Tea Wine

[greenbean]

How long should I let my tea wine age. I usually age a year, but I can't find everything from six months to a year for tea wine.



Chris

 

[geocorn]

Chris,


Taste it at 6 months and see what you think. If you like itand think its ready, bottle it; otherwise, let it age longer.


It is my understanding that the strength of the caffeine affects the aging time.

 

[greenbean]

Well I can tell you this. Don't taste it young I used my wine thief to sample and , good gravy is it funky tasting lol.



Chris

 

[MedPretzel]

Interesting. I have recently finished a tea wine, and it tastes like jet-fuel.


But I recently filtered with a gravity filter (Harris Filters) and it's still cloudy.





Anybody got an idea?

 

[Hippie]

Hhmmm......I don't really have any idea, did you use grape or other juice in it?

 

[MedPretzel]

No, would that make a difference?

 

[Hippie]

Of course, it matters because you might have a pectin haze from the fruit juice. So, if you used juice, did you also use pectic enzyme?

 

[MedPretzel]

no, i didn't use any juice....


But I didn't use pectic either.... I didn't think I needed to.





Hmmmm.

 

[Hippie]

Ok. If you only used tea and no fruit or juice, no need to use the enzyme, soI reckon we gotta really put our thinkin caps on now.

 

[MedPretzel]

is your thinking cap on yet? This is really puzzling me.





Oh BTW, I cannot check for pH or SO2 or anything. All I have is my handy hydrometer.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

remember no cream in your tea whine

 

[MedPretzel]

Haha! Well, Since I don't like cream in my tea anyway, that shouldn't be a problem. I just wonder why it's not clearing.....

 

[Hippie]

Is the tea a 1 gallon batch or 5? You might have to sit it out in the cold and give it some time, or try a fining.

 

[MedPretzel]

It's a 5 galloner. I think I'm just impatient, but it really stunned me that my filter didn't do it's job to my liking. Oh well. The wine tastes like #(*&*^ anyway.

 

[greenbean]

Med, I made a 1 gal batch and it has been cloudy for some time
but is beging to clear. Although I did use raisens for body. Also I
don't know it using fresh brewed or instant matters but I used fresh
brewed ( tetley brand).



Chris

 

[Hippie]

Oh now Martina, be patient, my dear. Is there a chance it is still fermenting slowly and thus cloudy?

 

[MedPretzel]

Patience is a virtue I do not posess.





No chance of fermentation.

 

[Hippie]

Then you need to fine with sumptin.

 

[MedPretzel]

Then you need to fine with sumptin.

Betonite or Gelatin finings? What would be better for camomille tea wine?

 

[Hippie]

You said nothing of Chamomile before.


I would use gelatin and hope it carries some of the harsh tannin with it. If it does not taste particularly tannic, use bentonite, then isinglass, or use superkleer.