How to Make Jun
Brew jun tea, the "champagne of kombucha," using green tea and raw honey instead of black tea and sugar for a delicate, floral probiotic drink.
Jun is often called the "champagne of kombucha" — a delicate, lightly carbonated fermented tea brewed with high-quality green tea and raw honey rather than the black tea and cane sugar used in standard kombucha. The jun SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is specifically adapted to fermenting honey, producing a lighter, more floral, and less acidic brew than regular kombucha. Jun ferments faster than kombucha — often completing in 3–7 days — and rewards patience with an exceptionally refined, effervescent drink.
Equipment
- 1-gallon glass jar
- Breathable cloth cover (tightly woven — not cheesecloth which is too loose)
- Rubber band
- Pot or kettle
- Thermometer
- Flip-top bottles for second fermentation
- Fine mesh strainer
- Funnel
- pH strips (optional but recommended for safety)
Ingredients
- Filtered water (14 cups / 3.3L, non-chlorinated)
- Loose-leaf green tea (2 tablespoons or 4–6 tea bags)
- Raw honey (1 cup / 340g — must be raw and unpasteurized)
- Jun SCOBY (1 healthy pellicle)
- Starter liquid (1–2 cups from a previous Jun batch)
- Fruit, herbs, or ginger for second fermentation flavoring (optional)
Workflow
Brew the Green Tea Base
45–60 minutes (mostly cooling)Heat water
Bring 4 cups of filtered water to 170–180°F (77–82°C). Do not fully boil — green tea becomes bitter with boiling water.
Steep the green tea
Add 2 tbsp loose green tea or 4–6 tea bags. Steep for exactly 3–5 minutes. Remove tea promptly — over-steeping causes bitterness that will carry into the final jun.
Add cool water
Pour 10 cups of room-temperature filtered water into your gallon jar first, then add the hot concentrated tea. This rapidly cools the mixture.
Cool and add honey
Wait until the tea cools to below 95°F (35°C), then stir in 1 cup of raw honey until fully dissolved. The liquid will become slightly cloudy — this is normal.
Never add honey to hot tea above 95°F — heat destroys the beneficial enzymes and complex compounds in raw honey that contribute to jun's distinctive flavor.
Ready When
Primary Fermentation (1F)
5–7 days (check starting day 3)Add starter liquid
Pour 1–2 cups of mature jun starter liquid into the sweetened tea. This immediately acidifies the brew to a pH that prevents mold and contamination.
Add the SCOBY
Gently place the jun SCOBY on top. It may sink — this is fine. A new pellicle will form at the surface regardless of where the old one settles.
Cover and place
Cover with tightly woven cloth secured with a rubber band. Place in a cool, dark spot at 68–75°F (20–24°C). Jun prefers slightly cooler temperatures than standard kombucha.
Taste starting on day 3
Leave completely undisturbed for 3 days. Beginning on day 3, taste daily using a clean straw inserted below the SCOBY. Jun ferments faster than kombucha — the window between perfect and too sour is narrower, so daily tasting matters.
Ready When
Bottle & Second Fermentation (2F)
2–4 daysReserve SCOBY and starter liquid
Set aside the SCOBY and 1–2 cups of finished jun as your starter for the next batch. Store in a clean jar covered with cloth.
Add flavorings to bottles
Per 16 oz bottle, choose from: 2–3 tbsp fresh fruit, 1–2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp dried lavender, or 1/2–1 tsp raw honey for extra carbonation. Jun pairs best with delicate flavors — lavender, elderflower, white peach, lychee, green grape.
Fill and seal bottles
Strain jun through a fine mesh strainer into flip-top bottles, leaving 1–1.5 inches of headspace. Seal tightly.
Ferment and burp daily
Leave at room temperature for 2–4 days. Open each bottle briefly over a sink once per day to release excess pressure.
Jun carbonates vigorously — always burp bottles daily to prevent bottle explosions.
Use only pressure-rated flip-top or commercial beverage bottles.
Ready When
Refrigerate & Enjoy
Chill all bottles
Move all bottles to the refrigerator. Let sit for at least 24 hours for flavors to meld and bubbles to refine into finer carbonation.
Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to fix them. Something look off? Find your symptom below.
Food Safety
Hygiene
Monitor pH — finished jun should reach below 3.5. If pH has not dropped below 4.0 after 10 days, the SCOBY or starter may be unhealthy.
Jun contains 0.5–2% ABV, potentially higher after second fermentation. Do not serve to pregnant individuals, young children, or those avoiding alcohol without disclosure.
Always use at least 20% starter liquid by volume to quickly acidify the brew and prevent mold contamination. Jun SCOBYs are more susceptible to contamination than kombucha SCOBYs.
Do not serve jun to infants under 12 months due to the raw honey origin. Fermented jun has been acidified to pH 3.0–3.5, which inactivates Clostridium botulinum, but exercise caution with very young children.
