01-24-2010, 11:25 PM
I'm always experimenting to find something new. Here is my most recent endeavor:
HARD ICED TEA
I brought nearly one liter of water to a boil and then removed from the heat. I added 5 bags of Earl Grey and 5 bags of black tea and let it steep for 20 minutes. Then I removed the tea bags and added 2 cups of brown sugar, and stirred until it dissolved. Then I added 1 liter of cold water, mixed well, and placed in a 2-liter bottle that had just finished making hard cider (see post about reusing yeast. I wasn't sure if brown-sugar-tea-water would be difficult to ferment or not so I used a starter to give it a head start).
Within 1 hour I had VERY active fermentation. My plan was to ferment it for one week but when I sampled it after 5 days it was already more dry than I would have liked. I added some sugar, to taste, and enjoyed an alcoholic iced tea. It was actually pretty refreshing and although it is winter, I imagined coming in and drinking some of the brew after mowing the lawn on a hot day.
Next time I'm going to add 2 more tea bags and an additional cup of brown sugar and possibly some lemon to the recipe. This time I'll take gravity measurements so I know what the alcohol % is.
This experiment was a success. I can only imagine how many different flavors can be developed by using different types of tea. I am definitely going to make this again.
HARD ICED TEA
I brought nearly one liter of water to a boil and then removed from the heat. I added 5 bags of Earl Grey and 5 bags of black tea and let it steep for 20 minutes. Then I removed the tea bags and added 2 cups of brown sugar, and stirred until it dissolved. Then I added 1 liter of cold water, mixed well, and placed in a 2-liter bottle that had just finished making hard cider (see post about reusing yeast. I wasn't sure if brown-sugar-tea-water would be difficult to ferment or not so I used a starter to give it a head start).
Within 1 hour I had VERY active fermentation. My plan was to ferment it for one week but when I sampled it after 5 days it was already more dry than I would have liked. I added some sugar, to taste, and enjoyed an alcoholic iced tea. It was actually pretty refreshing and although it is winter, I imagined coming in and drinking some of the brew after mowing the lawn on a hot day.
Next time I'm going to add 2 more tea bags and an additional cup of brown sugar and possibly some lemon to the recipe. This time I'll take gravity measurements so I know what the alcohol % is.
This experiment was a success. I can only imagine how many different flavors can be developed by using different types of tea. I am definitely going to make this again.