Hard Ice Tea attempt

[Abungerism]

I started to make this a couple of days ago because I was bored. Not sure yet how it will turn out but it is bubbling like mad.

Recipe for 1 gallon.
1 gallon water from tap
7 cups sugar (makes it 12% or 1.045 on the hydrometer)
10 tea bags (PG Tips)
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
#WLP720 Sweet mead/wine yeast

I boiled all the ingredients except for the yeast then added them to the carboy after taking out the tea bags. I added the yeast when it was 80 degrees F. (didn't want to wait until it went down to 75 as the directions on the yeast said to do.

Initial reading for Ph was 4.0. I expected that I wouldn't have to add acid and I think I was right. I think tea already has tannic acid in it.

At 1.045 SG it will be 12% alcohol if all the sugar metabolizes. After I mixed it all together I read online that most hard ice teas are around 6%. Oops :

At any rate it's bubbling so much that the airlock couldn't handle it after the first day. The froth from the bubbles was getting forced up into the airlock and caused the iodine water to overflow. I had to use a rubber band to attach a (sterilized) coffee filter over the top instead of the airlock.

Comments on my recipe? Think it will work?

 

[David Baldwin]

Now THAT's thinkin outside the kettle!

Sounds interesting.

What type of tea did you use?


Let us know how it goes.



David

 

[byathread]

At 1.045 SG it will be 12% alcohol if all the sugar metabolizes.

:-\

Potential ABV will be around 5.8%. You must've been looking at the Brix reading.

 

[Jmattioli]

???
I think it is a more serious error than just reading the wrong scale. 7 cups of sugar in a gallon! That's 8oz times 7 = 56 oz divided by 16 (16oz to a lb) = 3 1/2 lbs sugar. If the sugar is correct then the SG is wrong ( should have read 1.145 or greater ) and the tea will ferment to the tolerance of the yeast and still be sweet.

Joe

PS Tannin in Tea is not the same as adding acid but the PH of 4 was a good place for fermentation to start

 

[Abungerism]

"That's 8oz times 7 = 56 oz divided by 16 (16oz to a lb) = 3 1/2 lbs sugar."

Yeah, but there's two types of ounces - volume and weight. 7 cups is 56 ounces by volume, but that doesn't mean it's 56 ounces by weight. Regarding the density I'm fairly certain, though not positive that my measurement of 12 was from the "potenial alcohol by volume" column on my hydrometer.

The tea I used was PG Tips. It's a very popular tea over in England - I got hooked on it when I studied there for a term.

It' still bubbling strong, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

[Jmattioli]

"That's 8oz times 7 = 56 oz divided by 16 (16oz to a lb) = 3 1/2 lbs sugar."

Yeah, but there's two types of ounces - volume and weight. 7 cups is 56 ounces by volume, but that doesn't mean it's 56 ounces by weight. Regarding the density I'm fairly certain, though not positive that my measurement of 12 was from the "potenial alcohol by volume" column on my hydrometer.

The tea I used was PG Tips. It's a very popular tea over in England - I got hooked on it when I studied there for a term.

It' still bubbling strong, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

While it is true that volume is not = to weight except with pure water, you will find that sugar volume of 1 cup is approximately 6.8 to 7.7oz depending on whether you use granuated or pure cane sugar. The SG of sugar granulated is app .849 Raw cane sugar is .961 . Personally I find that close enough to use 8 oz per cup for estimation purposes with pure cane sugar. Either way thats an SG of 1.135 to 1.147 depending on the sugar used for 7 cups. Each pound of sugar in 1 gallon raises the SG .045 . If you by chance used brown sugar the weight would even be more than the granualted.

The potential ABV using either sugar is well over 16% and the SG could not possibly have been 1.045 as indicated unless there is an error in your your indicated recipe typed above.
Reference:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/hydrom.asp

.... and my personal experience with sugar.

No offense meant but learning is tough when no correction is offered.

Joe

 

[Abungerism]

No offense taken. If your figures are correct then it means my hydrometer reading was innacurate. I took the reading when the must was pretty hot - could this have thrown off the results? I'm positive that the hydrometer said 12 when I read it, although I'm unsure if that was the potential alcohol % or the balling.

So if it's way too sweet what options do I have? I could water it down after fermentation with unsweetened ice tea. That would lower the alcohol percentage but maybe it'll be too high anyway. I could also water it down now, but I don't have a big enough carboy handy.

Btw, thanks for all the help. I think those formulas will come in handy when I try to fix this batch and/or start a new one.

 

[Jmattioli]

No offense taken. If your figures are correct then it means my hydrometer reading was innacurate. I took the reading when the must was pretty hot - could this have thrown off the results? I'm positive that the hydrometer said 12 when I read it, although I'm unsure if that was the potential alcohol % or the balling.

So if it's way too sweet what options do I have? I could water it down after fermentation with unsweetened ice tea. That would lower the alcohol percentage but maybe it'll be too high anyway. I could also water it down now, but I don't have a big enough carboy handy.

Btw, thanks for all the help. I think those formulas will come in handy when I try to fix this batch and/or start a new one.

Most hydrometers are calibrated to give correct readings at 59-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures thin the liquid slightly and result in lower readings than you'd get at the correct temperature. However, if your hydrometer was correct then you read PA of 12 and not the BRIX. It could have read low for one or a couple reasons:
*You are using 1 Imperial gallon instead of 1 US gallon. (I assumed it was US since not specified)
*The temperature of the Must was much greater than 60 degrees.
*All of your sugar was not completely dissolved yet.
*Your hydrometer is not accurate. (doubtful but possible)

The Alcohol percentage will be the tolerance of your yeast if it ferments properly. Your yeast will tolerate alcohol up to 15%. You may be happy with the results as is. IF it is sweeter than you like then just dilute with tea as you suggested at drinking time.