Cover with a tight-weave cloth to prevent fruit fly access. Fruit flies carry mold spores that are the primary source of contamination.
Equipment
Never ferment jun in ceramic, crystal, or lead-glazed vessels. The acidity of jun leaches lead and heavy metals from these materials. Use glass or food-grade stainless steel only.
Use pressure-rated flip-top bottles for second fermentation. Jun carbonates vigorously — especially with fruit additions. Burp bottles once or twice daily in warm weather.
Temperature
Add honey only after the tea has cooled to below 95°F. Heat destroys the beneficial enzymes in raw honey that define jun's flavor and support the culture.
When to Discard
Fuzzy mold on the SCOBY surface
Any fuzzy growth (not flat yeast strands or brown bits) on the SCOBY surface means discard the entire batch and the SCOBY. Jun SCOBYs cannot be saved by removing visible mold — the spores penetrate the entire culture.
Rotten, putrid, or nail polish remover smell
Jun should smell floral, lightly tart, and honey-sweet — never rotten or chemically sharp. A putrid or acetone-like smell (nail polish remover) indicates contamination or serious yeast imbalance. Discard the batch.
pH above 4.0 after 10+ days at proper temperature
Insufficient acidification leaves jun vulnerable to pathogens. If the pH has not dropped below 4.0 after 10 days at 68–76°F, the culture is unhealthy and the brew is not safe. Discard and start fresh.
Storage Guidelines
Room Temperature
Primary fermentation: 5–7 days at 68–76°F (20–24°C). Second fermentation (bottled): 2–4 days at room temperature.
Refrigerated
Finished jun keeps for 1–3 months refrigerated. SCOBY and starter liquid can be stored in the fridge covered in jun for 2–4 weeks between batches.
Shelf Life
Refrigerated: 1–3 months. Best consumed within 6 weeks of bottling for peak flavor and carbonation.
Flavor Variations
Once you have mastered the basics, try these flavor combinations to take your ferments to the next level.
Elderflower
Dried elderflowers infused during second fermentation create a delicately floral, lightly sweet jun with a honeysuckle-like aroma — the quintessential jun flavor that showcases the honey base beautifully.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp dried elderflowers per 16 oz bottle
- 1 tsp raw honey for extra carbonation
Elderflowers are highly aromatic — taste after 18 hours. Longer infusion risks overpowering jun's base character.
Strain through a fine mesh before serving for a crystal-clear golden pour.
Rose & Lychee
Culinary rose petals and sweet lychee create an extraordinarily delicate, perfumed jun with Southeast Asian character — complex, floral, and unlike anything commercially available.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried culinary rose petals
- 2 fresh lychee, peeled and halved (or 2 tbsp canned lychee juice)
- 1/2 tsp rose water (optional — use very sparingly)
Use rose petals as the primary flavor, not rose water — water is far too potent and will overpower.
Canned lychee in syrup works perfectly and provides good carbonation from the syrup sugar.
Jasmine & Honey
A simple, deeply aromatic jun enhanced by jasmine green tea in both primary fermentation and a fresh jasmine infusion in second ferment — layered floral complexity at its finest.
Ingredients
- Brew primary fermentation with jasmine green tea instead of plain green tea
- 1 tbsp fresh or dried jasmine blossoms added at second fermentation
- 1 tsp raw honey (wildflower or orange blossom)
Using jasmine tea in primary fermentation creates a baseline floral note that the 2F addition amplifies beautifully.
Orange blossom honey in primary fermentation takes this to another level of floral complexity.
White Peach
White peaches (not yellow) have a delicate floral sweetness perfectly suited to jun's gentle character — a sublime summer combination that highlights the honey notes.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ripe white peach, finely diced
- 1 tsp raw honey
- Optional: 2–3 drops orange blossom water
Use only fully ripe, fragrant white peaches — this flavor is entirely dependent on peach quality.
Yellow peaches are too assertive for jun; white peach or nectarine preserve its delicacy.
Green Grape & Mint
Crushed green grapes and a few mint leaves create a crisp, refreshing second ferment with subtle sweetness and an elegant wine-like character — perfect for warm weather.
Ingredients
- 4–5 green seedless grapes, halved and lightly crushed
- 2 fresh mint leaves
- Optional: thin slice of cucumber for extra freshness
Grapes contain natural yeasts on their skins — this enhances carbonation naturally.
The slight wine-like character that develops is a feature, not a flaw.
Pear & Cardamom
Sweet, subtle pear and a single crushed cardamom pod create a refined, gently spiced jun with autumn warmth — sophisticated without being heavy.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ripe pear, finely diced (Bartlett or Williams for sweetness)
- 1 cardamom pod, lightly crushed
- Optional: 1 tsp raw honey
Use only one cardamom pod — too much overwhelms the delicate pear.
Ripe pear is essential for good carbonation; underripe pear has insufficient sugar.
Track Your Jun with FermentBuddy
Get smart timers, guided workflows, and real-time troubleshooting for your jun and all your fermentation projects.