Opinions needed... tea bags for armoa/flavor

**powerfreak** · 05-17-2010, 12:29 AM

I just racked my Prickly Pear Honey Blonde Ale to secondary today.

It smells fantastic and the tiny sample was not bad at all. Tasted like beer, so it's a success already!

What I'm wondering is this: should I add another tea bag or two of the China Mist Prickly Pear Black Tea to the secondary? If so, now for 7 days or so or mid-time, say 3 days?

Prickly Pear Fruit is pretty mild, so I'm thinking the additional tea bags will impart some additional aroma and maybe a bit of flavor. I've already used two in the boil for about 10 minutes (along with Prickly Pear Syrup and Prickly Pear Honey). Recipe is below.

Am I over-doing it or am I on the right track?

8.0 oz Barley, Flaked
8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row)
(30 minutes at 155)

5 lbs Pale Liquid Extract
1 lbs Honey (pre-mixed with the LME)
0.75 oz Amarillo Gold
(60 minutes boil)

10.1 oz Prickly Pear Syrup
(15 minutes left in boil)

8.0 oz Prickly Pear Cactus Honey
1.0 oz (2 bags) China Mist Prickly Pear Iced Black Tea
(10 minutes)

0.25 oz Amarillo Gold
(5 minutes)

Cool and pitch 1 Pkgs Munton Fison Ale Yeast (used some cooled PPHB wort as a 30 starter... worked quite well.)

Potter1 · 05-17-2010, 03:40 PM

Letting the tea sit very long (like a few days) may impart some astringency from the tannins in the black tea. Would you be able to notice it? Dont know

**Jipper** · 05-17-2010, 03:49 PM

Hard to say,as usually you need hot water to extract the goodness from the tea. Maybe try letting a bag soak in just some water overnight, see how that turns out. if it seems ok, then go for it. Or you can put some bags in the beer and secure them so you can pull them out (dont sink them). After a few days pull one out and collect the draining beer into a glass and try that, to check of tannins. Just some ideas.

**powerfreak** · 05-18-2010, 12:48 AM

Thanks for the responses Potter1 and Jippers. Good advice.