Green Tea Weizen

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305guy

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I'm working on an all-grain bavarian Weizen with Green Tea, and have a few questions about how to add the tea. I've read that some micros have done it by using pre-made iced tea instead of water during the boil. I'm not sure how much flavor would make it to the bottle so, by that method, should ALL the water used in the boil be tea, or just a fraction of it, and what about the water used during mashing?

I was also thinking about adding the tea near the end of the boil as a substitute for aroma hops. Again, I don't have a clue what an appropriate amount would be, or the pros and cons of each method.

Finally, would the tea have any effects on fermentation?
 
the only advice I can give is steep the tea the same way you would steep grain (below 170f) tea has tannins too and you probably dont want them in your beer.
 
I've used chamomile in a ginger beer. I just made a quart of tea and added it to the keg. That let me adjust the flavor slowly. I've had commercial jasmine and lavender beers. In both cases, the tea was added post-ferment. It will be really easy to overwhelm a Weizen, so that might be your best approach.
 
Subscribed. I've been wanting to do a green tea wheat, but I am utterly clueless as to how much tea to use. I will look fwd to your results.
 
Dry hopping maybe? Then again it might not add enough of the flavor to the beer.
 
After doing a little chemistry research on the internet and some more thinking, I found that Green Tea becomes harsh and bitter if let steep too long (something I actually already knew from personal experience). I also remember that the proper method to make iced tea is to steep the tea with hot water, then chill it. Both those facts would lead me away from "dry-teaing", and reinforce the idea of using them at the end of the boil. If good green tea is made by steeping the leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, why not add the leaves in a hop bag to the last 5 minutes of the boil? As for amount, typical for a cup of tea is ~1.5tsp for 8oz water. Take that up to 5 gallons (640oz) and you get 80 times the amount for a standard cup, or ~120tsp = 2.5 cups for full-strength green tea flavor, and scale that down to taste (maybe half).
 
Yes, you want it subtle, so as not to dominate the wheat.

The question is, how do you handle bitterness? Tea is bitter, so you'd have to figure that into the IBU. Maybe you could just pop open a wheat beer with a known or low IBU (like Blue Moon) and add some already-brewed tea to see how much tastes right, and scale it up.

You'd hate to waste a whole 5 gallons of ingredients just as an experiment.

I'd definitely have some takers for this beer if I could do it right.


After doing a little chemistry research on the internet and some more thinking, I found that Green Tea becomes harsh and bitter if let steep too long (something I actually already knew from personal experience). I also remember that the proper method to make iced tea is to steep the tea with hot water, then chill it. Both those facts would lead me away from "dry-teaing", and reinforce the idea of using them at the end of the boil. If good green tea is made by steeping the leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, why not add the leaves in a hop bag to the last 5 minutes of the boil? As for amount, typical for a cup of tea is ~1.5tsp for 8oz water. Take that up to 5 gallons (640oz) and you get 80 times the amount for a standard cup, or ~120tsp = 2.5 cups for full-strength green tea flavor, and scale that down to taste (maybe half).
 
I would try one or more of the following ideas:
1. First worst teaing
2. Dissolving your priming sugar in tea
3. Brewing a beer without tea and blending it with tea until you get the taste you want.
4. Brewing a concentrated beer and "top off" with tea after primary fermentation is complete.
 
Not sure what was mentioned earlier but from what I know of green tea is that boiling it can lead to bad flavors. In my experiences anyways.
 
Same with barley grains, which will release tannins just like tea if you overheat them (about 175F). Which is why you essentially steep grains to make beer (steep, mash, same thing for the purposes of my anaolgy). Then you throw out the grains and boil the liquor.

Tea is the same way. You steep the tea leaves. Once the grain or leaves are out of the pot, you can boil all you want and no tannins. ;)

Not sure what was mentioned earlier but from what I know of green tea is that boiling it can lead to bad flavors. In my experiences anyways.
 
This can be a very in depth subject. First, what flavors are you trying to get from the green tea. Green tea has a very subtle aroma and flavor. Green tea types can give you very different flavors and aromas. The most famous green tea variety, Lung Ching or Drangonwell for example has a distinct chestnut aroma. Other teas display more floral, or vegetal aromas and flavors.

Green tea is very finiky. I usually brew 2-4 cups of loose leaf tea at a time with 180*F water in an open pot for 2 minutes. I adjust the amount and time depending on the tea. Some insist that the best way to brew tea is in a gawain. This is essentially a small tea cup. Most of the gawain is filled with tea. Hot water is poured over the tea and allowed to steep for up to 15 seconds. This tea is poured into a common pot. More water is pored and allowed to steep for slightly longer. This continues up to 8 times depending on the tea type.

To add a strong green tea flavor to beer, I would stay away from putting leaves into the boil or wort. You will not get proper extraction. I would think a great way to get the flavor would be through the Japanese green tea powder. It is slightly more earthy and vegetal, but would be easier to use in the brewing process.
 
If good green tea is made by steeping the leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes

It's not. Green tea should be brewed at a lower temperature than black tea, around 160-190°F depending on personal taste and the specific tea.
 
So maybe steep the tea in the wort on the way to (but before) the boil, then remove the leaves, and boil as normal?
 
So maybe steep the tea in the wort on the way to (but before) the boil, then remove the leaves, and boil as normal?
But by boiling the tea (i.e. your wort), you will completely lose any aromatic character present in the tea.

This is why I think addition post-fermentation would be the way to go, via blending. At the very least, you'd want to add the tea post-boil.
 
Absolutely add it post boil. As far as post-fermentation I don't know. Would it really be green tea beer or beer with green tea added?
 
Not sure how it works with tea, but late hopping preserves aroma, the ideal time being 7 minutes, at least according to the chart I go by.

But I agree that it should be added at flame-out or later. I do think the key is to add already-brewed tea, not leaves or powder to the wort. If you think over dry-hopping an ounce or so of hops can lead to grassy flavors, think about all this tea being dry-tea'd. :eek:

Also, good info Edcculus. You are now recruited to the project as green tea expert. :D

I think a wheat is the best way to go for this as it tends to work well with other flavors. Either that or a light blond ale.

But by boiling the tea (i.e. your wort), you will completely lose any aromatic character present in the tea.

This is why I think addition post-fermentation would be the way to go, via blending. At the very least, you'd want to add the tea post-boil.
 
I have added loose japanese green tea powder while chilling my wort as the temp gets drops below 180. Worked great, with subtle flavors.
 
I've stayed away from brewing tea or using leaves for the reasons mentioned, but have used matcha green tea powder dissolved in boiled water to bottle-condition a winter ale in combination with spices.

You mentioned you're brewing an AG bavarian Weizen (not an American Wheat), so you're using a traditional weizen yeast strain, yes?

I just brewed a 10 gal AG weizen by triple decoction and split the wort to two carboys pitched with two yeasts- a weizen and an Amer Wheat.
The matcha added desirable subtle aroma and flavor, as well as a slight gritty mouthfeel (compared to same beer without additions) to the winter ale. So with this batch, I'm planning to dry-hop some of the wheat beer with matcha powder and spices and am hoping to get the desirables but leave the gritty texture behind in the fermenter.
 
I made a lemon iced tea beer this summer. I was pleased with the results. I used black tea and added it in at flameout. I also brewed a few cups of tea and added it to the secondary.
 
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