If you buy kombucha in our online shop, you can be assured that it's safe for consumption. However, when you make kombucha at home we strongly advise you to read and follow the instruction manual before you start. Kombucha is made by fermenting tea, sugar and water and a culture of bacteria and yeasts. Therefore it is considered a 'living' drink. In order to make a healthy and good tasting kombucha, you need to create the right environmental factors. These are:
- Presence of sugar
- Presence of oxygen
- Ambient temperature of about 19-21 degrees (room temperature)
- Low acidity (< 4pH)
A starting low acidity is very important when you decide to brew kombucha at home and a pH 4,0 or below will keep unwanted mould or bacteria from growing in your kombucha. As the fermentation progresses, the pH will begin to lower with each day, making the kombucha increasingly sour. A healthy kombucha culture will have a pleasant aroma as well as fresh apple-like flavour and it will be safe to drink.
Do you want to read more about how kombucha is made? Read more.
Can you drink kombucha when pregnant?
Homemade kombucha is a raw product. During the preparation process, fermentation takes place through a live culture of bacteria and yeast. As part of this natural process, a small amount of alcohol is also formed, usually around 0.5% or less, depending on the recipe and fermentation time.
Before 2024, YAYA Kombucha was also brewed as a raw kombucha, containing a live culture of bacteria and yeast, with a natural alcohol content of around 0.15%. Because of this, some people chose not to drink it during pregnancy, while others appreciated it precisely for the living culture, a personal choice either way.
Since 2024, however, we pasteurize all our kombucha. This process ensures consistency and stability, and it also means that YAYA Kombucha no longer contains live bacteria or yeast. The alcohol level remains very low (around 0.15%), but the drink is now fully pasteurized and safe to enjoy for everyone.
In the end, whether or not to drink kombucha, raw or pasteurized, remains a personal decision.