My tea wine recipes

[Berry454]

Figured I would try my hand at the whole tea wine thing. I decided to make 2 separate demijohns each with a different tea. I decided on Good Earth hibiscus, rose and sweet berries. And Taste The Difference Strawberry and elderflower infusion.

The ingredients for each tea are below.

GE Hibiscus, Rose and Sweet Berries
Apple, hibiscus 20%, elderberry 10%, sweet blackberry leaves 10%, aronia 9%, beetroot, natural flavour, red rose petals 2%.

TTD Strawberry And Elderflower Infusion
Rosehip, apple, hibiscus, flavourings 11%, white hibiscus, elderflower 6%, sweet blackberry leaves, lemon peel 3%, strawberry pieces 2%.

GE Recipe
15 x hibiscus, rose and sweet berry tea bags £2
2lt apple juice £1.50
5 black tea bags £0.20
0.5lt red grape juice £0.50
950g sugar £1
Half sachet EC 1118 £1
1 TSP citric 1 TSP neutrient

SG 1.100
Potential ABV 13.5%
Total £6.20

TTD recipe
20 strawberry elderflower infusion tea bags £2
2lt apple juice £1.50
0.5lt red grape juice £0.50
5 black tea bags £0.20
950g sugar £1
Half sachet EC 1118 £1
1 TSP citric 1 TSP nutrient

SG 1.100
Potential ABV 13.5%
Total £6.20

I started by brewing the fruit tea bags with the black tea bags in a jug with 500ml boiling water. After 20 minutes I drained through a sive and pressed the tea bags between my hands to get all the liquid out.

Add this to the fermenter, along with the juice, citric acid and sugar. Top up to 4.5 litres with warm water. Shake well to dissolve the sugar and citric acid.

Pit the yeast directly into the demijohn along with the nutrient, shake well.

I'm fermenting at 25 degrees Celsius.

As you can see both demijohns are a deep red. If this actually tastes as good as it smells initially then this will be an absolute bargain at £1 a bottle. I will likely add some glycerin at the end to improve mouth feel.

 

[ColinF]

Looking good, haven't considered a tea wine .... yet

What size are your juice/water bottles that you're fermenting in ? I'm also curious how you've got a seal between the bubbler and the lid ? Have you just drilled a hole or have you installed a grommet ?

 

[Berry454]

Looking good, haven't considered a tea wine .... yet

What size are your juice/water bottles that you're fermenting in ? I'm also curious how you've got a seal between the bubbler and the lid ? Have you just drilled a hole or have you installed a grommet ?

Yeah these are my first tea wines too. Though from the colour and aroma I'm pretty positive these will turn out good.

I'm fermenting in 5L co op water bottles. I like them because I can discard them after a couple of uses. I filled these to 4.5 litres from the start because EC 1118 doesn't really foam much. It's a rather controlled fermentation.

About the bubblers. I just drilled a hole in the lids and 3 wraps of PTFE tape around the bubblers gives a completely air tight seal.

I only use the bubblers because I run 4-5 demijohns at a time. So it's nice to have an idea when fermentation is complete without having to take a reading. I don't really think they're necessary. I ferment most of my 23 litre wine batches with just a loose lid. Helps prevent foaming and stuff!

Fermentation kills most if not all bacteria. So providing you don't leave the lids loose after fermentation is complete not much can go wrong really!

 

[ColinF]

About the bubblers. I just drilled a hole in the lids and 3 wraps of PTFE tape around the bubblers gives a completely air tight seal.

Ah ok, that's a good idea

 

[Berry454]

Update 6 day started on the 1/3/22


GE Hibiscus, Rose and Sweet Berries

Gravity now 1.010

TTD Strawberry And Elderflower Infusion

Gravity now 1.010

Both of them smell amazing. Sadly they are both fairly lighter in colour compared to when they started. I may add a little grape skin extract after fermentation to darken them up a little. I mean they look fine. I just like a dark red!

These will probably finish as a very dark rose or a light red!

 

[Berry454]

Day 10 update

GE Hibiscus, Rose and Sweet Berries

FG 0.994

TTD Strawberry And Elderflower Infusion

FG 0.998

The GE unfortunately lost a lot of its colour and lightened significantly into a light rose shade. So I've added 2 TSP of grape skin extract which immediately darkened it right up!


