Love kombucha but tired of paying too much for a store-bought kombucha bottle? Here’s how to brew your own at home!

September is Fermentation Month, and we’re celebrating with a fizzy little party (pineapples, bubbles, and all) in honor of drinks that are funky, refreshing, and oh-so-good for your gut.

This guide covers two legends of the ferment world: tepache (sweet + spiced pineapple magic) and kombucha (the tangy, caffeinated favorite). By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make both from scratch, at home, with your bare hands (and maybe some help from nature’s microbes).

Why Fermented Drinks Are Totally Worth Making at Home

Store-bought kombucha is delicious, sure. But some are expensive, and others sneak in more sugar than you think. 

Here’s why fermented drinks are the real deal of wellness:

• Gut-friendly: Full of probiotics + enzymes your belly will thank you for.
• Sustainable: Turn pineapple scraps into something magical.
• Customizable: Lavender-mango? Spicy ginger-mint? Go wild.
• Just plain fun: Watching bubbles appear feels like kitchen magic.

What Is Fermentation?

Fermentation is nature doing its thing. Microbes eat the sugar in your mix, and in return, they create fizz, flavor, and gut-friendly goodness like probiotics and organic acids. Think of it as a microscopic dinner happening right in your jar.

DIY Tepache: The Sweet & Spiced Ferment

Tepache is the underrated star of fermented drinks. While kombucha gets all the hype, tepache is like that cool cousin who brings pineapple, cinnamon, and tropical charm to the table.

A Quick Backstory

Tepache comes from Mesoamerican traditions, where it was once made with corn. Today, it’s usually brewed with pineapple peels, sugar, and warming spices like cinnamon and clove. Sweet, lightly fizzy, and almost too easy to make. At Forage Kitchen, we keep it all natural.

How to Make Tepache at Home: Step-by-Step

Ingredients:

• Rind + core of 1 pineapple (scrubbed clean)
• ½ to 1 cup of brown sugar or piloncillo
• 4 cups water
• Optional: 1 cinnamon stick, 2–3 cloves

Steps:

1. Wash a pineapple and chop the pineapple scraps into chunks.
2. Place in a clean glass jar or pitcher.
3. Add sugar, spices, and water. Stir.
4. Cover loosely with a cloth or paper towel and secure with a rubber band.
5. Let it sit at room temperature for 2–4 days. Bubbles + fruity aroma = ready.

Taste it after 2 days. Want it sweeter? Shorter ferment. Want more tang? Let it go another day.

Storage Tips:

Once it tastes the way you like, strain it, pop it in a bottle or mason jar, and store it in the fridge. It’ll keep for about a week.

Pro Tips:

• Funky smell = good. Fuzzy mold = toss.
• Add chili flakes or ginger for a spicy twist.
• For extra fizz, bottle 1 more day before chilling.

Hint: The warmer your kitchen, the faster it ferments. Keep an eye (and nose) on it, and let your taste buds guide you.

DIY Kombucha: The Tart, Tangy Powerhouse

Kombucha is tangy, bold, and loaded with probiotics, antioxidants, and organic acids. The not-so-scary secret ingredient? A SCOBY. It’s got probiotics, antioxidants, organic acids, and an interesting squishy thing floating on top called a SCOBY.

But What Is a SCOBY?

SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. It looks like a jelly pancake, but it’s what turns sweet tea into kombucha. You can get one from a friend, buy online, or grow from unflavored raw kombucha.

How to Brew Kombucha at Home

Ingredients:

• 4–5 bags of black or green tea
• 1 cup white sugar
• 8 cups of water
• 1 SCOBY
• 1–2 cups of starter tea (from a previous batch or store-bought raw kombucha)

Directions:

1. Brew tea with sugar. Boil the water, steep the tea bags, and let them cool completely.
2. Pour into a clean glass jar.
3. Add the starter tea + SCOBY.
4. Cover with a cloth and secure.
5. Let it ferment at room temperature (out of direct sunlight) for 7–10 days.

Taste it starting on Day 7. It should be tangy, slightly sweet, and not too vinegary. That’s your first fermentation.

Optional: Second Fermentation (For Fizz & Flavor)

1. Remove SCOBY and save some tea for the next batch.
2. Pour your kombucha into bottles.
3. Add flavorings like fruit, ginger, herbs, hibiscus, or whatever your heart desires.
4. Cap the bottles tightly and let them sit at room temperature for 2–3 days to carbonate.
5. Chill and enjoy.

Still not sure if you want to go with Tepache or Kombucha? Our restaurants always have a variety of flavors or Forage tepache and kombucha, so you can sip and get inspired.

Tepache vs. Kombucha: Which One’s for You?

Trying to choose your fermented fighter? Here's how tepache and kombucha stack up:

• Taste: Tepache = sweet + fruity + spiced. Kombucha =  tangy + bold.
• Prep Time: Tepache = 2–4 days. Kombucha = 7–10 days (a few more if you want fizz).
• Equipment: Tepache = jar + cloth. Kombucha = needs SCOBY and some starter tea.
• Probiotics: Tepache = mild on the gut. Kombucha = more diverse.
• Flavor Flexibility: Both can be spiced or flavored; kombucha has endless options.

Try both, honestly. You may find yourself brewing one for weeknights and the other for fancy weekend brunches.

Tips, Troubleshooting, and Flavor Experiments

Fermentation isn’t always perfect. But that’s part of the fun. Here’s how to ride the fizzy wave like a pro.

Common Mistakes:

• No fizz? Bottle it longer or add a teaspoon of sugar before sealing.
• Too sour? Shorten the ferment time.
• Moldy? If it’s fuzzy, colorful, or smells rotten, toss and start again. Trust your nose.

Flavor Ideas to Try:

• Tepache: Chili-pineapple, vanilla-orange, cardamom-honey
• Kombucha: Raspberry-lime, lavender-berry, ginger-peach, mango-mint

Seasonal Combos:

• Fall: Cinnamon-apple tepache or chai-spiced kombucha
• Summer: Watermelon-mint kombucha or jalapeño-lime tepache

Fermentation is less about perfection and more about play, so trust the process, have fun experimenting, and enjoy every fizzy sip. If you’re local to Milwaukee, you can even stop by our Pewaukee restaurant to taste how we brew it in-house before trying your own batch at home.

Why Fermentation Belongs in Your Everyday Life

Fermentation isn’t about making a trendy drink; it’s about building small, healthy habits that last. Brewing your own kombucha or tepache helps you cut down on waste, save money, and know exactly what’s going into your body. Plus, there’s something rewarding about seeing a jar in your counter slowly turn into something fizzy, flavorful, and good for your gut.

Your Fermentation Journey Starts Here

Tepache is quick, easy, and made from scraps. Kombucha takes a little longer, but it’s endlessly customizable and perfect if you’re in it for the long game. Both bring serious flavor, real health benefits, and that unbeatable feeling of “I made this.”

The best part? You don’t need fancy tools or years of know-how. You just need curiosity, a few pantry staples, and maybe a pineapple or some tea bags. And because homemade ferments cut waste, save money, and keep sneaky sugars in check, they’re as sustainable as they’re satisfying.

If you’re not quite ready to brew at home, swing by one of our Forage Kitchen locations to try our house-made tepache, fresh on tap and ready to pair with something nourishing from our menu.