Jun kombucha is also called the champagne of fermented drinks. Learn how to make delicious bubbly Jun kombucha tea tea at home. We offer a comprehensive overview of essential equipment, first and second fermentation processes, and valuable tips to ensure your success in brewing green tea kombucha.

Jun kombucha, or green tea kombucha, is often hailed the “champagne of fermented drinks” and for a good reason! Jun has a less sour and more refined and exquisite flavor compared to traditional kombucha. The flavor of jun tea is milder and smoother compared to kombucha. This is mainly because the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) feeds on green tea and honey, compared to feeding on black tea and sugar in the brewing of classic kombucha. Consequentially, the jun drink has a floral and fruity flavor from honey, which is balanced with a slightly bitter taste sensation of the green tea. It’s delicious and refreshing!

Creating your batch of Jun kombucha tea at home is a rewarding experience that allows you to experiment with flavors and customize the fermentation process according to your preferences. By following a few simple steps and using quality ingredients, you can enjoy makingthe fizzy and tangy goodness of Jun kombucha in the comfort of your own home. So, let’s embark on this delightful journey and discover the wonders of homemade Jun kombucha tea.

Jun vs. kombucha

Jun and kombucha differ in several aspects:

Base ingredients: Kombucha is brewed with sugar and black tea, whereas jun is brewed with honey and green tea.
Fermentation time: Jun typically ferments faster (3-7 days), whereas traditional kombucha needs 7-14 days.
Flavor profile: Jun has a less sour, milder, and lighter flavor than traditional kombucha.
Bubbles: Jun is much bubblier than kombucha.

Importantly, the same SCOBY can be used for brewing both jun and kombucha. While some may claim that a specific jun SCOBY is required, this is simply not true. You can successfully transition a traditional kombucha SCOBY to brewing jun by gradually replacing black tea and sugar with green tea and honey over several brewing cycles.

We’ve successfully trained several SCOBIES from feeding on black tea and sugar to feeding on green tea and even mate tea and honey. You can do so by gradually replacing sugar and black tea with honey and green tea, in three to four brewing cycles, more information here. Furthermore, some have reported brewing kombucha with mate tea, and even herbal teas.

What you’ll need to make jun kombucha at home

For the most basic green tea kombucha recipes you’ll only need two ingredients – honey and green tea, so make sure those are of good quality.

Look for unpasteurised honey. While the type of honey does not matter, keep in mind that it will have an impact on the flavor of jun. For example, on the one hand, jun brewed with chestnut honey will have a bolder, richer flavor with caramel and woody notes. On the other hand, jun brewed with floral honey will have a more subtle, mild, yet fruity flavor. As always, we encourage you to experiment with different types of flavors to identify your preference.
Look for an organic loose-leaf green tea with a mild flavor. Avoid teas with added flavors, oils, or smoked teas. Some of our favorite green teas for brewing jun include Sencha and Dragonwell.

Equipment for brewing jun kombucha

You’ll need a few pieces of equipment and tools for brewing jun:

Brewing vessel: You’ll need a glass jar, preferably with a wide mouth. Plastic can leach chemicals into the tea and harm the SCOBY. starters opt for a 4-liter (one gallon) large jar. It’s useful for the jar to have a spigot, but it needs to be made from stainless steel, or plastic.
SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and kombucha/jun liquid: You can get it online, from a friend brewing kombucha, or perhaps in a cafe/restaurant that brews kombucha.
Plastic fine mesh strainer: Will help to strain the tea and SCOBY in the bottling process.
Breathable cloth: You need to cover the jar during fermentation to keep fly and dust from getting in. Cotton or muslin works well.
Rubber band: To secure the cloth to the jar.
Bottles: For storing the finished Jun tea. You should look for glass bottles with swing caps, that are specifically made for brewing beer, kombucha, and other fermented drinks. Avoid decorative glass bottles with swing caps that are not meant to hold carbonated and fermented drinks, as they are made from thin glass, that can explode once you’ve bottled jun.
Thermometer: To check the temperature of the water.
Funnel: For transferring the tea to bottles.
Wooden or plastic ladle: For stirring the tea.

First and second jun kombucha fermentation

In a nutshell, there are two stages of fermentation. The second fermentation is optional. Below we explain that most commonly flavoring happens in the second fermentation stage. However, more experienced brewers may also add fruits, and herbs in the first fermentation process. We suggest you experiment with this once you’ve gained some experience in successfully brewing different flavours of jun.

