enjoy!
• If you want your kombucha to be even more carbonated, use a SodaStream machine
• You will know if you have a good and strong probiotic-packed Kombucha if you start to see a new SCOBY form in your flip-top bottles after the second fermentation. Feel free to eat that SCOBY as it is EXTREMELY healthy!

If you like this Sugar-Free Kombucha recipe, you may also enjoy:

Easy Watermelon Cranberry Freedom Cocktail

How to Make Sugar-Free Lemonade Concentrate

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