Doc's Beer Ice Tea
For one reason or other I've been on a health kick for the last month.
In order to get this over and done with in the shortest time (ie. reach the intended goals), I've reduced my beer intake.
Don't get me wrong, I haven't gone all pussy on you guys. Still brewing, still drinking.
However on the limited or no alcohol days I've been looking for a liquid substitute.
Through some conversations with mates, Ice Tea came up. I started making Ice Tea and didn't mind the flavour at all. In fact after experimenting with different tea blends and combinations I found a couple that looked and had hints of beer.
That got me thinking. What if I could make Ice Tea that tasted like beer.
Now I know what you are thinking. Why not just go the European route with non-alcoholic beer etc. Well that still needs to be brewed. If I'm going to spend 6 hours doing AG, I'd damn well want some serious flavour and some alcohol in there.
I started experimenting further with tea combinations to first get the colour and flavour profiles.
Then I started adding in some Liquid Hops from Ross. Liquid Hops I thought could give the hop hints that started bending the flavour from tea to beer(ish).
I tried about 5 different Liquid Hop flavour profiles but I pretty much found I had to add quite a bit to get a flavour profile and then sometimes it was just too much without producing the required flavour profile. I also found that separation occured in the liquid meaning at the bottom of the jug all the Liquid Hops would settle out and make for some intense last few glasses. Some more experimentation is required with Liquid Hops.
The next attempts were done using flower hops, in particular plugs.
This seemed to definitely give the hop beer character, as well as some aromatics.
I've now got a profile that is pretty good.
So, on with the process and recipe.
Doc's Light Lager Beer Ice Tea
Equip. & Ingredients
Hot Water Jug
1 litre vessel/jug
1 sachet Camomile tea
1 sachet Green Tea
1 sachet Orange Pekoe tea
1 hop plug (I've been using Stryian Goldings)
1 hop bag
1 tray of ice cubes
Process
Take the 1 litre vessel. I use a 1 litre glass jug.
Add at least half a litre of water to an electric hot water jug and boil it.
Take the three tea sachets and remove from the external packaging to leave just the tea bag.
Tie the ends of the tea bags together.
Suspend the tea bag strings over the jug handle (if present) and the tea bags into the jug.
Put the hop plug in a small hop bag and into the jug.
Pour ~400 mls of water into the jug, to steep the tea and hops.
Leave for about 20 mins.
Compress the hop bag and remove.
Compress the tea bags and remove.
Add 1 tray of ice cubes to the jug. Top up with more water to get to ~1 litre (if required).
If there is enough ice then the Beer Ice Tea is ready to drink. If not put in the fridge until chilled.
If the hop plug a/a is quite strong a dilution of up to 50:50 of Beer Ice Tea to water maybe required.
Here is a picture of the tea bags and the hop bag steeping in the hot water.
And the resulting Doc's Light Lager Beer Ice Tea.
Whats next ?
The only thing I haven't messed with yet is carbonation.
I'm tempted to try a couple of PET bottles and use a carbonation cap to see how it goes.
If all goes well I may even try and make up keg quantities and force carb.
Further Experimentation
I've messed with other teas. I've found that using Green Tea and Orange Pekoe Tea is a really good base. The Orange Pekoe also gives a great colour.
The third tea I mix up with whatever looks interesting. Lemon and Ginger Tea is good. Raspberry & Peach Tea can be a little tart and kills any hop aromatics.
For one reason or other I've been on a health kick for the last month.
In order to get this over and done with in the shortest time (ie. reach the intended goals), I've reduced my beer intake.
Don't get me wrong, I haven't gone all pussy on you guys. Still brewing, still drinking.
However on the limited or no alcohol days I've been looking for a liquid substitute.
Through some conversations with mates, Ice Tea came up. I started making Ice Tea and didn't mind the flavour at all. In fact after experimenting with different tea blends and combinations I found a couple that looked and had hints of beer.
That got me thinking. What if I could make Ice Tea that tasted like beer.
Now I know what you are thinking. Why not just go the European route with non-alcoholic beer etc. Well that still needs to be brewed. If I'm going to spend 6 hours doing AG, I'd damn well want some serious flavour and some alcohol in there.
I started experimenting further with tea combinations to first get the colour and flavour profiles.
Then I started adding in some Liquid Hops from Ross. Liquid Hops I thought could give the hop hints that started bending the flavour from tea to beer(ish).
I tried about 5 different Liquid Hop flavour profiles but I pretty much found I had to add quite a bit to get a flavour profile and then sometimes it was just too much without producing the required flavour profile. I also found that separation occured in the liquid meaning at the bottom of the jug all the Liquid Hops would settle out and make for some intense last few glasses. Some more experimentation is required with Liquid Hops.
The next attempts were done using flower hops, in particular plugs.
This seemed to definitely give the hop beer character, as well as some aromatics.
I've now got a profile that is pretty good.
So, on with the process and recipe.
Doc's Light Lager Beer Ice Tea
Equip. & Ingredients
Hot Water Jug
1 litre vessel/jug
1 sachet Camomile tea
1 sachet Green Tea
1 sachet Orange Pekoe tea
1 hop plug (I've been using Stryian Goldings)
1 hop bag
1 tray of ice cubes
Process
Take the 1 litre vessel. I use a 1 litre glass jug.
Add at least half a litre of water to an electric hot water jug and boil it.
Take the three tea sachets and remove from the external packaging to leave just the tea bag.
Tie the ends of the tea bags together.
Suspend the tea bag strings over the jug handle (if present) and the tea bags into the jug.
Put the hop plug in a small hop bag and into the jug.
Pour ~400 mls of water into the jug, to steep the tea and hops.
Leave for about 20 mins.
Compress the hop bag and remove.
Compress the tea bags and remove.
Add 1 tray of ice cubes to the jug. Top up with more water to get to ~1 litre (if required).
If there is enough ice then the Beer Ice Tea is ready to drink. If not put in the fridge until chilled.
If the hop plug a/a is quite strong a dilution of up to 50:50 of Beer Ice Tea to water maybe required.
Here is a picture of the tea bags and the hop bag steeping in the hot water.
And the resulting Doc's Light Lager Beer Ice Tea.
Whats next ?
The only thing I haven't messed with yet is carbonation.
I'm tempted to try a couple of PET bottles and use a carbonation cap to see how it goes.
If all goes well I may even try and make up keg quantities and force carb.
Further Experimentation
I've messed with other teas. I've found that using Green Tea and Orange Pekoe Tea is a really good base. The Orange Pekoe also gives a great colour.
The third tea I mix up with whatever looks interesting. Lemon and Ginger Tea is good. Raspberry & Peach Tea can be a little tart and kills any hop aromatics.