First fermentation

This is the initial fermentation where the SCOBY converts the sugar in honey into probiotics, acids, and enzymes, giving Jun its characteristic tangy flavor. Here, we add the honey-sweetened green tea is sweetened in the brewing vessel (glass jar), together with jun liquid and SCOBY. We cover the mixture with a breathable cloth and leave to ferment for between 6 – 9 days at room temperature.

Second fermentation

This stage is optional and used to add flavor and carbonation to the Jun tea. The fermented Jun from the first fermentation is strained and bottled in glass bottles with swing caps. You can add fruits, herbs, juices, or jams to the bottles for flavoring. We also add a teaspoon of honey or (brown) sugar, to increase the carbonation process. We then bottle seal the bottles and leave them to ferment for a few more days, for the flavors to infuse and carbonation to develop.

Key to success

Here are a couple of tricks that can help you in the process fo brewing jun kombucha.

Temperature: The ideal temperature for brewing Jun tea is between 20°C and 27°C (68°F to 80°F). Lower temperatures can slow down the fermentation process. Higher temperatures can encourage the growth of unwanted bacteria. Try placing the brewing vessel somewhere with a consistent temperature. Always keep Jun away from direct sunlight.
Hygiene: Only touch SCOBY when wearing clean gloves to avoid contaminating jun. Unclean equipment or environments can introduce unwanted microorganisms, leading to mold growth or spoilage. If mold occurs, throw away the entire batch, including the SCOBY, as contaminants can pose health risks if consumed. Store the fermented Jun in clean, sterilised bottles, you can sterilize it with vinegar, alcohol, or dish soap.
Have more batches of jun: as soon as your SCOBY grows, you can peel off the top layers and use them to start new batches. This way you’ll always have a healthy SCOBY, in case of contamination.
Feeding SCOBY: Always leave some finished Jun (starter liquid) in the jar with the SCOBY. This provides nutrients for its survival.
Burping bottled Jun: Jun is one of the most carbonated fermented drinks. To avoid explosions, you should open the swing cap every day and let the excess gas out. This is called burping and its best to it above a sink.
Use glass, wood, plastic, and high-quality stainless steel. Porous metal can react with the SCOBY and affect its health.
Purchase glass bottles meant for brewing beer: Ideally with swing heads. Avoid decorative glass bottles with swing caps that are not meant to hold carbonated and fermented drinks, as they are made from thin glass, that can explode once you’ve bottled jun.

How to know when your jun is ready

Look for a thin layer of film-forming. This means that the fermentation has started and that SCOBY started growing a new layer.
Look for bubbles. These are a clear sign of active fermentation. On days 2 – 4, you’ll probably only notice bubbles if you move the brewing vessel. Whereas from day five onwards, you should start noticing a layer of bubbles just under the SCOBY.
Taste it! Start tasting your brew after 5 days. Taste it every day to decide your preferred taste. We are firm believers that jun is ready when it tastes great to you. You may prefer it a little sweeter brew, whereas your friend might prefer it when it has developed a more sour flavor. That is normal and ok.

Warning: Potential for gas and bloating

Fermented foods contain probiotics, which are generally considered safe, and even healthy, for the majority of people. However, some people might experience severe side effects after consuming fermented foods. Probiotics introduce new bacteria to your gut, which can temporarily disrupt the balance and lead to increased gas production. Start slowly and consume jun in moderation, especially if you’re new to fermented drinks.

A good rule of thumb is to enjoy jun as an aperitif, or before a meal. Don’t consume it after eating food that is high in carbohydrates and sugars, as Jun will start feeding off those carbs and create gas through the fermentation process.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a very sweet Jun hasn’t fully fermented yet. Drinking sweet jun will make your digestive tract work harder to digest the sugars itself, and will likely disrupt your digestion and cause more gas. To read more about the health benefits and side effects of fermented food, see this article.

How to make jun

Make the tea: Bring 1 liter (1 quart) of filtered water to 80°C (180°F). Add in four teaspoons of green tea. Steep for 15 minutes and then drain to remove the tea leaves. Leaving tea in for longer will let the tea develop a stronger flavor.
Cool down: Add three liters of cold water, until the sweetened tea has reached 30°C (86°F). You can also add a few ice cubes is needed.
Sweeten with honey: Once the tea has cooled down, add 160 grams of honey and stir until honey has dissolved. You should always strive for 4% sweetness of your first batch (40 grams of honey per 1 liter of tea).
Add SCOBY and one cup of the liquid (jun from the previous batch).
Cover with a cloth, you can fold the cloth one time, but there should not be more than two layers, because Jun needs air to ferment. Tighten the cloth with an elastic band.
Let brew, place in a space with a constant temperature and away from sunlight.
In 6-9 days, when the jun has developed bubbles and a slightly sour flavor, its ready to drink and bottle.
The result of 1F is a basic jun tea. It will be slightly sweet and tart. However, it won’t be fizzy and may lack some flavor complexity. If you wish to add a fruity, floury, or herby flavor to your jun, you can ferment jun for the second time with fruits, spices, or herbs.