Joe

 

[Abungerism]

Some info:

It is one US gallon
My hydrometer is accurate because it floats at zero in lukewarm water.
The must was almost boiling when I took the readings

Btw - is brix the same thing as "balling"? The impression I get is that balling (brix?) shows the change in sugar but % alcohol shows the change in alcohol. If so, then what is the purpose of the SG reading? Is that just the density? It seems unnecessary and confusing to have that third figure.

 

[Jmattioli]

Balling hydrometer scale

A hydrometer scale calibrated so that readings at a specified temperature (in the United States, usually 20°C) equal the percentage by weight of sugar in the solution. It is numerically equivalent to the Brix scale.

The SG is indeed the density of the liquid. If you know how to convert to BRIX and PA then only the SG is necessary. They are marked on the hydrometer for your convenience. Any one of the scales will work but most people here talk in SG and Potential alcohol.

Your almost boiling Must gave you the false PA reading.

Joe

 

[Abungerism]

I diluted the one gallon into two gallons. Given my mistake re: sugar proportions I thought this would give me the best options for salvaging it later. This way both gallons will ferment to 15% instead of just one gallon with too much sugar. I can always add tea, sugar, or water but alcohol is harder once the yeast has died. Both gallons are fermenting just fine. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Mu]

Well after reading this I decided to give it a whorl. I made a smaller batch because I only had a 2L Jug about. So here’s how I went about it. I looked about for an ice tea recipe that I liked the sound of and found this one.

“To make one and one-half quarts of iced tea, put a quart (that's 4 cups) of fresh, cold water in a teapot or pan or whatever and bring it to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, pour it over 5 small tea bags in a heatproof container. Don't gently pour; let it really splash down on the tea bags. Set the container aside and allow the tea to steep for at least an hour. (Actually you can let it steep for hours, overnight even, and it's just fine.) Then fish the teabags out. You can squeeze them to get that last drop of flavor. If you want "sweet tea," add a scant ¾ cup of sugar and stir it until dissolved. Then add two more cups of cold water, stir, and chill. You'll have enough to refresh and satisfy several people.”

Source: http://www.texascooking.com/features/aug2001icedtea.htm

I added one cup of sugar to the 1.5L of tea. Going of that, and the amount of sugar per 1L of fluid on the hydrometer I have I think it will be about 7%. It’s the second day of it’s fermentation and it’s bubbling along nicely, I used a white wine yeast.

So I’ll see how it goes.

Mu.

 

[Abungerism]

Good to hear I'm not the only one, good luck! Just an FYI on my experiment - it's 2 1/2 weeks into it and still fermenting. Right now it tastes horrible; I hope it will get better with age. It has some lees on the bottom so I will rack it soon.

Edited to clarify.

 

[teucer]

Are you sure about those sugar density figures?

Sugar tends to sink in my experience, which suggests a density of greater than 1 g/mL.

 

[JamesP]

Don't gently pour; let it really splash down on the tea bags. Set the container aside and allow the tea to steep for at least an hour. (Actually you can let it steep for hours, overnight even, and it's just fine.)

I'm guessing that this will be too astringent unless you make it very sweet (or age it for .... years)

Keep us posted.

 

[Mu]

I finished the bottle of this made with a wine yeast. Lets say early on it has a different character, than after several months. It gets for a better word an oak/wine taste to it, that’s sweet. I guess the tannins in the tea give it that kind of charter….I made it with a beer yeast as well, but it gets a yeast flavor I don’t like.

Never the less after a few months it’s a refreshing drink.

Mu.

 

[Miriam]

I made a tea wine about a year ago, Rose Chai. It wasn't good at all at first; the tea flavor disappeared. The flavor came back a while later, but I still didn't like it. I'll try it again and report back - next week, right now I'm down with a cold that no flavor will penetrate. (schnif). My notes tell me that it was thin and disappointing, but that was last May. By now it could be better.

The Lapsang Souchong metheglin I made turned out well. I made the mistake of drinking a couple of glasses of it late one night, then couldn't sleep till the wee hours: the caffeine in the tea made it right through fermentation. Actually this metheglin is nice on a cold afternoon, gently heated and served with a dollop of sweetened cream on top.

But then again, what isn't?

Miriam

 

[Abungerism]

It turned out VERY astringent. I ended up dumping it out so I could use the carboy for a methiglyn. Maybe it would be better if one made sugar water, fermented it, and then added the tea after fermentation. For now I'm more focused on projects that I KNOW will turn out drinkable.

 

[palecricket1]

I have a batch of one of these going. First off, I'd disadvice using black tea, mostly because I just plain don't like it. Second, I'm not entirely sure but I think nutrients (or raisins) are a must in this must (no pun intended). Just be safe I threw some in. It's going along fine, but I only used 25% black tea, and it was smooth, good quality apricot black tea from Oren's. I also used 25% mutan peony white and 50% Numi brand gunpowder green. Since I figured a vigorous fermentation would kill alot of the more delicate volatiles, I'd think feeding the yeast over time would be wise. In any case it's fermenting pretty slowly so I'm happy. A note to Abugnerism or anyone else planning this out is that, as with honey, choice of tea is important with fermented tea. I chose these teas because most of their flavors are from non-volatile compounds, like the acids from the white, the smoky and green characters from the gunpowder, and the apricot flavor in the black, so these flavors will mostly constitute what I'm left with, plus what the yeast adds. Generic black tea has little flavor to begin with, and the tea volatiles don't hold up too well. If anyone's interested I can dig up my recipe.
I do know that Kombucha (mushroom tea) is fermented with yeast and a bacteria, and it is supposedly very good; I've never had it so I can't say.