GE left TTD right. Racked off both demijohns today to remove the sediment.

GE left TTD right after adding 2 TSP grape seed extract to the GE.

GE is now back to being a red!!! ^^^ I'm happy with TTD staying a rose colour as it's an elderflower infusion. Elderflower seems to work well in rose wines.

Stabilized with one TSP each of Wilko stabilizer.

Degassing now using my homemade chopstick degassing wand. It's a chop stick with a piece of rubber aquarium airline tubing tied around one end.

I have to say both of them smell absolutely amazing!

 

[Sharon.]

View attachment 63889View attachment 63890

As you can see both demijohns are a deep red. If this actually tastes as good as it smells initially then this will be an absolute bargain at £1 a bottle. I will likely add some glycerin at the end to improve mouth feel.

How did you drill the holes for the airlock, please? And did you use a grommet as well?

I'm trying to get a fermentation going in a similar container, but with a grommet holding the airlock. And I'm not sure about drilling the hole, I don't think that the airlock is working properly, the must is fermenting well but there is no difference in the levels in the airlock.

Did you use the tape on the thread of the lid, plus on the airlock, please?

Thanks.

 

[Berry454]

How did you drill the holes for the airlock, please? And did you use a grommet as well?

I'm trying to get a fermentation going in a similar container, but with a grommet holding the airlock. And I'm not sure about drilling the hole, I don't think that the airlock is working properly, the must is fermenting well but there is no difference in the levels in the airlock.

Did you use the tape on the thread of the lid, plus on the airlock, please?

Thanks.

Drill the holes with a drill bit slightly smaller than the airlock.

I wrapped 2 layers of PTFE tape around the base of the airlock then forced it into the hole.

Works 100% of the time.

Not that you really need it though. Fermentation is antimicrobial in its self. Depending on how much time I have sometimes I just loosely screw the lid on without an airlock.

I really don't feel like airlocks are that much use in general. I'm fermenting 5 Winexpert Cabernet Merlot reserve kits right now with just loose fitted lids.

Only good thing with an airlock is they provide a good indication of when fermentation ends without needing to get the hydrometer out.

 

[Sharon.]

Drill the holes with a drill bit slightly smaller than the airlock.

I wrapped 2 layers of PTFE tape around the base of the airlock then forced it into the hole.

Works 100% of the time.

Not that you really need it though. Fermentation is antimicrobial in its self. Depending on how much time I have sometimes I just loosely screw the lid on without an airlock.

I really don't feel like airlocks are that much use in general. I'm fermenting 5 Winexpert Cabernet Merlot reserve kits right now with just loose fitted lids.

Only good thing with an airlock is they provide a good indication of when fermentation ends without needing to get the hydrometer out.

How did you stop the lid cracking/splitting? I've tried drilling using my power drill, but its causing the lids to crack and not form a perfect hole. I'm not sure if this is because of a brittle lid, or my drill going too fast!

 

[Berry454]

How did you stop the lid cracking/splitting? I've tried drilling using my power drill, but its causing the lids to crack and not form a perfect hole. I'm not sure if this is because of a brittle lid, or my drill going too fast!

Make sure you're using a classic wood drill bit and make sure the drill is NOT on hammer or masonry modes ect. Take it slow.

The plastic sounds brittle as none of mine cracked. In this case try using a tiny drill bit, a bit bigger one followed by a bit bigger one. They shouldn't crack if you do this slowly!

Failing that try co op bottles. The lids are brilliant!

 

[Robin54]

Drill slowly and perhaps tidy up with a sharpie. I seal with chewing gum! Seems to work.

 

[Berry454]

Drill slowly and perhaps tidy up with a sharpie. I seal with chewing gum! Seems to work.

Be careful with the chewing gum. That will be a magnet for bacteria/mold growth after about a week. Could be an issue on longer fermentations!

I'd be spraying it a few times a week with 80% NGS or failing that vodka.

 

[Robin54]

Be careful with the chewing gum. That will be a magnet for bacteria/mold growth after about a week. Could be an issue on longer fermentations!

I'd be spraying it a few times a week with 80% NGS or failing that vodka.

Good shout - Ive drunk all the vodka!