For 1 litre of kombucha, use about 50 to 60 g of plain white sugar, which is roughly a quarter cup. Most recipes use between 50 and 80 g per litre of total batch volume. The starter counts towards that litre, so the sweet tea makes up the rest.
What the Sugar Does
Sugar is the fuel for the whole process, not a sweetener for the finished drink. The yeast in the culture breaks the sugar down into simpler sugars and ferments them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The bacteria then convert those into acids. Without enough sugar, the culture slows, and the batch can stall or taste thin.
How Much Sugar for 1 Litre
For a 1 litre batch, use either of these:
- 50 g of plain white sugar, about a quarter cup
- 60 g of plain white sugar, a little more than a quarter cup
Start at 50 g if this is your first batch. Weighing the sugar is more accurate than measuring by cups, because cup measures vary with how the sugar is packed. As a guide, 1 cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 g, so a quarter cup is about 50 g.
Dissolve the sugar in the hot part of the tea, then top up with cold water. The sweet tea should be at room temperature before you add the starter and SCOBY. The full steps are in how to make kombucha at home.
Why Finished Kombucha Isn’t as Sweet as the Starting Tea
Most of the sugar is used up during the first fermentation, so finished kombucha is usually much less sweet than the sweet tea it started as. A few things affect how much is left:
- Time. The longer the batch ferments, the more sugar the culture uses. A batch left to ferment for longer is tarter.
- The culture. Each SCOBY and its starter liquid behave a little differently.
- Temperature. Warm rooms speed up fermentation, so sugar is used faster.
Some sugar always remains. The exact amount depends on the batch and how long it ferments. Home brewers can’t measure it easily without lab equipment, so the taste is the best guide. If you want a drier, less sweet drink, let the batch ferment for a few more days rather than adding less sugar at the start.
Note that adding juice or fruit for a second ferment adds sugar on purpose, to feed the yeast and create fizz. That is a separate step from the first ferment. Bottling safely explains why the extra sugar matters for pressure.
Too Little or Too Much Sugar
Too little sugar can leave the culture short of food. The batch may ferment slowly, make less fizz when bottled, or taste thin.
Too much sugar does not always help. A heavy sugar load can leave the drink sweet for longer, so it takes more time to reach a balanced flavour. Extra sugar in a sealed bottle also adds to the pressure, which is why sweet bottles need extra care.
Stick close to 50 to 60 g per litre for your first few batches.
Which Sugar to Use
- Plain white cane sugar is the standard choice. It is what most guides and recipes use.
- Raw or brown sugar can work, but it adds its own flavour and can change how the batch behaves. It is not the standard choice.
- Honey is not a direct swap. It is used for jun, a related but different drink with a different culture.
- Stevia, xylitol and other sweeteners or sugar substitutes are not a food source for the yeast and bacteria in the way sugar is. They are not recommended for kombucha.
- Maple syrup and coconut sugar are not standard, and results vary.
Measuring by Weight or Volume
Weight is the most accurate way to measure sugar. If you only have cups, 1 cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 g. Check the packaging of your sugar, as some brands and types differ slightly.
For bigger batches, scale the amount to the total volume. For example, a 4 litre batch uses about 200 g, or 1 cup, of sugar. The batch size guide has a full table.
Related Reading
- How to make kombucha at home for the full method.
- Kombucha batch sizes for 1 to 8 litre batches.
- Why is my kombucha too vinegary? for what happens when a batch runs long.