You don't have to buy the scoby from Amazon you can just get any unflavored unpasteurized kombucha from the grocery store like GTS if it is available and pour a good amount into your stater tea when it cools. Just a note the pancake thing a lot of people call a scoby is just a byproduct and is not really needed, the liquid is the important part so make sure you save enough from each batch to start another