Second fermentation: Flavored jun kombucha recipe suggestions

This stage is optional but 2nd fermentation adds fizz and exciting fruity or herbal flavours.

Ginger kombucha – follow this recipe, but exchange the black tea for green tea and sugar for honey.
Lavender and blueberry jam jun – Learn how to use a combination of herbs and fruit jam in jun by following the recipe for this crowd-pleaser flavor combination.

Did you make this recipe? Let us know what you think. Leave us a comment and rate it by clicking the stars below – it really helps us out!

Happy cooking, and thank you for stopping by!

How to make Jun kombucha tea (Beginner friendly guide)

Author: Darja

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Course Fermented food and drinks

Cuisine Fermented, Healthy

Servings Bottles

Equipment

Brewing glass jar, preferably with a wide mouth. This is called a brewing vessel
Wooden or plastic ladle
Funnel
Thermometer
Glass bottle for brewing beer
Rubber band
Breathable cloth
Plastic fine mesh trainer

Ingredients

1 SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
1 cup Kombucha, or Jun liquid
4 teaspoon Green tea
1/2 cup Unpasteurised honey
1 gallon Water

Instructions

First fermentation

Bring 1 liter (1 quart) of filtered water to 80°C (180°F).
Add in four teaspoons of green tea.
Steep for 15 minutes and then drain to remove the tea leaves. Leaving tea in for longer will let the tea develop a stronger flavor.
Add three liters of cold water, until the sweetened tea has reached 30°C (86°F). You can also add a few ice cubes if needed.
Once the tea has cooled down, add 160 grams of honey and stir until honey has dissolved. You should always strive for 4% sweetness of your first batch (40 grams of honey per 1 liter of tea).
Wait until the sweetened tea has reached 30°C (86°F), or add a few ice cubes to shorten the process.
Add SCOBY and one cup of the liquid (jun from the previous batch).
Cover with a cloth, you can fold the cloth one time, but there should not be more than two layers, because Jun needs air to ferment.
Tighten the cloth with an elastic band.Let brew, place in a space with a constant temperature and away from sunlight.In 6-9 days, when the jun has developed bubbles and a slightly sour flavor, its ready to drink and bottle.
The result of 1F is a basic jun tea. It will be slightly sweet and tart. However, it won't be very fizzy and may lack some flavor complexity. If you wish to flavourings to your jun, you can ferment jun for the second time with fruits and herbs.

Second fermentation ginger flavour

Slice a small piece of ginger, about one tablespoon, and add in to the bottle.
Add a teaspoon of honey, or (brown) sugar to the bottle.
Pour jun over a strainer into the bottle, on top of the ginger.
Burp the bottle, by opening the cap and letting out the excess gas every day.
Let ferment for another 3-5 days, until you are happy with it. Then drink it on its own, or over ice. Let ferment for another 3-5 days, until you are happy with it. Then drink it on its own, or over ice. Keep the bottles in the fridge for up to three weeks and burp it occasionally (once per week), as the fermentation process will slow down, but not stop in the fridge.

Second fermentation fruit jam flavour

Add a teaspoon of your favorite jam to the bottle and pour jun over it.
Pour jun over a strainer into the bottle, on top of the ginger.
Burp the bottle, by opening the cap and letting out the excess gas every day.
Let ferment for another 3-5 days, until you are happy with it. Then drink it on its own, or over ice. Keep the bottles in the fridge for up to 10 days and burp occasionally, as the fermentation process will slow down, but not stop in the fridge.

Notes

Temperature: Keep between 20–27°C (68–80°F). Avoid direct sunlight.
Hygiene: Use clean hands or gloves, sterilized tools, and bottles (use vinegar, alcohol, or dish soap). If you get mold, toss the whole batch.
SCOBY Care: Always leave some finished Jun in the jar. Once your SCOBY grows, peel layers to start new batches.
Burping: Jun gets fizzy! Burp daily over a sink to release pressure.
Materials: Use glass, wood, or plastic. Avoid metal contact with SCOBY.
Bottles: Use thick glass bottles made for fermentation (like beer bottles with swing tops). Avoid decorative bottles.

Keyword green tea kombucha, honey kombucha, how to make jun, jun drink recipe, jun fermened drink, jun kombucha, training scoby for jun

How to make Jun kombucha tea (Beginner friendly guide)

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Jun vs. kombucha